cornellfrancis Posted June 30, 2012 Share #1 Posted June 30, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hello all, just wanted to know for those of you using silverfast are you using the film presets in negafix? I find that when I scan tri-x using the film preset, the result is often quite underexposed. Sometimes the image improves if I choose another film preset like Kodak b&w+, however, the tones aren't as silvery as when using the tri-x preset. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 30, 2012 Posted June 30, 2012 Hi cornellfrancis, Take a look here Plustek, silverfast, negafix and tri-x. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
too old to care Posted June 30, 2012 Share #2 Posted June 30, 2012 Same experience, buy you can adjust the exposure and contrast manually which are much better than the presets. Upgrading to Silverfast 8 is better, but not perfect. I like my scans a little light and "thin" so I can add contrast and darkness in Photoshop. Too much contrast out of Silverfast erases the objects in the shadow areas. Another issue with Tri-X is Silverfast makes the grain too "sharp," for lack of a better word. When the photos are printed they are not very appealing when compared to a wet print. I have compared photos side by side from the scans with my wet prints. I go into to photoshop and smooth the grain a bit to make them acceptable. This is only an issue with Tri-X. This is partly my fault because I develop in Rodinal. Prints from D76 are better, so are my Plus-X prints. Because I have to do so much photoshop work with Silverfast and the Plustek, I have stopped using it except for scans to post on the internet. All my other printing is done in my darkroom. Wayne Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fgcm Posted June 30, 2012 Share #3 Posted June 30, 2012 Because I have to do so much photoshop work with Silverfast and the Plustek, I have stopped using it except for scans to post on the internet. All my other printing is done in my darkroom. Wayne I think you are right. But it isn't a Silverfast or Plustek fault. It's just a problem of the workflow. To scan (with any scanner) and print with a minilab (Fuji in my case) i have to underexpose when shooting BW and develop just a little less (minus 5% - 10%) If shooting slides, I have to overexpose just a little. This is the opposite I do for wet printing, but il works great when scanning. More: after scanning with NO processing in Silverfast (in negafix use "Other" and uncheck all other option), I post process in Aperture or in C1 depending what I'm seeking. Franco Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornellfrancis Posted June 30, 2012 Author Share #4 Posted June 30, 2012 Wayne, as always thanks for the info and tips. Like you, I am only scanning in order to post to the internet. Still working on getting my wet process going. How's your darkroom these days? I also find tri-x grain to be somewhat sharp or focused in silverfast. I guess I just have to play with my scans a bit more in silverfast/photoshop. I've been trying to avoid having to do much (if any) post-processing mostly because I don't enjoy it but I suppose thats what is necessary when you scan your own negatives. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted June 30, 2012 Share #5 Posted June 30, 2012 I guess I just have to play with my scans a bit more in silverfast/photoshop. I've been trying to avoid having to do much (if any) post-processing mostly because I don't enjoy it but I suppose thats what is necessary when you scan your own negatives. That's what you need to do. Aim for a relatively flat scan with no clipping, ideally without any unsharp mask or other Silverfast pre-sets, and use Photoshop for all your contrast, brightness adjustments etc. It gets quicker to do the more you do it. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
too old to care Posted June 30, 2012 Share #6 Posted June 30, 2012 I use my darkroom probably 10 times to the Plustek. Enjoy smelling fixer more than I do Canon ink. I still have to carry my photos upstairs for wash, and my carpets are showing the stains from this, but other than that the darkroom is a most enjoyable place to spend a couple of hours a week. My next project is to add a sink in the basement to eliminate cleaning the carpets so much. Mostly of the time all I have to do in photoshop is crop, exposure, contrast, and reduce noise. It is a bit of a pain, but the photos look so much better when posted. I still have not mastered color, but most of my shots are black and white anyway. Wayne Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtoh Posted July 1, 2012 Share #7 Posted July 1, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hello all, just wanted to know for those of you using silverfast are you using the film presets in negafix? I find that when I scan tri-x using the film preset, the result is often quite underexposed. Sometimes the image improves if I choose another film preset like Kodak b&w+, however, the tones aren't as silvery as when using the tri-x preset. I do not use the silverfast but I share the same view. I occasionally overexpose the tri x, shooting them at a slower iso, and develop it as standard. I scan em as colour film, and set the saturation as zero in photoshop, then adjust the contrast and exposure. I am pretty happy with the tone at times, but am never truly satisfied. Just curious if others have any particular process? Regards, Daryl http://dtohphoto.