Digital BW, The Print

Hi;

Scanning as color negative allows the software to do the reversal which 
for Nikon is a mistake: it is notorious for clipping and compressing 
the shadows in this situation. Try this:

A)scan as positve, either color or grayscale
B)during preview, use the master analog gain slider to center the data.
C) Set black & white points a bit short of normal. This will give you a 
low contrast image when you reverse in PS, but it will preserve ALL the 
data. you can then re-adjust with  levels and curve layers to get the 
image you want.

Scan in 16-bit. Unless you have a very dense negative, you shouldn't 
need to multi-sample, most negs developed for wet-printing don't even 
come close to the dynamic range of that scanner.

Hope this helps!

Steve Karafyllakis

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "wwodets" 
<odets@c...> wrote:
> I am using a Nikon 5000 with the Nikon software for Tri-X and Plus-X 
> negatives.  I find better results scanning for "color negative" and 
> scan at 16 bits, 8X (seems to reduce scanner noise), and neutral 
> settings on all the other controls.  At 100% on screen (1:1) I see 
> small areas of posterization, especially in shadows, but also 
sometimes 
> in midtones.  These areas do not seem visible in the prints or at 
lower 
> resolution on screen.  This makes no sense to me.  Any thoughts?  
Does 
> Tri-X, with that long, shallow toe, actually look like this?  Scanner 
> settings?  Could the monitor itself (Sony LCD, 5K, 2.2) be doing 
this?  
> Thanks.