Coolscan 9000 workflow

[gesper]

For those of you using Nikon Coolscan 9000 scanners, what is your workflow in terms of software, settings, resolution, correction, etc.?

Nikon Scan vs. VueScan vs. Silverfast?

Scanning resolution, file size, etc.?

Digital ICE, color/grain correction, etc.?

Thanks

[srabu]

Hi Gesper,

which film are you planning to scan?

Best regards,
Stefan.

[gesper]

I am just getting started, planning to try several to see what I like. I have a bunch of Tri-X and T-Max negatives and bought a couple of rolls of Provia and Portra VC to try. Open to suggestions as to what scans best with this scanner.

[tobey bilek]

Pretty much I try to get a scan without clipping shadows or highlights. If it is a color neg, they I adjust the color balance of the prescan until it is right. Save that setting for the next time you scan a frame of x type. I find little value in ICE or grain reduction or adjusting the file to the final degree from the scanner. It simply makes the scaning take a long time


Scan at a resolution that gives you 300x the width of the largest print you wish to make from the scan. 8 inch wide print x300 = 2400 ppi scan resolution.

Scan and save. Bring into Photoshop and do auto levels. You now have an image not clipped that shows a full range of black to white or full color scale.

Adjust it artiscially with curves, gamma, or whatever. Burn/Dodge to get what you want.

Save as a layered photoshop. Return to that master photoshop to make all final JPEG sizes.

[tgray]

I scan at the highest res of the scanner (4000dpi) on my Coolscan V. I'd rather only scan and dedust/scratch the files once. Then downsample. Also, this has the advantage of reducing the appearance of grain. I find that grain looks about the same looking at 100% while scanning at different resolutions, so when you downsample a larger file to the smaller size, its less grainy than if you had have scanned at that smaller size to begin with.

[gesper]

Originally Posted by tobey bilek

Pretty much I try to get a scan without clipping shadows or highlights. If it is a color neg, they I adjust the color balance of the prescan until it is right. Save that setting for the next time you scan a frame of x type. I find little value in ICE or grain reduction or adjusting the file to the final degree from the scanner. It simply makes the scaning take a long time


Scan at a resolution that gives you 300x the width of the largest print you wish to make from the scan. 8 inch wide print x300 = 2400 ppi scan resolution.

Scan and save. Bring into Photoshop and do auto levels. You now have an image not clipped that shows a full range of black to white or full color scale.

Adjust it artiscially with curves, gamma, or whatever. Burn/Dodge to get what you want.

Save as a layered photoshop. Return to that master photoshop to make all final JPEG sizes.

Thanks Tobey. I think I will probably scan everything at a lower resolution good enough for screen viewing just to get a "contact sheet" to see what all the images look like and then go back and rescan the keepers at the highest resolution so that I can then print at any size without having to rescan.

Have you compared auto levels in Nikon Scan vs. Photoshop? Also, I assume you use the auto exposure in Nikon Scan?

[tobey bilek]

Don`t use Nikon scan, I have a Minolta 5400 and use that packaged software. Nikons is similar. I do not use auto exposure. Exposure is detirmined at the color balance stage when I set the RGB exposures individually and there is a histogram for each channel. Works just like an addative rather than subtractive enlarger, ie Phillips.

If your exposures are not consistent, this will cause you to have to adjust all three up or down in unison to correct exposure or there might be an exposure control in the software. My ecposure are 99% accurate, so this works for me.

[gesper]

To make sure I understand, do you set the RGB exposures in the scanning software or in CS3 post scan?

[ron110n]

Gesper,

I use the the 48 bit HDR feature on my Nikon 9000 ED Silver Fast. The result is similar to a Raw file then I do the finishing touch at PSCS3. This don't require any adjustment to the scanning software. I'm lazy that's why. =) This was scanned over twice faster than the Nikon Scan, or Viewscan software... I'm also impatient. =)

-Ron

Rollei 6008i, Zeiss Planar 80mm HFT PQ, Fomapan 100, Agfa Rodinal 1:50, 7 min @ 20C

[pcsmythe]

We scan without any kind of corrections in order to get the full amount of information from the scan. We always scan at 4000 dpi because it is much easier to downsize than to rescan. We bring our scans into Lightroom (if 35 mm) and figure out what kinds of corrections we need to do.

Usually on the color scans, there are only dust and crop corrections. On B&W, we go through the "Edit in Photoshop" avenue and begin with the dust and scratches. We use a history brush action for dust and scratches that keeps the grain in the film and then go from there.

The great thing about the 9000 is that you can scan a dozen 35mm shots in one sitting. We used the 5000 before and it took up a lot of time and effort to scan each shot individually.

[gesper]

[quote=pcsmythe;573097] We use a history brush action for dust and scratches that keeps the grain in the film and then go from there.

QUOTE]

Thanks Peter. Can you explain the history brush action?

