Contact sheet with scanner?

[traveler_101]

Anyone have any advice for making an electronic record of negatives. I have already 30 rolls (mostly b&w). I don't really want to scan all that. What I want is a way to know what I have so that I can pick individual negatives to scan or wet print (next stage). What I really want is a kind of electronic contact sheet, if that makes any sense. What I have is a Epson V600. Anyone tried anything like this or found some other way of getting readable images quickly?

 

[Bob Michaels]

Anyone have any advice for making an electronic record of negatives. .............. or found some other way of getting readable images quickly?

Simply lay the negatives down on a light table and edit from there. It is quite simple to edit from a b&w neg. Actually easier than a contact sheet because you are looking at the original detail, not a 2nd generation copy.

 

[benlees]

i do this with every roll of film. Quick and easy. I have a V700. One of the real benefits of having a flatbed.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Has the V600 a full-bed transparency hood? If so, easy. If not, no. I scan 'contacts' in Printfile sleeves in this way and have done for years: see http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/mt print file.html for an example.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Photo_Smith]

A method you can use if you don't have a full deck flatbed is lay your negs on a lightbox (or sugar paper taped to a window) Then take a picture with a digital camera and invert in Photoshop.
Another neat trick if you have an iPhone or iPod touch is to go to Settings>General>Accessibility>Invert colours
Now open your camera app and view your negatives as a positives
Quick and dirty method I know, the Tamron Fotovix we had in the 1990's worked like that with a TV screen if you can find one...

 

[emiguevara]

For me, a flatbed digital scan is a contact sheet... I only print the negatives that I really like on the screen.
With a V500 I manage to scan a full roll in less than half an hour... what's the problem with that? you only need to put the negatives in the guides and click one button, three times overall, once every ten minutes more or less. I usually do it while preparing breakfast, cleaning up the apartment, etc.

 

[eliev]

Another neat trick if you have an iPhone or iPod touch is to go to Settings>General>Accessibility>Invert colours
Now open your camera app and view your negatives as a positives

What a great tip!

 

[traveler_101]

Has the V600 a full-bed transparency hood? If so, easy. If not, no. I scan 'contacts' in Printfile sleeves in this way and have done for years: see http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/mt print file.html for an example.

Cheers,

R.

Unfortunately not. You can do only two strips at a time But maybe I could make three "contact sheets" per roll--if I can figure out how to do it. Thanks

A method you can use if you don't have a full deck flatbed is lay your negs on a lightbox (or sugar paper taped to a window) Then take a picture with a digital camera and invert in Photoshop.
Another neat trick if you have an iPhone or iPod touch is to go to Settings>General>Accessibility>Invert colours
Now open your camera app and view your negatives as a positives
Quick and dirty method I know, the Tamron Fotovix we had in the 1990's worked like that with a TV screen if you can find one...

Nope, no I-phone or I-pad; no lightbox either, but might be willing to buy one. How much does thst cost? I like the idea of making use of my digicam: great idea. Thanks.

For me, a flatbed digital scan is a contact sheet... I only print the negatives that I really like on the screen.
With a V500 I manage to scan a full roll in less than half an hour... what's the problem with that? you only need to put the negatives in the guides and click one button, three times overall, once every ten minutes more or less. I usually do it while preparing breakfast, cleaning up the apartment, etc.

Right, it's just that I want to have a record of the whole roll.

 

[taskoni]

I always print a contact sheet. I believe in this, not only because your contact sheets are the passport of your negatives, but because you can follow your own workflow, you can look through your little images and make conclusions from there. Also, deciding on couple of frames from a roll of film is dangerous because this way you can miss really good shot of yours - the artist's view on stuff is changing with the time and you might want to come back to certain shots you've have rejected in the pass. However, scanning the whole roll and sorting it on one sheet in Lightroom is super easy. As long as you have them, you can always choose later if you want to print them or not.
M2 cents 😉

 

[traveler_101]

I always print a contact sheet. I believe in this, not only because your contact sheets are the passport of your negatives, but because you can follow your own workflow, you can look through your little images and make conclusions from there. Also, deciding on couple of frames from a roll of film is dangerous because this way you can miss really good shot of yours - the artist's view on stuff is changing with the time and you might want to come back to certain shots you've have rejected in the pass.

Yes exactly!

However, scanning the whole roll and sorting it on one sheet in Lightroom is super easy. As long as you have them, you can always choose later if you want to print them or not.
M2 cents 😉

Not sure I understand what you mean. Scan each shot on the roll individually and create a single image consisting of 36 files on LR? You scan at at a low resolution then?