Your film scanning workflow

[oceanpriest]

Some use epson software, some use silverfast, some use vuescan...
Some sharpen and adjust black/white point during scanning, some scan in raw and adjust color/sharpen after scanning...
Some lock exposure/film color base for every film strip, some don't...

My epson v600 comes with epson software, no film profile available on epson software
My plustek 7600i comes with silverfast software with negafix film profile

Until now, I always use auto setting in both epson/silverfast software, but it seems the color still abit off, even after selecting specific film profile on silverfast, and those from epson software are even more flat.

Recently I tried scanning in RAW, and inverse it in photoshop, adjust level and color balance, seems it show better and promising result...

I also tried trial version of colorperfect photoshop plugins to cook the RAW file, and it even give better color...
Vuescan & ColorPerfect, A Guide. | Ben Anderson - Photographer

Anyone also tried this RAW workflow?

Please share how do you scan your color negative

 

[oceanpriest]

epson scan in auto mode


raw scan


raw scan, photoshopped

 

[oceanpriest]

Gamma level on the raw scan seems to be a little over the top? :think:

hmm.. when i auto level my raw file then invert it, the result is abit overexposed, so need to adjust the curve :think:

 

[theanswer03]

I scan with Minolta utility software. The result is a TIFF file. Color and levels done in Lightroom. I find that this is faster than using Photoshop and Vuescan. But I guess photoshop and vuescan allow more control then.

 

[gbealnz]

I'm just starting out with a scanner, Plusteck 7200, so not qualified to comment.
I like the top image way better though.
Gary

 

[anerjee]

I use Colorperfect 100% for negatives. Though I do lock exposure and color base for each roll i scan. Works well for me.

 

[oceanpriest]

I'm just starting out with a scanner, Plusteck 7200, so not qualified to comment.
I like the top image way better though.
Gary

Bottom image, I adjust color balance manually without colorperfect, so pardonme if color still abit off :bsmilie:

I use Colorperfect 100% for negatives. Though I do lock exposure and color base for each roll i scan. Works well for me.

Thanks, your scan result look great. Colorperfect look promising, will spend more time playing with trial version first, seems abit complicated so many settings

 

[anerjee]

I ignore all settings. Just create a basic inversion to get a positive image. Then all tone & sharpness adjustments are made in Lightroom.

If you use lock exposure and lock color feature of Vuescan, your contrast will come out right first time (almost 99% of the time for me).

Bottom image, I adjust color balance manually without colorperfect, so pardonme if color still abit off :bsmilie:


Thanks, your scan result look great. Colorperfect look promising, will spend more time playing with trial version first, seems abit complicated so many settings

 

[ykc2011]

I like the unphotoshopped version better. thanks for sharing.

 

[crispy12]

Almost all my film negs are black and white, so this is my workflow for that. Mainly shoot digital colour, but colour neg I do tend to lock film base and use vuescan for colour settings only.

I shoot for post processing. Meaning expose for shadows, develop for highlights to get a good neg. I use vuescan, and scan in Tiff as its basically a raw file but inverted. No other processing in vuescan, previously used auto levels in vuescan but it was horrible and lost a lot of detail.

Then load up file in photoshop, clear dust with healing tool and adjust levels manually. Dodge and burn, and unsharp mask. Sometimes do the later half in Lightroom so it's non destructive.


mangrove shadows by chrisongtj, on Flickr

Much easier to do digitally than in the wet darkroom... But IQ not as good on screen as its limited by my scanner