[gesper]

Originally Posted by ron110n

Gesper,

I use the the 48 bit HDR feature on my Nikon 9000 ED Silver Fast. The result is similar to a Raw file then I do the finishing touch at PSCS3. This don't require any adjustment to the scanning software. I'm lazy that's why. =) This was scanned over twice faster than the Nikon Scan, or Viewscan software... I'm also impatient. =)

-Ron

Rollei 6008i, Zeiss Planar 80mm HFT PQ, Fomapan 100, Agfa Rodinal 1:50, 7 min @ 20C

Great shot Ron. I don't use SilverFast (yet), but by the HDR feature are you referring to the multiexposure scans (I think that is what the call them)?

[pcsmythe]

We just picked up on the history brush action and it is a wonderful tool for dust and scratches (especially with a Wacom tablet).

Here are the steps:

1. First, it is a destructive application so you want to work off of a duplicate file and make sure that your original scan is left untouched in some file somewhere.

2. With your file (duplicate), open the Dust and Scratches filter and find out a good pixel setting (usually 7-10 - a little stronger than usual). Apply the filter. Your file will then look real blurred, but that's all right.

3. Go to the History Panel (oh, this is all in Photoshop, by the way) and take a snapshot (little camera on the bottom of the panel) of the Dust and Scratches action.

4. Then do a Command-Z - this totally undoes the Dust and Scratches action on the file. Your file will return to its Leica sharpness.

5. Now go to the History Brush - with that clicked make sure that it is in the Darken Mode.

6. Now paint over your dust and scratches. What this does is apply the Dust and Scratch filter only to your dust and scratches and not the entire file. Works like a charm and it also preserves the grain of the film (which I love). With a Wacom tablet, you have a finer coloring in, but we've done it with a mouse and the results are much better than the healing brush which messes too much with the grain.

The action sounds like a lot at first, but once you do it a few times, it becomes second nature.

[ron110n]

Hi Gesper,

Multi-Exposure is another feature of Silver-Fast. This is more on noise and detail management. Now, HDR is a Gamma Optimization for brightness and shadows on 48 bit scans. But this is like letting the software think for you durring the scanning process. After the scan, I post precess it in PSCS to match how I want it.

Originally Posted by gesper

Thanks, I will give Silverfast a try. I also just bought a Mamiya Universal Press 6x9 on eBay so the extra speed would help a lot. Redding is a beautiful area, especially this time of year. Have fun! P.S. Like you, I have a D300 that does nothing but collect dust (except for my daughter's track meets).

I just arrived here in Redding CA. Geez, this is something different from the concrete jungles of Los Angeles. I see a back woods river on my Hotel window. I think I'll finish a roll just around the hotel alone. It's really worth the 8hr. drive from Los Angeles. "It's all Heart-Land here". Love it... Tomorrow I'll be at Whisky Bay Lake and Turtle Beach.

Later!
-Ron

[srabu]

Works like a charm, and much better than the "healing brush"

I was sceptical about the result first, viewing the picture in 150% magnification, but the final picture proves my concern to be baseless.

Thank you very much for sharing that excellent workflow, Peter! This will save a lot of my time in the future and it will help me to achieve better prints. I think I will investigate in a Wacom tablet as my next purchase

Best regards,
Stefan.

Originally Posted by pcsmythe

We just picked up on the history brush action and it is a wonderful tool for dust and scratches (especially with a Wacom tablet).

Here are the steps:

1. First, it is a destructive application so you want to work off of a duplicate file and make sure that your original scan is left untouched in some file somewhere.

2. With your file (duplicate), open the Dust and Scratches filter and find out a good pixel setting (usually 7-10 - a little stronger than usual). Apply the filter. Your file will then look real blurred, but that's all right.

3. Go to the History Panel (oh, this is all in Photoshop, by the way) and take a snapshot (little camera on the bottom of the panel) of the Dust and Scratches action.

4. Then do a Command-Z - this totally undoes the Dust and Scratches action on the file. Your file will return to its Leica sharpness.

5. Now go to the History Brush - with that clicked make sure that it is in the Darken Mode.

6. Now paint over your dust and scratches. What this does is apply the Dust and Scratch filter only to your dust and scratches and not the entire file. Works like a charm and it also preserves the grain of the film (which I love). With a Wacom tablet, you have a finer coloring in, but we've done it with a mouse and the results are much better than the healing brush which messes too much with the grain.

The action sounds like a lot at first, but once you do it a few times, it becomes second nature.

[pcsmythe]

Looking at my steps, maybe I should add just to be clearer for some:

4.5 - click on your snapshot (clicking puts the little brush symbol in the snapshot history)

Let me also add this: if you have a dark splotch on your photo, do the same thing, but change the mode to Lighten and it takes care of it.


Stefan, I'm using the Special Edition 6x8 tablet which is much easier to use than the big one (which I also have). It takes a couple of hours to get used to, but once you do, you'll wonder why in the world you've been using a clumsy mouse for photo editing.