View camera printing - scanner vs darkroom
Dec 24, 2017 13:53:58 #
I got an offer for a 4x5 view camera and enlarger from a friend who offered to give them to me. I spent many hours in a darkroom in my youth, and while setting one up is appealing at a certain level, just developing the negs, and then scanning and printing would be far easier. I'm fairly accomplished with Lightroom and PS, so that is the way I'm leaning. Also, setting up a darkroom would be difficult in my house.
Anyone have any experience with scanning large format negs with a high-resolution scanner, and then printing? If so, what equipment do you recommend? thx
Anyone have any experience with scanning large format negs with a high-resolution scanner, and then printing? If so, what equipment do you recommend? thx
Dec 24, 2017 14:48:02 #
Leitz
Loc: Solms
kmocabee wrote:
I got an offer for a 4x5 view camera and enlarger ... (show quote)
I recommend that you get a high-resolution scanner and a good ink-jet printer.
Dec 24, 2017 15:10:51 #
Leitz wrote:
I recommend that you get a high-resolution scanner and a good ink-jet printer.
You don't need a very high resolution scanner.
I use an Epson V750 and scan at 2400 or 3200 dpi. It will do do two sheets of 4x5 or one sheet of 8x10 in a single scan.
You can easily see the film grain in ISO 400 film developed in Rodinal so that's enough resolution.
A V700 or V850 would work as well.
If you get the SilverFast scanner software free with the scanner you might like it better than Epson Scan but both produce about the same result.
Dec 25, 2017 07:23:38 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
selmslie wrote:
You don't need a very high resolution scanner.
I use an Epson V750 and scan at 2400 or 3200 dpi. It will do do two sheets of 4x5 or one sheet of 8x10 in a single scan.
You can easily see the film grain in ISO 400 film developed in Rodinal so that's enough resolution.
A V700 or V850 would work as well.
If you get the SilverFast scanner software free with the scanner you might like it better than Epson Scan but both produce about the same result.
I use an Epson V750 and scan at 2400 or 3200 dpi. It will do do two sheets of 4x5 or one sheet of 8x10 in a single scan.
You can easily see the film grain in ISO 400 film developed in Rodinal so that's enough resolution.
A V700 or V850 would work as well.
If you get the SilverFast scanner software free with the scanner you might like it better than Epson Scan but both produce about the same result.
Dec 25, 2017 07:53:05 #
Leitz
Loc: Solms
selmslie wrote:
You don't need a very high resolution scanner.
I use an Epson V750 and scan at 2400 or 3200 dpi. It will do do two sheets of 4x5 or one sheet of 8x10 in a single scan.
You can easily see the film grain in ISO 400 film developed in Rodinal so that's enough resolution.
A V700 or V850 would work as well.
If you get the SilverFast scanner software free with the scanner you might like it better than Epson Scan but both produce about the same result.
I use an Epson V750 and scan at 2400 or 3200 dpi. It will do do two sheets of 4x5 or one sheet of 8x10 in a single scan.
You can easily see the film grain in ISO 400 film developed in Rodinal so that's enough resolution.
A V700 or V850 would work as well.
If you get the SilverFast scanner software free with the scanner you might like it better than Epson Scan but both produce about the same result.
Right, 3200 dpi is plenty for ISO 400 film, but I believe you might want to double that for fine-grain films like Ilford Delta 100 or Fujichrome Velvia 50. Epson scanners are probably the best for the money. I use a V600 for 35mm slides.
Dec 25, 2017 08:54:19 #
I use an Epson 2990 for 4x5 negs at 3200 dpi with good results. You can see the film grain on ASA 100 film developed in D76 which is pretty good. I find that developing the scan in Lightroom/Photoshop offers more tool available than the old wet darkroom plus not having to contend with the chemicals that I ended up being allergic to. Prints up to 24x30 with no problems. Newer Epson scanners are even better, my 2990 is at least a generation behind the current technology. The biggest issue I ran into was getting the scanner set up with the proper spacing between the image on the film and the scanner glass. You can get even higher resolution scans from commercial outfits with the high end scanners. It's not just dpi, but the resolving power of the scanner optics. I have been quite pleased with the results so far.
Dec 25, 2017 11:32:32 #
selmslie wrote:
You don't need a very high resolution scanner.
I use an Epson V750 and scan at 2400 or 3200 dpi. It will do do two sheets of 4x5 or one sheet of 8x10 in a single scan.
You can easily see the film grain in ISO 400 film developed in Rodinal so that's enough resolution.
