zlatkob Posted July 14, 2010 Share #21 Posted July 14, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) I don't know how to fix it in the scanning stage, but here's my effort in Photoshop: 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/125729-scanning-negatives%E2%80%94what-am-i-doing-wrong/?do=findComment&comment=1377618'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 14, 2010 Posted July 14, 2010 Hi zlatkob, Take a look here Scanning Negatives—What Am I Doing Wrong?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
archi4 Posted July 14, 2010 Share #22 Posted July 14, 2010 I use Nikon scan 4 on my Mac running Snow Leopard without any problems. Works perfectly as long as I don't have any other Firewire hardware connected except the scanner. So I disconnect my external hard disks (not just eject but actually pull the plug) Maurice Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
erl Posted July 14, 2010 Share #23 Posted July 14, 2010 Thanks for the responses, everyone. I will try without the film preset and see what I can do by adjusting the levels. Unfortunately, I'm stuck with VueScan, as I'm not aware of another program for the Mac that will work with my scanner. Being 'stuck' with VueScan is not a bad thing I assure you. It does require a little more of a learning curve than the alternatives, but like most things in life, the the best takes a little longer. Just remember that VueScan is scanning software, not adjustment software like PS. Scan to catch maximum info from the film, which will produce an inherently flat looking image. Then, and only then, adjust the levels to suit your wishes in PS, which is designed to make adjustments. As you preferences may change over time, your original scan (which you have saved) will always be available to produce new images with your changed preferences. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth3kpl Posted July 14, 2010 Share #24 Posted July 14, 2010 With the push of one button I got this. "Pro Contrast" in ColorEfex Pro plug-in in Nikon Capture NX. I wish I knew what went on in that program. This is the default setting so perhaps better can be achieved with the plugin's sliders. Pete 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/125729-scanning-negatives%E2%80%94what-am-i-doing-wrong/?do=findComment&comment=1377760'>More sharing options...
Stealth3kpl Posted July 14, 2010 Share #25 Posted July 14, 2010 With a little playing with levels andblack/grey/whitepoint I got this. Pete 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/125729-scanning-negatives%E2%80%94what-am-i-doing-wrong/?do=findComment&comment=1377768'>More sharing options...
Stealth3kpl Posted July 14, 2010 Share #26 Posted July 14, 2010 I've reduced the red further here 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/125729-scanning-negatives%E2%80%94what-am-i-doing-wrong/?do=findComment&comment=1377775'>More sharing options...
erl Posted July 14, 2010 Share #27 Posted July 14, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Sorry to say that all the protagonists, me included , will NOT get anywhere with the existing scan, especially as it is reduced to 72dpi for the web. No useful improvement is possible without a re-scan, IMHO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
@bumac Posted July 14, 2010 Share #28 Posted July 14, 2010 30 sec in LR 3.0. Lokking for a neutral gray with the pipette .. contrasts .... 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/125729-scanning-negatives%E2%80%94what-am-i-doing-wrong/?do=findComment&comment=1377813'>More sharing options...
archi4 Posted July 14, 2010 Share #29 Posted July 14, 2010 Erl I agree with you entirely, both as to the way to scan in Vuescan and the need for a rescan. In Nikon Scan I batch scan without any prescan or adjustment whatsoever. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted July 14, 2010 Share #30 Posted July 14, 2010 Nikon Scan will work with your Mac, as will Silverfast Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth3kpl Posted July 14, 2010 Share #31 Posted July 14, 2010 It becomes addictive doesn't it. Pete 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/125729-scanning-negatives%E2%80%94what-am-i-doing-wrong/?do=findComment&comment=1378205'>More sharing options...
Stealth3kpl Posted July 14, 2010 Share #32 Posted July 14, 2010 My wife says it's not a very good photo because you can't read the sign in the background - it's blurred (the red lights). She want's to see what shop she's standing in front of. You'd think that Leica would have got that problem sorted by now. Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth3kpl Posted July 15, 2010 Share #33 Posted July 15, 2010 Definitely my last attempt. Pete 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/125729-scanning-negatives%E2%80%94what-am-i-doing-wrong/?do=findComment&comment=1379280'>More sharing options...
