Film Development and Scans

[david strachan]

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2 hours ago, Ornello said:

Use XP2 Super. Conventional B&W film does not scan well.

I've noticed that too Ornello.

The grainy films iso 400 etc, become super grainy when scanned...really ruins images IMO.

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[jakontil]

I Develop at home, colour and bw

especially for bw, it is much simpler without worrying the temp and more forgiving, plenty options for bw developer too, i use the classic rodinal, Ilfotec hc and tetenal paranol mostly for classic grain bw like kentmere and ilford hp5+
i have epson v600 for scanning in batches or plustek8200 when need the resolutions, but lately been using my M digital with macro adapter for 135 films

[Huss]

5 hours ago, david strachan said:

I've noticed that too Ornello.

The grainy films iso 400 etc, become super grainy when scanned...really ruins images IMO.

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Not if you scan with a digital camera.  M7 with HP5. 

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[Ouroboros]

Black and white film scans perfectly well.  Problems are invariably due to the operator’s approach, for example using a flatbed scanner with small format, high contrast grainy originals with an unreasonable expectation of the outcome.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 1, 2022 by Ouroboros

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23 minutes ago, Huss said:

Not if you scan with a digital camera.  M7 with HP5. 

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Very true. Scanning with a digital camera now means a films inherent grain quality can be represented just as it was in the darkroom, low grain film stays low grain with camera scanning and high grain film and development isn't swamped by extra noise introduced by a dedicated film scanner. But I also agree with @Ouroboros that the operator of a dedicated film scanner has a large part to play, and it's a learning process where you never stop learning. Searching for authentic grain is partially why people soon learned to make low contrast scans and minimise digital noise generated by the scanner, then sorting out proper contrast etc. in Photoshop later. 

[giannis]

3 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

Black and white film scans perfectly well. Problems are invariably due to the operator’s approach, for example using a flatbed scanner with small format, high contrast grainy originals with an unreasonable expectation of the outcome.

 

This. And I should add to the list applying a ridiculous amount of sharpening, to try and maximise "detail" (some scanners do that by default in order to fake better resolution and mask their inability to resolve fine detail optically), which really exacerbates the grain, if not create it in the first place. 

[david strachan]

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I've always had success with the (cheaper) flat bed scanners which scan film...and cost not much.  

The more high res scanner the more grain...not a good look..for me anyway.  I see grain as a fault in film, that's why the manufacturers worked so hard to reduce grain in every new film iteration.

So I use flat bed scanners (all-in-ones) as long as it does large format too...used to love 4x5.  Now on on a scannner which does just 35 mm and 6x6...my last scanner handled 4x5.

I have printed from all these scans  and all good enough to frame, even substantial enlargement...but i don't do billboards.  

But an enlarged A3+ always worked.

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PS didn't use any fancy printing programs...just paid attention to what was happening.