Jump to content

Imacon Question


atufte

Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I bought my Imacon 646 in 2006. Never needed to replace or upgrade it, it's been totally reliable and continues to be the key component in my continued film use across six different formats.

 

After almost 9 years and thousands of scans it wasn't even that great an outlay compared to the combined cost of more than half a dozen top-end Nikon dslrs I've gone through in that time.

Link to post
Share on other sites

The .FFF file opens directly into Photoshop for dust and scratch removal and can be returned to Flexcolor as a FFF file, or can be processed in Photoshop to completion and saved in your favourite format.

 

Any idea if a similar workflow is possible between the .FFF file and Lightroom, or limited to Photoshop? Does Photoshop process require a plug-in?

 

Jeff

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, err .... Yes, but different.

 

All you need to do is address the file name in Finder, Explorer, or on your Desktop and substitute .Tif in place of .FFF and then you can import it into Lightroom and treat it as an ordinary .tif file. It's a copy of the film scanned, I.e. If it was a negative, the image will be a negative, but easily inverted into a positive by going to the Curves section and dragging the top right to the left and the bottom left to the right. You won't have normal FFF functionality within Flexcolor, but that may suit you fine.

 

You'll also may be surprised, and possibly disappointed, how flat the tones are in the base scan. It may on first sight look unrecoverable, but that's how every scan looks before the scanner software modifies it.

 

The FFF is basically a Tiff file, but within Flexcolor it has the facility to save changes to the file as 'sidecar' data. Whilst it's in there you can always revert to the 'raw' scan, or any variation of that scan you've created. So, if you exported a 300x300 jpeg 3 years earlier, the instructions will be easily retrievable and you can repeat the export. Indeed, even if you scanned a colour file as a black and white, the colour version will be underlying and immediately available.

 

You could scan a Velvia frame, convert it to a Portra, or Fuji Acros, PanF formula etc, work on it with Flexcolors sliders and curve and export it. All the changes are saved in the sidecar file. Imagine how handy that would be to an organisation like the National Trust, who can send dozens of variations out, but only have the one base file. Magic..

 

 

 

I manage my files with Lightroom, but always use Photoshop in the first instance, whether I return to Flexcolor, or not.

 

A long response in place of a short Yes-but answer. Hope it helps.

 

Gary. :)

Edited by Rolo
  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

More good news is that flat-looking 3F scan will import into Nik for more tweaking, think custom presets. 3F files are archivally far more useful than tiffs. Whilst the workflow may seem a bit to-and-fro initially, the file has infinite options all the way from yesterday until tomorrow.

 

ACR just needs a kick up the arse.

Link to post
Share on other sites

A long response in place of a short Yes-but answer. Hope it helps.

 

Thanks, Gary. I have worked with scans from old negs that a friend provided using his scanning gear, so I'm familiar with the attributes of a flat looking file. But I've avoided buying my own scanner after recognizing that my friend, who has much expertise, had to do a lot of tweaking to his process (and even rebuilding his scanning hardware…Minolta, I think) to get the best results. Your process, while certainly still requiring a learning curve, seemed a bit more user friendly…although using a much pricier scanner.

 

The reason I asked the question about LR, however, is that a web search showed various people expressing frustration that FFF files were not compatible with some versions of Photoshop (and a plug-in required for others), and no indication that LR could use them. In various threads, it seemed that a tif isn't always a tif (from FFF), in the technical sense of being able to read the file. Those technical aspects are beyond my pay grade, but the bottom line seemed to be that FFF didn't play well with every version of Photoshop, let alone LR.

 

Thanks again.

 

Jeff

Edited by Jeff S
Link to post
Share on other sites

Jeff, the plug-in is available on the Hasselblad website download section.

 

Opening an FFF file is not the way you may expect, but it's reliable and never fails me. Go to Photoshop/File/Open File; identify the file and change the format type to 3F. Click and open.

 

You can then do many things to the FFF file, but you can't change its size and shape, otherwise it won't save as a FFF file again. To save, just Option S on an Apple Mac.

 

Investment is high, but depreciation is negligible if you buy second hand. You might budget £4,000 for an 848, £2,000 for a lesser model, maybe. The price of a body, or a lens, but you'd soon discover it's the central piece of kit to a film workflow, as Honcho writes. You don't need one, but it's really nice to have one.

 

Gary

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Jeff,

Whilst we've been conversing today, I've scanned and processed the attached. Something from nothing (almost). Seeing this and the like, always confirms that I've made the right choice.

 

I'm sure Steve feels the same and as he said, it takes all formats to 5x4, plus A4 documents.

 

Gary

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I understand the Flextight love, having had a 949 and now an 848.

 

But I felt more than a bit abused by Hasselblad when I found out from them today that they no longer sell the bulbs alone. If a bulb goes on your scanner, you'll have to send the scanner to HB at roughly 250USD RT shipping and purchase their tune-up for another 450USD just to get the bulb replaced. $700 (or more) for a bulb is maddening. Redefines being "serviced" by the seller.

 

I know HB is in rough shape, but raping your customer base can't be a sound long term solution.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Guest JonathanP

I understand the Flextight love, having had a 949 and now an 848.

 

But I felt more than a bit abused by Hasselblad when I found out from them today that they no longer sell the bulbs alone. If a bulb goes on your scanner, you'll have to send the scanner to HB at roughly 250USD RT shipping and purchase their tune-up for another 450USD just to get the bulb replaced. $700 (or more) for a bulb is maddening. Redefines being "serviced" by the seller.

 

I know HB is in rough shape, but raping your customer base can't be a sound long term solution.

 

I don't know the 848, but my Precision II uses a number of commodity parts inside: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/222129-scsi-imacon-flextight-support/?p=2536361, those bulbs are available for around €5. One of the beauties of the Hasselblad design is that belts+bulbs are still cheaply available, even if Hasselblad won't sell them.

 

Hope that helps,

Jonathan

Link to post
Share on other sites

Update. Have a bulb on order. Whew!

 

Steve Hendrix of Capture Integration in Atlanta, also a HB dealer, is able to get the bulbs and has one on order for me. In a phone conversation, we surmised that I was talking to a newby clerk at HB who was a bit confused about HB policy. We think the reality is that bulbs are available thru dealers only and not direct to end users. But that's not the way it was communicated to me.

 

No matter. I'm pleased that bulbs are still available, even if they are $125 a pop. Ouch. Probably cost a couple bucks to actually make.

 

Sorry for the alarm.

 

If anyone knows of an aftermarket (Osam, etc) equivalent for the 848/949/X1/X5 scanners, my wallet would appreciate knowing.

 

Thanks

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...