How to invert film scans with NX Studio - Short tutorial.

[Timo Vahala]

So, you have just 'scanned' your negative with your Nikon camera and a macro lens setup. Next, import your NEF-file to NX Studio, in there your picture should look like the one below. Choose 'Neutral'-picture control.

Next phase is to invert colours, for that you need to open 'Levels & Curves'-tab. In there you grab the endpoint of the original curve in lower left corner and drag it to the upper left corner. Next grab the endpoint in the upper right corner and bring it to the lower right corner. Colours are now inverted and your picture looks something like the one below.

And now to remove colour cast. Open 'White Balance'-tab, and choose 'Gray Point Sample Tool' and take the sample from the point shown in the picture below. At this point colour cast should be gone, unless your film is old and the colours are shifted, then all bets are off.

Last phase is to adjust for black and white points, for that open again 'Levels & Curves'-tool. In there use the sliders shown in the image below to adjust said points.

Save the inverting curve as a preset for future use, but don't save white balance and black/white point adjustments because they vary depending on a picture and a film used.

Timo

 

[jthomas39]

That looks straightforward, thanks for posting.

~~~

I don't do film negatives, but I thought the darktable "negadoctor" module was interesting. Lots of settings!

It uses the color negative's unexposed border to help set the conversion parameters. And a reference image of the white light source, too.

The manual page: Process scanned film negatives

 

[ericbowles]

Great example - thanks for posting.

In NXStudio you can also copy and paste your initial adjustments from one image to all of the images, then fine tune as needed.

 

[PLShutterbug]

Thanks, Timo! What was the original negative emulsion?

 

[Timo Vahala]

Thanks, Timo! What was the original negative emulsion?

I'll dig it out when i'll get back home.

Timo

 

[Timo Vahala]

Thanks, Timo! What was the original negative emulsion?

Ok, i found it. Agfa XRG 100. Considering i took that pic in 1992, the film has kept its colours nicely!

Timo

 

[PLShutterbug]

Thanks, Timo! What was the original negative emulsion?

Ok, i found it. Agfa XRG 100. Considering i took that pic in 1992, the film has kept its colours nicely!

Timo

Yes, it’s very good. I have some negatives from 1985 or so I have had a terrible time adjusting. I will try your idea with Studio.

 

[NikonMan09]

Wow, that is impressive! The final image quality looks pretty good and the colors are fine. Thank you for doing this!

Would I be correct in assuming based on this information that you shoot the picture of the negative in the Neutral picture control at default settings?

Earlier this year I purchased an Epson V600 Photo scanner to scan slides and negatives. But your discovery of how to invert the colors using NX Studio, which seems to be highly effective, not to mention avoiding the inconvenience of having to invest in additional software, makes the option of using Nikon digital SLR/ML cameras and lenses more attractive and cost effective!

Best wishes,

 

[xlucine]

Wow, that is impressive! The final image quality looks pretty good and the colors are fine. Thank you for doing this!

Would I be correct in assuming based on this information that you shoot the picture of the negative in the Neutral picture control at default settings?

Earlier this year I purchased an Epson V600 Photo scanner to scan slides and negatives. But your discovery of how to invert the colors using NX Studio, which seems to be highly effective, not to mention avoiding the inconvenience of having to invest in additional software, makes the option of using Nikon digital SLR/ML cameras and lenses more attractive and cost effective!

Best wishes,

Shoot raw, and the picture control setting selected in camera doesn't matter - you have complete freedom to change it in post.

 

[Ernie Misner]

An easy and nice working method! Thank you for sharing. Is there an Invert blend mode or similar workflow in PS?

--
Ernie Misner
http://www.flickr.com/photos/erniemisner/
Light pollution does not only erase our view of the stars. Scientific evidence suggests that artificial light at night has negative and deadly effects on wildlife, including amphibians, birds, insects, and mammals. ~ Bin Chen

 

[HyperCypher]

Thanks for posting.



Should be able to do this in ACR or Lightroom I’d expect. ?

 

[Timo Vahala]

Thanks for posting.

Should be able to do this in ACR or Lightroom I’d expect. ?

The method works with Lighroom too, but i felt that colours were somehow lacking. Try it, maybe it works for you!

Timo

 

[HyperCypher]

Ernie,

There is “Invert” in PS …

Image / Adjustments / Invert Or cmd/i on a Mac . But then you are going to have to eliminate the orange / now blue color bias which the gray scale eye dropper step does. (Question there is where do you find neutral grey ? ) Then establish black to white tonality range, again maybe with the eye dropper.
I think the attraction here is all of it accomplished in one tool so to speak - the curves diolog.

 

[nikpharm]

Amazing.

After the black and white point setting, can the picture control be changed at the end to portrait, standard etc.

 

[Timo Vahala]

Amazing.

After the black and white point setting, can the picture control be changed at the end to portrait, standard etc.

Yes. Just keep in mind that after inversion every adjustment slider works backwards.

Timo

 

[nikpharm]

Amazing.

After the black and white point setting, can the picture control be changed at the end to portrait, standard etc.

Yes. Just keep in mind that after inversion every adjustment slider works backwards.

Timo

Good point . Otherwise if one is unaware, it will make one go crazy.

 

[NikonMan09]

One additional question. What WB setting do you use on the camera to photograph the color negative?

 

[Ernie Misner]

Amazing.

After the black and white point setting, can the picture control be changed at the end to portrait, standard etc.

Yes. Just keep in mind that after inversion every adjustment slider works backwards.

Oh no, like trying to fly an airplane with reversed controls.

Timo

 

[rscott900ss]

I was able to continue inverting an image until it disappeared and light shot out of my camera's lens....

...then, I woke up.

 

[allanimal]

One additional question. What WB setting do you use on the camera to photograph the color negative?

Shoot RAW and it doesn’t matter. You can change it in post to whatever you need.