The Art of Scanning Negatives
The film is developed now what? The first process is complete now comes the art of scanning and getting the best results possible and of course a final image. I am going to go over the best ways to produce beautiful images out of those negatives.
The Classic Flatbed Scanner
This is one of the most common ways to scan negatives into a Jpeg file or a tiff it is also inexpensive depending on the make and model of the scanner. I have the Epson V550 I actually got mine refurbished for about $110 which was pretty affordable. The scans come out beautiful but the scanning times can be longer depending on the format. When I scan 35mm film it can take up to 30-40 minutes to scan a roll of 36 exposures, and a roll of 120 film with 10 exposures up to an hour. The more common Epson Scanner is the V600 which is used more widely than the v550 the main difference is the scanning speed and a few other upgrades that I did not need and I did not want to spend the extra 70 dollars. The V550 can scan up to 12 images at once and the scanner can convert the negatives into useable images however I do not do this since the Epson software has not been updated in the past 15 years. Epson of course has there higher-class models like the V800 and V850 which can scan more than 12 images and have increased resolution and scan speeds these were not in my budget since they were in the thousands. I use the Epson V550 scanner and to scan the negatives into tiff files and use Negative Lab Pro and convert the images in Lightroom. I will go over this program in the next method for converting negatives. The classic flatbed scanners are perfect for anyone that is new to scanning it’s easy and foolproof. The Epson Scanners come with attachments to place 35mm negatives, slide film, and 120 film. The images below were scanned using the Epson V550 at 3200 DPI and converted using Negative Lab Pro.
The DSLR Method
Have a DSRL Camera and a 50mm lens? This method is by far one of the most questioned and hated by some film photographers. I will say this method is very effective and convenient and can save hundreds of dollars. The flatbed scanning method takes forever to scan while the DSRL method can get through a roll of 36 exposures in under 10 minutes. This method will require an addition program to actually convert the negatives into actual images. These programs include Negative Lab Pro or VueScan the programs are affordable and come with lifetime licence. I actually opted to get Negative Lab Pro and it was one of the best decisions I made in film photography. The program is extremely impressive and works as an extension in Lightroom so it makes editing and converting quick and easy. The coolest thing about this program is that it follows algorithms around the best scanners in the industry these include the Noritsu and Frontier Scanner. These scanner are thousands of dollars and although its not same as putting film through these actual scanners negative lab pro comes extremely close. The program is regularly updated and once purchased the software can updated with no cost which is a plus. The method requires the following a light table, some Macro lens attachments, a hot shoe bubble level and a tripod that can be tilted vertically or an overhead rig that can be directly over the light table. I know a few that opt not get the light table and decided to use an Ipad which is a mistake an Ipad has pixels which will show on the image and actually make it look awful. The process goes as followed I tape down the negatives with gaffers tape on the light table then I adjust my camera right over the lightbox and use the bubble metter on the hot shoe to make sure the camera is evened over the negative. I then use the magnification macro attachments and find one that does not distort the edges of the negatives I then use the magnifying option in the camera to make sure the negative is perfectly focused. Since I am using Lightroom I attach a data transfer cable from by computer to the camera so I can tether the camera to Lightroom and control the setting directly from the software. Then I snap the picture and use negative lab pro to convert the RAW image of the negative to a working image. The process is simple and can be done with stuff laying around and it’s the quickest way to scan images. The image below were scanned using the DSLR Method. This takes a bit of patience and practice since finding the correct settings can be hard.
The Lab Scans
When I started film I was sending out my roll of film for processing and scanning at a professional lab. This method is of course the most convenient and at the same time expensive. A typical lab will charge about $11 per roll and about $5-8 extra for enhanced scans. This method tends to be expensive since the lab is using expensive scanners like the Frontier or the Noritsu which are some of the top scanners for film. There is the option to develop the film at home and send it for scanning only which is also just as expensive. A typical lab can charge up to $1.50 per frame + the shipping fee to the lab all together a roll of 35mm film with 24 exposures can cost up to $36 to process and in some cases, it may not even include the extra charges for enhanced scans. I will be honest I think it’s best to start with this option it will determine whether film is something that is worth exploring while not having to invest in a bunch of stuff. This method really helped me make this decision after sending about 4-5 rolls I ended up investing in an Epson Scanner and all the tools needed to develop film at home. On rare occasions, I will still use a lab in cases where I can’t find C-41 developers or if I have an extra special roll of film I do not want to mess up. This method is the most expensive and it becomes unsustainable after the first few months hence why I ended up doing things at home to keep the cost down. However, there have been times where either C41 chemicals were expensive or hard to find in these cases I have the lab develop my film and send back the negatives so I can scan them myself and save a few bucks.
