Need help on scanning and processing negatives

[rob139]

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Hi, a noob question here.

 

So now I've got this scanner: Plustek 7600 SE, with Silverfast for scanning my B&W negatives.

 

And I've got Aperture 3 as my main program for archiving and for as little post processing as neccesary/possible (just can't find the time).

 

Everything is on a Macbook pro 13 inch.

 

By the way, I develop my negatives myself, so lab jpgs are not an option.

 

But I have not found the right software to connect the two (scannersofware and Aperture). I'm stuck with the Silverfast software, which does not seem to save the negatives as positives. And they are full of dust and specks. Tried Photoshop ( an early CS version) , but that seems to be very time consuming. First, import the negatives through scanner, then save, import with Photoshop, edit, save and then import in Aperture. And that for each negative.

 

My question: What is the best workflow with the elements I've got already? Are there plugins fot Aperture, to get the negatives imported from the scanner right away? Is there a not too expensive program (Lightroom???) to replace Silverfast? Or should I really buy a new Photoshop CS?

 

There must be a simpler way to get my negatives scanned in a proper way. I don't want to go through three software programs before finalizing my B&W photo's.

 

I realise that I could learn a lot going through all the threads, but I just can't seem to find the right workflow! Just too many suggestions to filter out the right one.

 

Thanks to all for your suggestions and help!

 

Rob

[Bo_Lorentzen]

Rob,

 

Pretty sure silverfast will convert your scans to positives.

 

My workflow is not perfect, scanning to a dated folder in my archive, then have LightRoom "add" the scans to the library. have not seen a scan-to-LR solution. (but then Im not really a scanning geek either)

 

.

[andybarton]

I have moved the thread to the film sub-forum, as there is loads of good advice here. If you want to know and learn how to scan successfully, you are going to have to put some effort into it - regardless of the software you use, there is a lot to learn.

 

I don't know of any way to automatically place scans into Aperture, but it's easy to import a whole folder of scans at once.

 

Why not just scan the negs you want to into a folder named the same as the film, then import the whole folder as a new project into Aperture?

 

Silverfast will definitely scan a neg into a positive, but you might want to have a go with a trial version of Vuescan, which is by far and away the most preferred scanning software around here. Black and white negs can't have auto dust removal applied (if your scanner does this), so it's up to you to keep them clean and scratch free, I'm afraid)

[rob139]

Thank you Bo and Andy,

 

You are right, I have to put some effort in to that. I was probably wishing for an easy solution in this modern age, with computers and all. Guess I will just have to dig in deep.

 

Thanks, Rob

[andybarton]

Don't forget that Aperture was written to handle files from digital cameras, stored on CF and SD cards etc. So they are already in a folder structure that makes it easy for the software to access. Aperture wasn't written with people scanning film in mind.

 

But, if you scan all your images into a single folder, then it will have no problem importing them from there, as they will be "just another image file".

[tobey bilek]

The Plus Tech was designed with Silverfast . Reportedly it works best with it.

 

Dirt and Crap is your problem. Your darkroom must be clean and dust free. Then add water and air filters. USe glass bottles because you can clean them. Throw the plastic junk out.. Cut them down and store them properly so they don`t get dirty. I use sleeves, envelopes, and then the archival boxes from Light Impressions.

 

Then clean the negs in a clean room before you scan them. Do not depend on the software to do your work for you. Further, get exposure and color balance right and save the file. All further processing is best done somewhere else

 

Dump them into a scan folder and move them later if the Silverfast does not allow you to create a proper folder or you are too lazy to make one before you start.

 

Defin 2 from Nik does a great job of getting rid of grain. The better the scanner, the more grain you see naturally. Don`t muck up the image with some half baked scanner smearing called noise reduction.

 

If all this is too much bother, I strongly suggest a digital camera. Plug it into the computer and download the files. Two minute project. You can even get a JPEG right from the camera for the ultimate no work solution flawed as it is.

[pico]

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[...]Then clean the negs in a clean room before you scan them. Do not depend on the software to do your work for you. [...]

 

Today we can buy some good air cleaners. I got a forced-air HEPA, double-filter air cleaner and was astounded by the dust that it captured, even though my central heating/cooling system uses triple-filters, with the last being electro-static. Most dust in a 'clean' darkroom or scanning area is from human skin. We shed constantly. (And changing bags are notorious for dust. Wear washable cotton gloves.)

[jerryharwood]

Hi, you can't do better than the professional version of vuescan; it is all there for you, it just takes a little patience, and trial and error. Once you have it set up, you will be away like the proverbial long dog ! I had silverfast, but Vuescan is better- there are more options, and it is easy to change as and when you like.

[kleinfel@alaska.net]

I use Vuescan Pro and Aperture 2. No problem. Different scanner (Nikon Coolscan), but my guess is that Vuescan will do yours. I tried a demo of Silverfast, but it looked like too much trouble to learn, and kind of expensive. Vuescan does pretty much everything. You get more dirt and grain showing on scans than when you enlarge in the darkroom. I use the scanner to proof black and white, the darkroom to enlarge. For color, the scanner and printing from Aperture work fine. Slides, especially Fuji Velvia, scan better than negatives. As I recall, you need the infrared layer noise reduction process off for black and white, but it works fine for color.

[willwright]

both my Nikon V and my old Epson flatbed 2450 open directly in Photoshop CS2 with the manufacturers drivers and have for all the versions of photoshop to date (for me). I tried VueScan and it worked perfectly on both the mentioned scanners. Have you latest driver for your scanner? is there a plug in that should be moved to your graphics folder? B&w also scans to postive in both these scanners. Yes b&w shows dirt about like a condenser enlarger would. cleanliness is next to Godliness with b&w negs. Keep everything squeaky clean. good luck

[David_Manning]

Rob,

 

Glance at this thread:

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/film-forum/153571-plustek-7600i-se-very-good-money.html

[rob139]

Rob,

 

Glance at this thread:

 

Thanks yes, I was following with interest! Your scans look a lot better than mine. Effort, that is what I have to put into that. I know now I've got the right equipment.

 

Rob