Digital BW, The Print

On 12/10/2009 Lew wrote:
> Single pass ... anything to save time. It does not matter to me if an 
> automated process creates the "proof sheets" after the scans as long 
> as 
> that automatic, too.

This is a scanning FAQ based on the misunderstanding that scanning offers 
a straightforward transposition from film->dig. It does not. Scanning film 
is more like darkroom printing or producing from RAW, than scanning 
documents. It is hugely interpretive. Either you throw money at the 
problem (clever hardware and software) or you throw time and expertise, 
and as always within photography, time and expertise wins.

So there is no way to do this with good quality, short of either buying a 
Scitex Eversmart (last sold at ~$40,000 - a sort of industrial flatbed) or 
a scanning station (eg Sony, Pakon, Konica) of the sort used by minilabs. 
The latter are fast, but not usually high resolution (1-2,000ppi) and 
start at around $15,000. I think Pakon has now joined Konica in the 
dustbin of history anyhow.

For mounted slides the Braun 4000 is a potential cheapish choice, but I've 
not seen results or useful reviews. It may or may not be crap. 
http://www.braun-phototechnik.de/E/Products/scanner/scanner4000.html

The old Kodak 3600 (Pacific Image rebadged) was capable of scanning uncut 
35mm but had dreadful software and mediocre optics with lots of flare, and 
  a fair amount of CCD noise. It was fairly quickly discontinued.

Before that, Kodak made the RFS3035 & 45 scanners which could be got with 
batch feeders for uncut 35mm. They were fast, using flash as a 
lightsource, but quality was pretty poor even by early 90's standards 
though OK for newspaper use, which is where they were used.

Nowadays you'd do better with a DSLR like a 5D + macro + copy stand like 
an Illumitran. For mere mortals this is probably the best approach if you 
truly do have to digitise a lot of film. Shoot to RAW then post produce 
from there - more time, effort etc.

Scanning is anyhow the quick part of the process. Post producing each scan 
is a bespoke necessity that takes lots of time, even if the film is a type 
that is OK with digital ICE (and if it isn't, eg Kodachrome or trad B&W, 
expect to spend a LOT of extra time spotting and retouching). The pickier 
you are, the longer it takes. This is really the showstopper with hopes of 
scanning large film archives. Every neg needs different exposure, 
different levels/curves/gamma. "Difficult" negs need more still, separate 
adjustments for different tonal areas, then comping the layers back 
together again.

If you're rich enough to contemplate a s/h Scitex (I think Leaf still sell 
new ones), you'd probably do better to contract out the work to a 
specialist company anyway. India has a few that are relatively cheap, a 
few $/scan. If you aren't, you'll have to adjust your expectations like 
the rest of us.

I have around 280,000 negs. Scanning and post producing all of them would 
take about 6-7 years working flat out full-time, by which time I'd have 
gone ga-ga and starved anyway. Fortunately most are rubbish, but even the 
small decent residue will take years of as-and-when effort. Has taken, so far.

I use an ancient Umax Powerlook2 flatbed with 10x8" film hood (\ufffd70 on eBay 
about 4 years ago), adapted to take the glass half of a Paterson 35mm 
contact proof frame. That scans 6 strips of 6 in one go = electronic 
contact sheets.

I then select the few frames I can bear to scan properly and do them with 
a Polaroid Sprintscan 4000 (10 years old, but still excellent after a DIY 
service - http://tonysleep.co.uk/polaroid-sprintscan-4000-diy-repairs

Since most of what I scan is silver-based B&W lack of ICE isn't really an 
issue. I use Vuescan with both scanners.

Scanning, spotting and adjusting each frame takes anything from 5mins to, 
er, hours. The good news is that I can, at the end of the (long) day, get 
more and better from my old negs than I ever could in the wet darkroom, 
and I was a pretty good bromide printer with 30+years of almost daily 
experience.


-- 
Regards
Tony Sleep
http://tonysleep.co.uk