Scanning negatives and slides

[anon125]

If I use the old epson 1200u the file is 750kb

Phone gives 2.5 mb

Camera gives 5.5 mb. (Lumix )

Can I safely assume the camera gives the best results?

Using a film carrier / slide holder with a built in light behind it.

Thanks

 

[Gato Amarillo]

If I use the old epson 1200u the file is 750kb

Phone gives 2.5 mb

Camera gives 5.5 mb. (Lumix )

Can I safely assume the camera gives the best results?

No. You cannot assume picture quality from file size.

First check the pixel dimensions of the files to be sure you are getting adequate resolution. Then if you can compare by scanning the same slide by all three methods and comparing the images side-by-side on a good monitor. Choose a slide or film with some fine detail, and be sure the original is sharp.

The camera scans can vary a lot depending on the quality of the lens you are using and how accurately you focus. All three can vary depending on how well you set up and how flat they are able to hold the film you are scanning.

If you have not already, check the scanner to be sure you are using the highest quality settings -- highest resolution, best file format, and least compression.

Using a film carrier / slide holder with a built in light behind it.

Thanks

 

[anon125]

Thanks for your help.

yes 1200 U does have a light behind it for transparencies

 

[anon125]

does all this make sense to anyone- re negatives/slides?

Your EPSON Perfection 1200U scanner includes the following features:
■ Superior image quality:
■ True optical resolution of 1200 dots per inch (dpi)
■ Hardware resolution of 1200 × 2400 dpi
■ Maximum resolution of 9600 × 9600 dpi with interpolation
■ 36-bit color depth for capturing images with over 68 billion colors
■ EPSON TWAIN for high speed scanning and accurate optical character
recognition (OCR)
■ Start button for one-touch scanning
■ Letter/A4 size scanning area (legal size documents can be scanned with the
optional auto document feeder)
■ Optional transparency unit and auto document feeder

thanks all

 

[anon125]

https://files.support.epson.com/pdf/per12u/per12usb.pdf

 

[UncleVanya]

If I use the old epson 1200u the file is 750kb

Phone gives 2.5 mb

Camera gives 5.5 mb. (Lumix )

Can I safely assume the camera gives the best results?

Using a film carrier / slide holder with a built in light behind it.

Thanks

Most people I know get the best results using a device to hold the negatives flat that has a good diffused color neutral light source behind it. They then use a modern camera with a high quality lens on a tripod or copy stand and get exceptional results. Assuming the negatives are not dusty or damaged this works well with minimal post processing - although you need to deal with the color inversion which can be tricky but there are tools.

If the negatives are not in great shape then software like Nikon bundled with their dedicated negative scanner can be a real boon.

 

[robert1955]

If I use the old epson 1200u the file is 750kb

Phone gives 2.5 mb

Camera gives 5.5 mb. (Lumix )

Can I safely assume the camera gives the best results?

Using a film carrier / slide holder with a built in light behind it.

Thanks

Most people I know get the best results using a device to hold the negatives flat that has a good diffused color neutral light source behind it. They then use a modern camera with a high quality lens on a tripod or copy stand and get exceptional results. Assuming the negatives are not dusty or damaged this works well with minimal post processing - although you need to deal with the color inversion which can be tricky but there are tools.

I’ve been out of scanning for something like 20 years, but what is nowadays a good tool for color reversal?

 

[UncleVanya]

If I use the old epson 1200u the file is 750kb

Phone gives 2.5 mb

Camera gives 5.5 mb. (Lumix )

Can I safely assume the camera gives the best results?

Using a film carrier / slide holder with a built in light behind it.

Thanks

Most people I know get the best results using a device to hold the negatives flat that has a good diffused color neutral light source behind it. They then use a modern camera with a high quality lens on a tripod or copy stand and get exceptional results. Assuming the negatives are not dusty or damaged this works well with minimal post processing - although you need to deal with the color inversion which can be tricky but there are tools.

I’ve been out of scanning for something like 20 years, but what is nowadays a good tool for color reversal?

Several people I know say that darktable with negadoctor works well.

https://thatbeardedguy.photography/...in-darktable-using-negadoctor/?v=efad7abb323e

 

[Overrank]

does all this make sense to anyone- re negatives/slides?