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornellfrancis Posted July 2, 2012 Author Share #8 Posted July 2, 2012 I do not use the silverfast but I share the same view. I occasionally overexpose the tri x, shooting them at a slower iso, and develop it as standard. I scan em as colour film, and set the saturation as zero in photoshop, then adjust the contrast and exposure. I am pretty happy with the tone at times, but am never truly satisfied. Just curious if others have any particular process? Regards, Daryl http://dtohphoto.com Very nice images. What is the benefit of scanning as color? What scanning program do you use? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtoh Posted July 9, 2012 Share #9 Posted July 9, 2012 Very nice images. What is the benefit of scanning as color? What scanning program do you use? V700, default scanning program. I can't really tell whats the benefit either, although sometimes i think this mode gives brighter images, am not sure.. Its more an odd habit that stuck with me. Daryl http://dtohphoto.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. borger Posted July 9, 2012 Share #10 Posted July 9, 2012 With the plustek and silverfast i scan all B&W film as positives with all scanner software options OFF (NO sharpening, Noise reduction, dust removal or whatever). This gives a flat ugly looking scan after inverting the file in Photoshop . Then i set white and blackpoints in the Levels dialogue photoshop and the picture starts to look much better. Finaly i adjust contrast to taste with curves. THat's all:) When i use my V700 i NEVER use silverfast but the standard Epson Software, which is pretty good. I also scan with all scanner options set to off and do all adjustments in Photoshop. Usualy only a contrastcurve. I always sharpen in a mask. Never straight USM or by scannersoftware because these procedures sharpen the grain too much. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fgcm Posted July 9, 2012 Share #11 Posted July 9, 2012 Good idea. This evening I try. Franco Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Roberts Posted July 10, 2012 Share #12 Posted July 10, 2012 With the plustek and silverfast i scan all B&W film as positives with all scanner software options OFF (NO sharpening, Noise reduction, dust removal or whatever).{snipped} Understood on everything but dust removal. Do you spot in post in PS too? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. borger Posted July 10, 2012 Share #13 Posted July 10, 2012 Understood on everything but dust removal. Do you spot in post in PS too? Yes. In fact Silverfast SE which ships with the Plustek does not have a Dust Removal facility for B&W film, only ICE for colorfilm. With the Epson i use the dust removal facility as the only scanneroption set to on. But i use the Epson only for MF and quick 35mm scans to make pre-selection for what to scan with the Plustek. Scanning with the Plustek takes more time because you have to feed it one frame at a time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
epm Posted July 10, 2012 Share #14 Posted July 10, 2012 Here is what I use for scanning using the Plustek 7600i and Silverfast 8: I found for black and white negatives using Negafix Vendor: Other Filmtype: Other ISO/ASA: Monochrome The only tools that I use when scanning black and white are the Midtone silder and the Exposure slider I make adjsutments so as not to clip the highlights and shadows. I have used these setting to scan Tri-X, Efke 25 and 50 films. Onto Color I have only scanned Ektar 100 and Portra 400 For scanning color, after several lots of experimentation with some different Negafix profile for each of the above films I have found that the Negafix profiles 'work' for the two films that I shoot. For me the biggest help was to move the plustek temp folder to an external drive. It was suggested by one of the Silverfast techs. Also and I think more importantly, I warm up (about 5-10 min) the scanner before loading the film and starting to scan. When I started to do this I noticed that my color in the preview was much closer and the density was much closer in black and white. I have printed both black and white and color scans from the Plustek onto Canson's Baryta Photogrpahique paper and the prints very nice. I used an Epson R2400 and Epson 7890 printer to print. I have to say that the color profile from Canson for the R2400 is poor, however the profile for the 7890 is excellent and right on. I hope this helps. Eric Eric Patrick McCormack Photography - Fine Art and Portrait Photography Flickr: E_Mack's Photostream Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fgcm Posted July 10, 2012 Share #15 Posted July 10, 2012 With the plustek and silverfast i scan all B&W film as positives with all scanner software options OFF (NO sharpening, Noise reduction, dust removal or whatever). This gives a flat ugly looking scan after inverting the file in Photoshop . Then i set white and blackpoints in the Levels dialogue photoshop and the picture starts to look much better. Finaly i adjust contrast to taste with curves. THat's all:) When i use my V700 i NEVER use silverfast but the standard Epson Software, which is pretty good. I also scan with all scanner options set to off and do all adjustments in Photoshop. Usualy only a contrastcurve. I always sharpen in a mask. Never straight USM or by scannersoftware because these procedures sharpen the grain too much. YOU RULE! it's the best way to scan Ados 20 till now. Now Adox negatives are shining. With FP4 scans are better too, but by a lesser margin. Thanks! Franco Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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