Tips/Cautions on Scanning Slides and Negatives?

[Guest V64]

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I am using a SF6.4r6 and Nikon Coolscan LS-40 - and yes ICE has been disabled.

 

However since posting I remembered the mantra - if all else fails delete (the app) and reinstall - this has restored its (and mine) sanity.

 

Thank-you for your responses.

 

David

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[colin_d]

Can anyone help. I have a Plustek Film Optic 7200 scanner using Silverfast software to scan 35mm transparencies. I get mixed results, not sure if it is me or the scanner.

 

Firstly is anyone familiar with this scanner, what is its quality?

 

Secondly, the brightly lit images scan as good as I could expect, see first image below. Colours are vibrant and the image is as good as the slide. But I get poor quality when there is a mixture of dense shadows and bright light in the one image. see below. This image of my wife seated in a laneway is quite good on the slide, however scanned it loses contrast terribly and becomes grainy. I should add this shot is heavily edited to make it slightly respectable but is no where near the same as the slide.

 

Any ideas at all?

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[tobey bilek]

Slides are high contrast and scanners can not pick up the large range.

 

What I do is double scan, once for correct highlights, once for correct shadows and merge them in Photoshop.

 

Digital Darkroom @ The Light's Right Studio

 

This works very well.

 

All I can add is when you make the layers, register them by temporarily putting the top in difference mode and moving the image with the arrow keys. This will get them perfect.

 

The tutorial is made up assuming two files from a digital camera, but two scans work as well.

Black and white negs also work.

 

David Clapp has a manual version of this procedure on his web page.

 

Exposure Blending Basics

 

A HDR procedure will also get you there. Just watch the tone mapping portion so it does not look like a cartoon. I hate HDR that looks like that.

[erl]

Colin_D, I am familiar with both those locations and the resultant scans are 'on drugs'. The colours are horrendous. The tones are probably scanning errors.

 

I am not familiar with your particular scanner, so I don't know if the problem is with it, the software or your technique. If you wish, PM me and we may be able to arrange a phone link-up. I am in Melb as are you. Maybe I can talk you through some points. No guarantees.