Author Topic: Scanning (Read 6016 times)

Bateleur · « **on:** March 11, 2007, 03:37 »

I've just bought myself a scanner (Nikon Coolscan) and I'm starting to scan some of my trannies, mostly Kodachromes, going back years and years.

Does anyone else here scan? Have you got any tips, advice, or can you point to any tutorials? It's not as easy as it looks, and the instruction book is not exactly helpful.

jacus · « **Reply #1 on:** March 12, 2007, 07:56 »

I've Coolscan V for one month. It's a great scanner. IR anti-dust fonction works very good. For instance I scan only my slide films, like you mostly Kodachrome 25-64. I have very good acceptance ratio on IS, DT, FT, BS, FP, LO. Only SS doesn't like them, 100% rejected

Freezingpictures · « **Reply #2 on:** March 12, 2007, 14:01 »

How many MP's are your files? And after scanning, do you downsize those files for quality reasosn?

Vekha · « **Reply #3 on:** March 12, 2007, 14:13 »

Hi everybody
I've a Nikon 5000 ED and I'm scanning too. A plenty picture is about 60Mo. It's really good for XXL sizes.
For me, the only problem is with storing the slide films. If you'd used them often, they're scratched and the best anti-dust fonction can't repair them. You must spend so much time on toshop

! I've some of my volcano scanned slide on IS, if you want to see.

Bateleur · « **Reply #4 on:** March 12, 2007, 15:51 »

Quote from: jacus on March 12, 2007, 07:56

Only SS doesn't like them, 100% rejected

I've never had a scanned image accepted by SS ... not even the ones I had done professionally. So I've given up submitting scans to them.

I took the plunge and bought the scanner after I worked out how much it was going to cost to scan all the old slides I wanted. Might as well spend the money on the equipment and then have it at the end ... so to speak.

Also, I have a brilliant little pocket film camera (Olympus XA, sharp as a pin) which I've resurrected. That means I can carry a tiny camera everywhere and, with scanning the results, get files big enough for the macrostocks and for XXL on iStock. Not many pocket-sized digital p&s you can do that with.

I also have my old Nikon bodies which I still use, too.

A standard 35mm transparency or negative comes out of the scanner as an image 3625x5374 pixels, thats a bit over 19MP! Sometimes I downsize them, sometimes I don't (not that I've a lot of experience yet). Depends on how much the film grain shows.

madelaide · « **Reply #5 on:** March 12, 2007, 17:56 »

I scan, but not for microstock (not worth the extra work).

Regards,
Adelaide

MiguelAngelo · « **Reply #6 on:** March 12, 2007, 18:06 »

Hi

All my underwater images are from scanned film. I'm using Nikon Collscan 4000 and Nikon Scan 4.
I always try to get the best untouched image possible from scanner. I.E: I do not mess a lot with colors or exposure. Only try to adjust a correct histogram and always use ICE at normal setting.
I've add issues with SS but now I'm getting a really nice acceptance rate.
Usually all files to SS are downsampled to something betwen 3000 and 4200 pixels largest side. It depends on film used and slide exposure. Sometimes the best shoot is not the best in exposure so if I really want to upload it I need to be carefull and downsample to 3000 pixels to minimize grain and noise.
Also, I always use Noise Ninja, for SS and StockXpert.
For IS it depends.

Just be aware that each image is different and you need to use the correct tools
and procedures.

By the way:
Always scan with multisampling 16x and re check a few times the scanner focus. Mine is not the best performer in focus. So you really have to be carefull with focus.

I do not have many Kodachrome, mostly I have Fuji Provia 100 and 400 and Velvia 50.
Velvia I mostly use for macro and haven't uploaded many of those as I guess are not good sellers.
So my images are mostly Provia 100 and 400 and I don't have to many issues with grain.

Bateleur · « **Reply #7 on:** March 13, 2007, 01:50 »

Thanks for those tips Miguel. I'm using a Coolscan 5000 and Nikon Scan 4

Unfortunately, most of my old transparencies are Kodachromes, and I hear that Kodachromes and ICE don't go too well together. I lived in Africa at that time and there wasn't a lot of choice in the way of film in the shops. You took what you could get. Mind you ... it was a perfectly good film and who was to know there might be problems with digitizing the images in the future. Nobody had even dreamed of digital images then.

I take your points about not messing with the colour and exposure too much. I tried that at first, got horrible results and backed off. It's a steep learning curve.

I've also heard that ICE tends to soften images slightly and adding just the tiniest bit of sharpening when scanning (Intensity 20%, Halo Width 10% Threshold 3) can help.

MiguelAngelo · « **Reply #8 on:** March 13, 2007, 19:01 »

I don't sharpen or unsharp any image on the scanner software.
If it come out softer then it should, it can be fixed later in PS.
I guess it's the best choice since sometimes it's better to have the original scanned file softer for some uses.

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Author Topic: Scanning (Read 6016 times)

Bateleur

jacus

Freezingpictures

Vekha

Bateleur

madelaide

MiguelAngelo

Bateleur

MiguelAngelo

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