Your EPSON Perfection 1200U scanner includes the following features:
■ Superior image quality:
■ True optical resolution of 1200 dots per inch (dpi)
■ Hardware resolution of 1200 × 2400 dpi
■ Maximum resolution of 9600 × 9600 dpi with interpolation
■ 36-bit color depth for capturing images with over 68 billion colors
■ EPSON TWAIN for high speed scanning and accurate optical character
recognition (OCR)
■ Start button for one-touch scanning
■ Letter/A4 size scanning area (legal size documents can be scanned with the
optional auto document feeder)
■ Optional transparency unit and auto document feeder

thanks all

The Epson Perfect 1200U is a very old flat bed scanner with a maximum resolution of 1200ppi (around 1.9MP for 35mm). For scanning negatives now something like an Epson V850 would give a true optical resolution of ~2200ppi (around 6.3MP), a Plustek 8200 film scanner up to 3500 ppi (around 16MP).

 

[Overrank]

If I use the old epson 1200u the file is 750kb

Phone gives 2.5 mb

Camera gives 5.5 mb. (Lumix )

Can I safely assume the camera gives the best results?

Using a film carrier / slide holder with a built in light behind it.

Thanks

Most people I know get the best results using a device to hold the negatives flat that has a good diffused color neutral light source behind it. They then use a modern camera with a high quality lens on a tripod or copy stand and get exceptional results. Assuming the negatives are not dusty or damaged this works well with minimal post processing - although you need to deal with the color inversion which can be tricky but there are tools.

I’ve been out of scanning for something like 20 years, but what is nowadays a good tool for color reversal?

A while ago I posted a number of programs / methods to do this inversion ( https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65862649 )

some are free, some not so free -

• NegativeLabPro
• ColorPerfect
• DarkTable
• RawTherapee
• SilkyPix
• VueScan
• FilmLab - https://www.filmlabapp.com
• Grain2Pixel - https://grain2pixel.com
• NegMaster - https://negmaster.com
• Negfix8 - https://sites.google.com/site/negfix/howto
• Negative2positive http://www.fmwconcepts.com/imagemagick/negative2positive/index.php

There are probably a few new ones to add too. The commercial ones seem to differ into what their target is - so some of them try and emulate printing onto paper, which may be right for your film or might not be (Vision3 / CineStill and Aerocolor in particular aren’t designed to be printed onto paper)

 

[anon125]

Fortunately the negatives are fine!

thanks

 

[anon125]

I have silky pix for raw- will have to look at it again!

thanks

 

[anon125]

so a modern lumix FZ2500 is probably better?

thanks

 

[anon125]

thanks

 

[Overrank]

I have silky pix for raw- will have to look at it again!

thanks

There’s some info on the SilkyPix website (I’ve never used it myself) - https://www.silkypix.com/en/how-to/article/function/1655/

 

[Overrank]

so a modern lumix FZ2500 is probably better?

thanks

I don’t know about the FX2500 - you really need a good macro lens, a way of firmly holding the film and camera and a good light source. Most people who use cameras use DSLRs or ILC mirrorless rather than bridge cameras.

You can also use things like this https://shop.lomography.com/uk/digitaliza-plus-scanning-kit and a smartphone. It depends on what sort of quality you’re expecting to get (some people spend hundreds of ££ on the equipment and some pay upwards of £10,000 - it really depends on what your goal is).

 

[Bob]

Forget the phone. Phones cant get close enough to properly focus, so you end “zooming” digitally of course.

The best results are a matter of technique and software too.

To properly scan a neg without losing detail, you need at least a 24MP DSLR, a proper macro lens capable of 1:1 reproduction ratio, and a carrier that holds the film flat.

Then you need the right software too. You can do it manually with Photoshop or similar or buy plug-ins.

But, yes, the DSLR would give the best results, but not because the file size is the largest.

 

[anon125]

Good advice.

thanks for your help

 

[Overrank]

Forget the phone. Phones cant get close enough to properly focus, so you end “zooming” digitally of course.

In this review of the Digitaliza ( https://www.35mmc.com/18/07/2022/lomography-digitaliza-max-review-by-george-griffin/ ) the author said that he needed to zoom by a factor of three for 135 film. Of course a modern mobile phone often has a zoom lens of around that so there might not actually be too much pixel loss.

The best results are a matter of technique and software too.

To properly scan a neg without losing detail, you need at least a 24MP DSLR, a proper macro lens capable of 1:1 reproduction ratio, and a carrier that holds the film flat.

Then you need the right software too. You can do it manually with Photoshop or similar or buy plug-ins.

But, yes, the DSLR would give the best results, but not because the file size is the largest.

I don’t think the OP wanted to use a DSLR, rather a bridge camera, so there wouldn't be the possibility of using a dedicated macro lens.

 

[anon125]

the camera has macro and with a 2times filter it worked at a shorter distance.

good brand of times filter

thanks