CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Background: equipment - Epson V600

Back in 2012, I scanned about 1200 35mm negatives covering roughly years 1984 to 2005. It was mostly just a mass-scanning operation and I did next to nothing to any of the resulting JPEGs for years. But, every so often I want to reach into those memories and share some of those memories today. A part II post will address ideas for how to edit those resulting JPEGs.

The Good

Refer to the parameters below and whether any are helpful to your operation. They're based on the EPSON v600 software, but the ideas should be useful to any scanner. My scanning settings were based on analysis of the pixel size of the EOS XTi I was shooting at the time. I scanned to JPEGs at 3888x2592 for a file I just grabbed to check the details, a 10MP resolution. The pixel resolution is the key item. The example file I grabbed also stored as 6.7MB. The pixel resolution of the Target in the settings below controls the resulting pixel resolution of the resulting JPEG.

I imported the images into Lightroom where I can add keywords and work on the JPEGs with modern & powerful digital editing tools to the same level of detail as an image that would have come from a circa 2006 DSLR.

The Bad

The single most annoying issue in the scanned files is the funky sharpening / image correction that is applied to images. As mentioned above, it's been 8-years between the mass-scan and now editing the results in 2020-21. I must have made an initial evaluation of the scanned files and wasn't very happy and deferred the problem. Although I made notes of my scanning settings, I don't have a specific memory of why I didn't edit the images.

I believe the 'funky' corrections is a result of using EPSON's Digital ICE that also made the scan 4-minutes per negative. With this ICE technology turned off, the scans averaged about 1-minute per negative and I was using the 4- to 6-negative scanning guide for 35mm negatives.

Another complaint is the JPEG files receive date-stamps from the scanning date. I've used two approaches to addressing the dates. In LR I can update the file's shooting date to an approximate date of the original image. It's not important to me to know the exact date, but I do want them to sort within the catalog to something representative of the actual shooting date rather than the 2012 (or 2020) scanning date. I also have a commercial tool 'EXIF Date Changer' that lets me batch-change the JPEG files in a more sophisticated manner than within LR.

The Process

I'm not sure that I was using Lightroom back in 2012. Today, editing these scanned JPEGs in LR is quick process with a number of automations performed via LR Develop presets. I used the 'color restoration' = low and use LR to correct the color saturation and WB, much the same as I'd edit DSLR images.

For dust, use a Giotto Rocket Air and microfiber cloths to clean the negatives as best as possible before scanning. Also, pay close attention to the scanning guide and the alignment marks on the negatives so you get them facing the correct direction. Upside down is easy to fix later, but reversed images (lettering) is a bigger problem.

Check your scanner manual / software manual for the application of the settings below, including if there is 'professional mode' and / or a profile set-up you can use to default the settings rather than having to recreate for every scan.

Professional settings

film type - color negative
image type = 48-bit color
expand for fast scanning
resolution - 300 dpi
doc size - 36 w 24 h mm
target - custom T50_35mm (w 3888 x h 2592 pixels) <- I picked this name for the Canon T50 that created nearly all the 35mm negatives
unsharp mask = y (1st suggestion below references setting this to N as the pictures will be grainy otherwise - need to test)
grain reduction = y
color restoration = y (low)
backligh correction = n
Dust removal = y / high

average scan processing 1 - minute / negative

when DIGITAL ICE = Y instead of dust removal = scan is 4 mins per negative

For each image preview - click exposure correction for each negative to be converted

SCANNING tips (apologies if any of these links are out of date, these are my notes from 2012)

http://www.reidmorrison.com/home-users/digitizing-film (tips on Epson v600)
http://x-equals.com/blog/film-to-digital-scanning-essentials-101-part-1-of-2/ (step by step for Epson on professional, recommends still other settings include some different ICE options)
http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/tech/scanning.php (pretty technical)
http://www.imaging-resource.com/SCAN/V600/V600.HTM (good write-up)

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The attachment takes a recent edit from that 2012 bulk scan. You can open full-screen to see the details.

(Download)

kfcam Loc: Fort Myers Florida

Thanks so much. This was over an above very help full.

DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

[quote=CHG_CANON]Background: equipment - Epson V600

Still getting the same error message to remove the document.
I have PSE 2018 on this computer but could find no menu selection for converting a negative to a positive image.

kitrn23

I will be doing photo scanning on a V600 as soon as the holidays are over, I have 2 & 1/2 shoe boxes full. Are the same settings for photos also? I d/l your resources mentioned, and will do some reading.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

These ideas should work great. Run a few tries and confirm. Once you have the workflow confirmed / understood, then you can start the mass-scan effort.

kitrn23

Thanks again. Just me (retired) 3 dogs and my dtr. So I have many hours left during the day, will start when the x-mas decorations are down.

Pedro6

Thank you.
Wish I had read this before starting, but as I still have heaps more to do, it will improve results and save time.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Hooray! Ask more questions if they come up.