skunkworks Posted July 17, 2010 Share #34 Posted July 17, 2010 Just remember that VueScan is scanning software, not adjustment software like PS. Scan to catch maximum info from the film, which will produce an inherently flat looking image. Then, and only then, adjust the levels to suit your wishes in PS, which is designed to make adjustments. As you preferences may change over time, your original scan (which you have saved) will always be available to produce new images with your changed preferences. I disagree; you should try to get as close as you can to a printable result from your scan. Photoshop should then be used for finishing, but a good scan should not look "inherently flat". The more work in PS that's required for the final output, the more data is lost. I don't use Vuescan but I assume it has are curves controls, like in PS. Adjust your prescan as you would in PS to get the best results. Do not rely on film presets; they are most accurate under ideal conditions of exposure and developing, and sometimes they are not accurate to begin with. If a film preset looks wrong try another that looks better, then use your curves to improve further. Use Photoshop for touchups, final output and effects, but start with a good scan. Oh, and the photo lab's scan looks like crap:) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01af Posted July 17, 2010 Share #35 Posted July 17, 2010 You should try to get as close as you can to a printable result from your scan. Photoshop should then be used for finishing, but a good scan should not look "inherently flat". The more work in PS that's required for the final output, the more data is lost. Actually, just the contrary is true. The more work you let the scan software do, the more data will get lost. And you'll get these sick colours and tones that nobody can get really right after the fact—just look at the examples in this thread. A good scan captures as much as possible from what is in a piece of film and does not try to process that in any way. Processing is what Photoshop is for. Scanning is what a scan software is for. A good scan from a colour negative is a so-called linear scan, i. e. it has not yet corrected for our vision but just concentrates on getting, and holding, all the data that's there (similar to raw data). So it actually does look dark, dull, and—negative! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted July 17, 2010 Share #36 Posted July 17, 2010 100% agree with Olaf here. Scanning software is only designed to retrieve data from the film. Processing software is the right tool for the job. Trying to get a printable scan directly from scanning software is the fastest way to the madhouse. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian Thompson Posted July 17, 2010 Share #37 Posted July 17, 2010 One word for you. COLORPERFECT !!!! My attempt involves one click to launch CP :-)) - it's repeatable and part of your workflow - no faffing guaranteed. It is, singularly, the most incredible piece of software I have ever used! 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/125729-scanning-negatives%E2%80%94what-am-i-doing-wrong/?do=findComment&comment=1380634'>More sharing options...
Julian Thompson Posted July 17, 2010 Share #38 Posted July 17, 2010 PS - When you scan, Andy and Olaf are absolutely right - scanning software to get the negative into a tiff, then colorperfect to flip it into a positive image. Now you're at the point you would be with a digicam right when you download the files into the computer. Don't try to add effects into your scanning workflow. The purpose of your scanning workflow is to get the image into the computer EXACTLY as you recorded it on the film. From there, later, you can take it in any direction you want using Aperture or whatever, nondestructively. You need a repeatable workflow that gets you to this point reliably and without having to custom work every frame. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M'Ate Posted July 17, 2010 Share #39 Posted July 17, 2010 One word for you. COLORPERFECT !!!! My attempt involves one click to launch CP :-)) - it's repeatable and part of your workflow - no faffing guaranteed. It is, singularly, the most incredible piece of software I have ever used! Sorry, but this is Far-From-Perfect Color. It doesn't appear to have improved it at all, one-touch, or not ! Much better samples above, IMO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
skunkworks Posted July 18, 2010 Share #40 Posted July 18, 2010 Actually, just the contrary is true. The more work you let the scan software do, the more data will get lost. And you'll get these sick colours and tones that nobody can get really right after the fact—just look at the examples in this thread. A good scan captures as much as possible from what is in a piece of film and does not try to process that in any way. Processing is what Photoshop is for. Scanning is what a scan software is for. A good scan from a colour negative is a so-called linear scan, i. e. it has not yet corrected for our vision but just concentrates on getting, and holding, all the data that's there (similar to raw data). So it actually does look dark, dull, and—negative! Perhaps you can enlighten me with, but this makes no sense to me at all. This is my solution; please tell me where I'm wrong: Let's say you have a color photo of a red fire engine; in an RGB positive scan of limited resolution, you would certainly want more red data than green or blue in order to retrieve, after post processing in PS, the color values you are probably trying to achieve. If you are trying to archive a neutral file for as much variable control as possible (like a digital "negative") then I can understand your view. But if you have any sense of how you want the final file to "look" then you should try to get all the useful, finite data you can into that file. If you want a different, enhanced look, then scan the negative again! A "good scan", like a good photo, should not necessarily be linear; film wasn't and digital photos are not, so why should your scan? (Yes, in a perfect world of infinite data recorded using a perfect lens, perhaps a neutral scan would be preferable, but we're dealing here with the real world, with thermodynamic limitations applied to the available technology.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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