Digital BW, The Print

Gareth-

I use essentially the approach you suggest on a 5000, with a few 
differences.

I scan a grayscale positive; I use the analogue gain to more-or-less 
center the data in the histogram (especially important with dense 
negatives); I adjust the histogram sliders in but only loosely; and I 
always scan 8X to reduce noise (the scanner-induced noise is random, 
so the multiscanning averages out everything that is not consistent 
in all eight scans, which is the noise); then I spend two hours 
spotting the image in PS!  Also, use 16 bit, which I think you didn't 
mention.

What you get is a light, flat image that includes all the data from 
the negative.

Walt




--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "garethjolly" 
<garethjolly@b...> wrote:
>
> Glad everyone is having fun with the Farm Security Administration -
> have to say I was blown with the quality of the print of the Migrant
> Mother I was able to get.
> 
> I think I'm getting on top of my B&W print workflow.
> 
> I'm now starting to look at the scanner end of things.
> 
> I have a Nikon 4000ED with roll film adapter - and I have both Nikon
> Scan and Vuescan.
> 
> There seem to be 2 problems with the Nikon / Nikon scan.  The first 
is
> that Nikon scan insists truncating the histogram - starting from 30 
in
> the shadows - on negative scans.  The second is focus can be a 
little
> out - due to a combination of limited depth of field, slight 
curvature
> of the negative in the glassless holder and possibly autofocus
> problems on some images. (I flippantly remarked on my old LS20
> producing sharper scans than my 4000 and someone pointed this out)
> 
> I'm also a little unsure of the analogue gain function - there seems
> to be some suggestion it doesn't affect the lamp brightness in B&W,
> simply operating on the post processed image.
> 
> The type of workflow I was thinking of is this:
> 
> - use Nikonscan rather than Vuescan
> - scan B&W negatives as a 16 bit colour positive;
> - preview the negative
> - make slight adjustments to analogue gain if the negative appears
> over or underexposed (i.e significant clipping or bunching up of 
values)
> - use manual focus to focus at the centre of the image
> - use GEM to reduce grain (taking up Paul's suggestion)
> - use multiscan as and when required (especially archival images and
> images with problems with shadow definition)
> - possibly, use multiple scans with different GEM and analogue gain
> settings
> - convert to B&W in Photoshop - using the colour combiner.
> 
> I've also ordered an Anti-Newton ring glass carrier insert for my 
film
> strip holder.
> 
> Can anyone help me here?  Is there anything I should be doing
> differently?  This is largely guesswork based on reading a few 
things.
> 
> And does anyone think I should be using Vuescan instead?  The big
> advantage to Nikonscan seems to be GEM.  And I might need to 
calibrate
> the Coolscan to get the best out of Vuescan - meaning I need at IT8
> target!  Don't suppose anyone has an ICC for Coolscan 4000ED?
> 
> Not quite sure how I combine the multiple images.  I have Photoshop
> CS2.  Paul mentioned the cloning tool...  Paul, do you have open
> multiple images and clone between them?  Or am I just totally 
missing
> the point.
> 
> Thanks
> Gareth
>