Scan old Kodachromes & silver-based Tri-X

[Noel_Carboni]

This is obvious, but I'll mention it anyway: Keep in mind once you get it into digital form it can be preserved losslessly forever more. That's assuming you're happy with the transfer quality of course.

I have no experience with film scanning, personally, so please allow me to ask what may be a stupid question: If a scanner measures all the colors without clipping, at a high bit depth, and at a high enough resolution (e.g., 10+ megapixels?) to capture all the detail, can't the image be made digitally into whatever you want after that? Now, I'm not so naiive that the concept of image subtlety is lost on me. Perhaps the question can be asked more succinctly: From a technical perspective, how do the scanners being discussed here differ? Resolution? Bit depth? Subtle rendition of color?

-Noel

[David_Buzzard]

The big difference between a digital camera and a scanner, is that the scanner records all the film's grain, as well as the sensor noise from the scanner. That a big restricting factor, especially when compared with today's 12MP, 14 bit cameras.

[Edmond_Terakopian]

This may prove handy:

Newsletter October 2008 :: LaserSoft Imaging

I haven't used it myself, although I have used Silverfast in the good old days with great results from Nikon scanners.

Edmond

[Ira Richolson]

Edmond,
Thanks. The updated SilverFast sounds promising.

[curtd]

Can anyone tell me about the physical method the Epson V750 M Pro uses to hold the film?

I have a lot of 35mm and 6x7cm transparencies that I want to scan to the image edge and beyond. (Kind of like when you filed out an enlarger film holder so that the prints would have a black line around them.) The holders in scanners all seem to crop the image a bit.

I also see that there is a Fluid Mount Accessory, but no info on the specifics of that either. Will that give me the above mentioned non-crop?

Thanks, Curt

[Jerry Skrocki]

Originally Posted by curtd

Can anyone tell me about the physical method the Epson V750 M Pro uses to hold the film?

I have a lot of 35mm and 6x7cm transparencies that I want to scan to the image edge and beyond. (Kind of like when you filed out an enlarger film holder so that the prints would have a black line around them.) The holders in scanners all seem to crop the image a bit.

I also see that there is a Fluid Mount Accessory, but no info on the specifics of that either. Will that give me the above mentioned non-crop?

Thanks, Curt

Curt,

I have the Epson Perfection V750 M Pro scanner. It comes with film and slide holders with variable height adjustment for focus. The scanner is a dual lens scanner, one for resolutions up to 4800 dpi and a high resolution lens for optical resolutions up to 6400 dpi. The focus is fixed to either the scanner glass surface, the plastic negative/slide holders or the fluid mount accessory. This is accomplished by the notch on the far end of the film holders which when scanned, tell the scanner which focal plane to use.

The negative and slide holders all hold the film securely by the edges which are not scanned. All of the exposed image on the film is scanned.

There is a film area guide (upper left in photo) that basically adjusts the focus to the scanner glass (no guides or glass).

Using the fluid mounting tray would allow the entire frame with the edges to be scanned. The tray is composed of glass framed with plastic. There is a plastic guide with a printed grid that fits below the fluid mount tray to aid in aligning the film. Mounting fluid is placed on the glass, the film is then carefully lowered on the fluid to prevent bubbles. More fluid is placed on top of the film followed by a clear mylar sheet. The tray is then lifted from the guide and placed directly on the scanner glass.

Jerry