Film to digital

[kepstein]

I loved using my Leica M6, but lately I have been using my digital Epson R-D1 much more frequently. I also enjoy using Photoshop with my Epson R2400. I would like an easy way to go from film to digital. I don't know if scanning negatives is for me. Are there developing services that will put the images on an optical media in a high quality format (i.e. a 16 bit tiff file)? Would this be as good a file as the RAW files from the R-D1?

Thanks,
Ken

 

[Damian]

Unfortunately, if you can find a photo house that will scan your 35mm negs at archival quality, you're talking about a LOT of money per frame. One place near me charges around $25 per frame for a drum scan. I've used several 1 hour type processor places that scan the negs and put them on a CD, but the results were less than mediochre. Once you get comfortable using the scanner to archive your negatives, you can actually do it quite quickly. I get my color negs developed and uncut - I cut them myself and scan them 12 at a time while doing other things. Since I can scan as raw format, I don't worry about manipulation until later.

 

[Oliver]

You can get a 4000 dpi film scanner with dust removal, like the Nikon Coolscan. The dust removal eliminates most of the hassle, but you're still left with a large time sink scanning. Also, dust removal doesn't work on B&W film (does work on chromogenics) and also not on kodachrome.

Image quality is a toss up and depends alot on your print size, subject, and personal taste on grain vs sharpness. I'd say up to 8x10 the Epson will win being grainless and somewhere after that film will pull ahead from sharpness.

I'd probably stick with the Epson unless you have a backlog of film to justify the film scanner (~$500 used on ebay I think).

 

[Andy K]

The easiest way for you to make the transition would be for you to only use the RD-1 and send me that rubbishy old film camera. 😉

 

[justins7]

I have been happy with my film scanner.

I have been happy with my film scanner.

4000 dpi Canon CanoScan FS4000US
This may be the best option for the "transitional" period between film and digital. I use a Leica M6, scan the negatives, and clean up in Photoshop.
While these USB scanners are SSSLLLLLOOOOOWWW, the scans are excellent, and you can really continue to feel the beauty of film.

 

[Peter Klein]

4000 dpi Canon CanoScan FS4000US
This may be the best option for the "transitional" period between film and digital. I use a Leica M6, scan the negatives, and clean up in Photoshop.
While these USB scanners are SSSLLLLLOOOOOWWW, the scans are excellent, and you can really continue to feel the beauty of film.

The Canon FS4000US has both USB-1 and SCSI output. Just buy a cheap PCI SCSI card on Ebay or from a mail-order house, and life gets much better. SCSI, Firewire and USB-2 are fast enough, USB-1 is a pig. Fortunately, even the least fancy SCSI cards are fast enough for the scanner.

I have the FS4000US, and am very happy with it. It is a bit slower than the higher-end Nikons, but much less expensive, too. I use it with VueScan, as the Canon software seems permanently adjusted to drug-store contrast (bleached whites and jet black shadows, but hey, the print has "snap.") with Vuescan, I can capture the entire dynamic range of the negative in a 16-bit TIFF, and adjust in Picture Window Pro.

--Peter

 

[wtl]

Why would you want to shoot film and then convert to digital files as an end result?

My local slide service will convert digital file to slide for a very reasonable price ($5 for a shot). From what you described, it sounds like you want to think in a reversed way from here on.

 

[Socke]

Why would you want to shoot film and then convert to digital files as an end result?

My local slide service will convert digital file to slide for a very reasonable price ($5 for a shot). From what you described, it sounds like you want to think in a reversed way from here on.

First to get those pics on the web, second to get prints from slides, third to get the printed colours as I want them instead of what a bl**dy mashine thinks is right, fourth to do retouching with a chance to redo what I messed up .......

 

[wtl]

First to get those pics on the web, second to get prints from slides, third to get the printed colours as I want them instead of what a bl**dy mashine thinks is right, fourth to do retouching with a chance to redo what I messed up .......

Sounds fair. Never thought it that way. 😉

But then again, with a RD-1 sits next to me, I would shoot everything on it and then, if something I need badly on a slide, I convert it.

 

[aad]

A decent scanner will do a fine job on slides, then you can do what you will. I doubt drum-scanning will be worth it on 35mm.

 

[kepstein]

I already own a Minolta DiMage Scan Dual III, but this is only 2820 dpi. What does the dpi mean in terms of resolution?

Thanks,
Ken

 

[photogdave]

Interesting take on this discussion, wtl. 🙂
If I had the RD-1 I would probably shoot colour and have my Leica loaded with B&W. I've tried the RD-1 and really like the colour you can get out of it.
OTOH, nothing beats a true slide for real great projection viewing, so maybe I'd have Provia in my Leica and shoot B&W with the RD-1. 😕

 

[kepstein]

But then again, with a RD-1 sits next to me, I would shoot everything on it and then, if something I need badly on a slide, I convert it.

As much as I like the Epson, I still prefer the simplicity, size, and feeling of the Leica.

I guess that I'm just trying to figure out a way to not simply mothball the Leica.

Ken

 

[aad]

dpi is dots per inch, and for screen purposes is the same as pixels per inch. You can figure the output dpi by dividing scanned dpi by the "magnification" factor to output-meaning a 1" by 1" negative scanned at 3000 dpi can produce a 10"x10" print with 300 dpi resolution.

 

[wtl]

I already own a Minolta DiMage Scan Dual III, but this is only 2820 dpi. What does the dpi mean in terms of resolution?

Thanks,
Ken

Simply put, a good handle on this scanner will allow you to print up to 14x21 photos on a Fuji Frontier printer.

Life always gets more complicated with too many equipments, doesn't it?