Scanning film!

[Daniel Buck]

So, I finally got a film scanner, it's not a dedicated film scanner (it's a flat bed with a back light) but I'm quite happy with the results! at 4800 DPI, I can get about 13000 pixels wide from my 6x7cm medium format nagatives and still have a relativly sharp image. Any higher than that, and it's just blurry I'm not sure if this is a limitation of the scanner, my negatives, or both. Though I have a feeling it's my scanner, I scanned a quarter at 12000 DPI and it was not sharp.

But anyway, 4800 is PLENTY of resolution for me, I don't ever print larger than 11x14, which is less than 1/2 of the scanned resolution at 4800. The image downsized to 11x14 at 300DPI is razer sharp, I can't wait to see some prints :D (this isn't as true of 35mm negs though, as they are smaller) I am however having trouble scanning in my old 35mm negatives (which isn't what I intended to scan, only my 6x7 negs, but I figured I'd give it a try), as they are curling and I'm having trouble keeping them flat. I have an anti-newton glass holder on order (www.betterscanning.com) so that I can tape the negatives to the glass so they lay flat. Not sure if this will help with my 6x7 (as I have plenty of resolution already) but I'm sure it will help out my 35mm negs.

The scanner is an Epson 4490, once I have more experience with it, I'll maybe write up a 'review' of sorts, something that doesn't require me to research other scanners. I'll just maybe put up some scan samples and blown up section to view the quality or lack of quality in the scans at different resolutions.


Overall, I'm quite happy with my decision not to go with a heavy duty dedicated scanner like the Nikon 9000, I had a feeling that would be overkill for my needs, and so far it looks like I made the right decision.


http://www.danielbuck.net/wip/scan_01.jpg

http://www.danielbuck.net/wip/scan_02.jpg

http://www.danielbuck.net/wip/scan_03.jpg

http://www.danielbuck.net/wip/scan_04.jpg

http://www.danielbuck.net/wip/scan_05.jpg

[Daniel Buck]

a few more! the train shot isn't as spectacular as I remember it being, I guess I have progressed since then, or just inflated it in my mind :)



http://www.danielbuck.net/wip/scan_06.jpg

http://www.danielbuck.net/wip/scan_07.jpg

http://www.danielbuck.net/wip/scan_08.jpg

http://www.danielbuck.net/wip/scan_09.jpg

http://www.danielbuck.net/wip/scan_10.jpg

http://www.danielbuck.net/wip/scan_11.jpg

http://www.danielbuck.net/wip/scan_12.jpg

[Alex Martini]

Very cool!

I'm new, so don't take this as me being rude, but why dont you get a digital camera so you dont have to scan film? Is there a diference in quality, or is it more of a personal prefrence?

Nice pictures BTW!

[Daniel Buck]

not rude at all :-) I have a digital camera, and I usually use it!

I have been wanting to get back into film shooting, I did it a bit while I was in college. I do it mainly for fun, but there is still something about black and white film that isn't easy to replicate with a digital chip. I won't say one is better than the other, but I like working with both :-) the black and white film negatives don't need much work to get a nice looking image! I usually have to work a bit with my digital images. Maybe it's the grain, I'm not sure, film grain is alot more pleasing to me than digital noise :-)

I just ordered darkroom chemicals so I can start developing the film myself again, thats the part I'm looking forward to! It's just different I guess, it's more of a process :-) I won't get into traditional printing and enlarging though, which is why I got the scanner to scan in my 6x7's :-)