A V700 or V850 would work as well.
If you get the SilverFast scanner software free with the scanner you might like it better than Epson Scan but both produce about the same result.
I use an Epson V750 and scan at 2400 or 3200 dpi. It will do do two sheets of 4x5 or one sheet of 8x10 in a single scan.
You can easily see the film grain in ISO 400 film developed in Rodinal so that's enough resolution.
A V700 or V850 would work as well.
If you get the SilverFast scanner software free with the scanner you might like it better than Epson Scan but both produce about the same result.
4x5 is a great format to scan on an Epson flatbed. Post-processing on computer is a lot easier and more precise than darkroom printing.
Dec 25, 2017 11:40:16 #
burkphoto wrote:
4x5 is a great format to scan on an Epson flatbed. Post-processing on computer is a lot easier and more precise than darkroom printing.
4x5 is a great format to scan on an Epson flatbed. Post-processing on computer is a lot easier and more precise than darkroom printing.
The good news is that the 4x5 holder that comes with the scanner is probably good enough.
I can't say the same for their 120 and 135 holders - a bit flimsy. You can get something better from BetterScanning.
Dec 25, 2017 12:10:44 #
selmslie wrote:
The good news is that the 4x5 holder that comes with the scanner is probably good enough.
I can't say the same for their 120 and 135 holders - a bit flimsy. You can get something better from BetterScanning.
I can't say the same for their 120 and 135 holders - a bit flimsy. You can get something better from BetterScanning.
I just copy 35mm slides and negs with a macro lens. I get sharper images...
Dec 25, 2017 12:15:51 #
burkphoto wrote:
I just copy 35mm slides and negs with a macro lens. I get sharper images...
I get sharper scans with my Coolscan 9000 but that’s a whole different matter - a dedicated film scanner.
The only thing better would be a Hasselblad Flextight but I don’t have have a way to justify the investment.
Dec 25, 2017 12:24:27 #
selmslie wrote:
I get sharper scans with my Coolscan 9000 but that’s a whole different matter - a dedicated film scanner.
The only thing better would be a Hasselblad Flextight but I don’t have have a way to justify the investment.
The only thing better would be a Hasselblad Flextight but I don’t have have a way to justify the investment.
Not even most Labs can afford a $25,000 scanner on today’s low volume demand... but the Flextight has long been king of the scanners.
What OS still runs your Coolscan?
Dec 25, 2017 12:36:07 #
ricardo7
Loc: Washington, DC - Santiago, Chile
Another consideration: as an experienced alternative process photographer using
digital as well as analogue sources, one of the major procedural hurdles is making a large negative.
Digital processes have made this a lot easier and there is a ton of information on-
line as to how to make digital negatives to any size. However, with a 4x5 camera,
you are already half-way there. 4x5 film is easy to process and of a very nice size
to make small Pt/Pd prints or Kallitypes or cyanotypes. You wouldn't need an
enlarger or an elaborate darkroom set up. Cyanotypes and Vandyke prints are
basically water developing processes. I recommend you do a little research on this.
You might like it.
digital as well as analogue sources, one of the major procedural hurdles is making a large negative.
Digital processes have made this a lot easier and there is a ton of information on-
line as to how to make digital negatives to any size. However, with a 4x5 camera,
you are already half-way there. 4x5 film is easy to process and of a very nice size
to make small Pt/Pd prints or Kallitypes or cyanotypes. You wouldn't need an
enlarger or an elaborate darkroom set up. Cyanotypes and Vandyke prints are
basically water developing processes. I recommend you do a little research on this.
You might like it.
Dec 25, 2017 13:32:19 #
burkphoto wrote:
Not even most Labs can afford a $25,000 scanner on today’s low volume demand... but the Flextight has long been king of the scanners.
What OS still runs your Coolscan?
What OS still runs your Coolscan?
I have it running in Windows 7 with a driver from Vista.
Dec 25, 2017 13:43:22 #
selmslie wrote:
I have it running in Windows 7 with a driver from Vista.
Good to know...
Dec 25, 2017 14:14:18 #
I have yet to see a InkJet printer B&W print that matches the quality of a real darkroom produced silver print. Yes, scanning and inkjet printing is faster, easier, and less expensive, but not the same. But like the old film days, it is the difference between "drug store prints" and those printed by custom printing houses. I have friends that have the Canon printers and are trying hard to get close but so far they have not achieved the prints they desire when compared 1 to 1. I hope to have my darkroom up and running by next summer. Happy printing
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