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Re: [OM] BW film scan testing

Subject: Re: [OM] BW film scan testing
From: Peter Klein <pklein@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2012 14:06:03 -0700
Ken:  I'm really interested in what you find out.  I did wet B&W 
darkroom for years. But when I started scanning, I'd already been out of 
the darkroom for some time. So I didn't have any same-time A/B 
comparisons, just a couple of wet prints whose negs I later scanned.

I remember that there was some difference between what I could get 
scanning and the wet prints, but IIRC it was a matter of where things 
were on the curve, not what could be obtained at all. I've used two film 
scanners, a 2700 dpi Nikon LS-2000, and my current 4000 dpi Canon 
FS-4000. I used both the native software and VueScan. The Canon software 
was terrible--it had built-in overcooked curves, leading to loss of 
highlights and shadows no matter how I adjusted it.  4000 dpi was 
essential for B&W film.  2700 dpi led to grain aliasing and apparent 
grain that was bigger than the actual grains.

I now use VueScan exclusively, mostly on my old stuff, since I don't 
hardly ever shoot film any more,. Using the "HDR" or "multi-pass" 
scanning is essential for most B&W and slide film, less so for color 
negs  or CN400 B&W if the lighting wasn't too contrasty. The Canon was 
horribly slow under WinXP until I got a SCSI card. With the new VueScan 
drivers its speed is acceptable even with its old USB 1.1 interface.

Like many of us, I worry about what's going to happen if my scanner 
dies. So if copy-with-camera method is satisfactory, I might go to it at 
that point.  I suspect there would be a way to take multiple exposures 
and stack them in the image editor, which is effectively what the 
multi-pass scanner feature does.

--Peter

-----------
 > I have this sick feeling in my stomach that I bit off a bit more than
 > I really wanted to chew. But I'll continue on. At the moment, I've got
 > NikonScan plowing through it.  Ooooo, not back NikonScan!
 >
 > This image I'm working with has the extremes of exposure. AA would be
 > proud of me. ;) It definitely represents about the toughest you can
 > get. I've chemical printed it so I know what can be done in the
 > darkroom. I'm trying to get the scan to be as good as that. Uh huh. No
 > toe/shoulder curves to lean into with digital.
 >
 > Would anybody be offended if I put this together for now as a PDF
 > document? I'm not quite ready to do it on the new website and I'd like
 > to kinda do a draft copy and keep it amongst ourselves until it is
 > ready for prime time.
 >
 > --
 > Ken Norton
 > ken [at] zone-10.com
 > http://www.zone-10.com

-- 
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