Basic Scanning Question

[EdinburghGary]

Hi Guys,

I am new to both film and scanning.  Have recently started shooting with an RB67, and I have an Epson Pro 750 scanner.

My question is simple. Assuming I have a perfectly exposed transparency (Velvia 50 in this case), should I be able to SCAN IT, and without processing, have an image with a perfect histogram?

The reason I ask, all my Velvia 50 scans to date, when using the Epson 750, have a seriously compressed Histogram. Almost like 50% from the highlights section has been lost.

Any help appreciated, and if you cannot help, simply answering my first question would be appreciated a lot.

Gary.

[Nigelfrommanchester]

I'm about to relearn the art of scanning, and think I can help you with your question.

In general all scans will look like yours on default settings, and the key first step is to reset the black and white points to the edge of the histogram.

A site I found useful when starting to scan is www.scantips.com. It looks very similar to the way I remember 5 years ago but has all the basic information you should need.

Hope this helps.

Nigel

[dmerger]

There are different opinions on the best scanning procedure, which has been discussed several times on this forum.  Here are a couple of posts you may want to read.

http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....mp;#entry251635

http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....c=33511&hl=

http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....&hl=dmerger

[EdinburghGary]

I'm about to relearn the art of scanning, and think I can help you with your question.

In general all scans will look like yours on default settings, and the key first step is to reset the black and white points to the edge of the histogram.

A site I found useful when starting to scan is www.scantips.com. It looks very similar to the way I remember 5 years ago but has all the basic information you should need.

Hope this helps.

Nigel

There are different opinions on the best scanning procedure, which has been discussed several times on this forum.  Here are a couple of posts you may want to read.

http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....mp;#entry251635

http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....c=33511&hl=

http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....&hl=dmerger

Thank you both.  

As a newcomer, those links have been extremely difficult to make heads or tails of, not a criticism, but clearly there is a lack of understanding or a lack of a consensus of the best scanning techniques.  It seems to boil down to the histogram, do you SCAN with a modified histogram (ie, drag the white and black points to the edge of your fall of), or do you scan with a the full range (0 to 255), even though you only appear to be using part of it.

I for one, haven't a clue.  I am just disappointed that it's not a case of what you see on Slide, is what you see on Screen under the default settings.  I was hoping to use film to get digital photos which required no processing!!  Wishful thinking?   Velvia, is no longer Velvia, if you see what I mean.  Velvia has a distinct look and feel.  The scanner seems to loose it, and it is then up to me to "recreate it".  Am I right, or is there much more to it?

Gary.

[Doug Fisher]

>>and the key first step is to reset the black and white points to the edge of the histogram.<<

Excellent advice with the EpsonScan that seems love to clip by default.

"One button push" scanning to produce a perfect image is a myth promoted by scanner manufacturers.  Start with the scantips site.

Doug

[papa v2.0]

Hi gary

Good to see a fellow scot on the forum.

Have you tried profiling the scanner using an IT8 target shot on Velvia film. This may help. Not sure where you can get one maybe fuji can help.

found this might be of inerest     www.computer-darkroom.com/it8cal/

and http://www.targets.coloraid.de/

what scanning software do you use. There should be a white point and black point setting that can be adjusted and saved as a prefference.

Cheers