Luminous Landscape Forum

Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Digital Image Processing => Topic started by: Peterretep2 on November 02, 2017, 10:45:48 am

Title: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: Peterretep2 on November 02, 2017, 10:45:48 am
I'm needing a very high quality scan of a 4x5 transparency. I had already sent the film to a localish lab offering Durst Sigma film scans, the result was very disappointing with terrible detail in the dark areas. My scan from an EpsonV750 was so much better in pulling detail from the dark areas. The image will be printed to 45 inches wide and I want to get the best scan of the film I can so any reccomendations of scanning services will be appreciated. I looked through some of the archives here and found Nancyscans to be highly thought of but that thread was from many years ago. Thanks in advance!

Peter
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: digitaldog on November 02, 2017, 11:07:55 am
NancyScans is the way to go! I've used em, great quality drum scans.
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: Peterretep2 on November 02, 2017, 11:21:44 am
Thank you!
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: DougDolde on November 02, 2017, 02:33:01 pm
These are very good for $12.50

http://www.agximaging.com/price-list-3/
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: Alskoj on November 13, 2017, 06:51:43 am
These are very good for $12.50

http://www.agximaging.com/price-list-3/
Wow, that's crazy!  I pay between $100 and $200 for 4x5 scans.  I need to try these guys.
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: digitaldog on November 13, 2017, 12:50:56 pm
Wow, that's crazy!  I pay between $100 and $200 for 4x5 scans.
No, that's crazy. I think I paid $25 for a scan on a Tango which is a damn good scanner.
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: Alskoj on November 21, 2017, 10:32:56 am
No, that's crazy. I think I paid $25 for a scan on a Tango which is a damn good scanner.
Here is Nancyscans' pricelist. I didn't see any $25 scans on it.
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: digitaldog on November 21, 2017, 10:39:14 am
Here is Nancyscans' pricelist. I didn't see any $25 scans on it.
I stand corrected (or sit), I paid $75 (just looked up the invoice) however, it was in 2011. Still a superb scan and far less than what was quoted.
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: Alskoj on November 22, 2017, 10:32:05 pm
I stand corrected (or sit), I paid $75 (just looked up the invoice) however, it was in 2011. Still a superb scan and far less than what was quoted.
Cool, no worries.  I'm sending a 4x5 to AgX Imaging to try them out.  $12.50 is a great price, but seems almost to good to be true.
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: digitaldog on November 23, 2017, 10:35:23 am
I stand corrected (or sit), I paid $75 (just looked up the invoice) however, it was in 2011. Still a superb scan and far less than what was quoted.
You know the old saying.... let us know, maybe upload a section to examine.
Did you ask if the film is gel mounted on the drum? Super important. What kind of PMT drum scanner?
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: Alskoj on December 21, 2017, 03:55:15 pm
I sent AgX a 4x5.  Great customer service. It ended up costing $20 with return shipping of the film and SD card that I sent for storage.
Since it was my first time using their service, I sent them an image that I wasn't too worried about losing or getting damaged. They took great care if it and returned it in very nice packaging.
This river is in NE Italy near Aviano Air Base where I was stationed in the 90s.  I would often leave early for work and spend an hour or so shooting it.   
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: CeeVee on December 21, 2017, 07:47:32 pm
I sent AgX a 4x5.  Great customer service. It ended up costing $20 with return shipping of the film and SD card that I sent for storage.
Since it was my first time using their service, I sent them an image that I wasn't too worried about losing or getting damaged. They took great care if it and returned it in very nice packaging.
This river is in NE Italy near Aviano Air Base where I was stationed in the 90s.  I would often leave early for work and spend an hour or so shooting it.   
Extremely blue. Was the actual scene that blue? Was the 4x5 that blue?

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: Peterretep2 on December 23, 2017, 02:55:20 pm
I wanted to let you all know that I finally received an excellent scan from Metal & Paper Pro which used to be West Coast Imaging.

Peter
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: Alskoj on December 25, 2017, 08:35:35 am
Extremely blue. Was the actual scene that blue? Was the 4x5 that blue?

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
The 4x5 was a little bluer than the image I posted.  The water is that blue/teal due to minerals.  Early morning light contributed to overly blue shadows in the rock.  If I tone down the blue in the shadows I negatively affect the true color of the water.  Time to learn how to apply local adjustments in lightroom.
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: CeeVee on December 25, 2017, 08:47:03 am
The 4x5 was a little bluer than the image I posted.  The water is that blue/teal due to minerals.  Early morning light contributed to overly blue shadows in the rock.  If I tone down the blue in the shadows I negatively affect the true color of the water.  Time to learn how to apply local adjustments in lightroom.
Try white balance

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: Alskoj on December 25, 2017, 09:41:35 am
Try white balance

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
That helped.  Thanks.  I'm not sure why I didn't try that before.  That's something I normally check/adjust.
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: Two23 on December 25, 2017, 12:09:25 pm
On the LargeFormat website I've been seeing truly remarkable scans made with either a Nikon D800E or D850 and the Nikon 105mm macro lens, using a copy stand.  They are doing three or four shot stitches.  They seem to be matching drum scans.  This is on my "2018 to do" list.  I already have the camera and lens and a lightbox, looking for a copy stand on ebay. 


Kent in SD
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: Alskoj on December 25, 2017, 12:23:24 pm
On the LargeFormat website I've been seeing truly remarkable scans made with either a Nikon D800E or D850 and the Nikon 105mm macro lens, using a copy stand.  They are doing three or four shot stitches.  They seem to be matching drum scans.  This is on my "2018 to do" list.  I already have the camera and lens and a lightbox, looking for a copy stand on ebay. 

Kent in SD
A good idea worth looking into. I have a lot of film I would like to digitize!
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: saiguy on December 31, 2017, 06:36:11 am
Peter Krogh has a DVD tutorial on Camera Scans.  damuseful.com
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: drralph on February 07, 2018, 05:30:04 pm
Cool, no worries.  I'm sending a 4x5 to AgX Imaging to try them out.  $12.50 is a great price, but seems almost to good to be true.

The AgX price list calls them "Hasselblad drum scans."  Must be using a Flextight rather than a true drum scanner.  But I like the price.  I have paid 4 times that for a Flextight scan in my area.
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: Alskoj on February 07, 2018, 08:52:26 pm
The AgX price list calls them "Hasselblad drum scans."  Must be using a Flextight rather than a true drum scanner.  But I like the price.  I have paid 4 times that for a Flextight scan in my area.
Good catch. I sent them one 4x5 and im pretty happy with the results. I'll send them a couple more that I have scanned with a "true" drum scanner and compare.
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: digitaldog on February 21, 2018, 02:34:54 pm
The Imacon (Hasselblad) IS a drum scanner. It's not however a PMT drum scanner and that's a significant difference! I've owned many scanners (PMT drums and otherwise) and many Imacon's too and it's a very good scanner but not in the league with a PMT scanning gel mounted originals with a PMT.
Title: Re: Recommendation for scan of 4x5 transparency
Post by: Alskoj on February 21, 2018, 06:57:30 pm
Thanks for that input!