Deon
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2024
- Messages
- 75
Since landing in Bosquecito, New Mexico five years ago, I have been feverishly editing, organizing and scanning 50 years of mostly medium format film. My set up is a Mac Studio with 4-12 core processors, 96 gigs of RAM and a 1Tb flash drive. Externally I’m using two Western Digital 14Tb drives for image storage and two WD 22Tb drives dedicated to the 14Tb drives utilizing Time Machine to back them up. Everything is backed up at least twice. Mac Pro Studio Monitor (300 dpi full Adobe 1998 colors). Monitor calibration, Spyder X Pro. My computer is totally irrelevant. Use the system you are most comfortable with, this makes more sense than a change (learning curve = brain damage). Powerful processors and lots of RAM are important, depending on how large your files are and how large your folders are and how many images you want to open at once. I’m scanning with an Epson V-700 and a betterscan scan bed. A scan bed allows you to focus to your film (tack sharp grain), this works much better than the film holder that comes with the scanner (no adjustments). The scan bed can be used sandwiching film between anti newton glass using oil or tape the film to one sheet if in a hurry or don’t want the mess. I use Silverfast 9 Ai Studio software to run the scanner, this software is over the top superior to the software that comes with the scanner. I calibrate the scanner using several IT8 targets. I have a target for Kodak and Fuji transparency film and a Fuji Crystal print target (use IT8 targets for the film you use, not what I use). Calibrating your scanner with these targets will reveal subtle colors otherwise invisible, due to the scanners blunt RGB dominance. Silverfast software allows the user multiple passes with different exposures on a scan so you can scan for the highlight and dig into the shadows if necessary. There is far more than just color, contrast and exposure controls, that make this software more powerful than the Epson software. I have had multiple print houses compliment me on my scans, asking what kind of drum scanner do I use, that’s a nice compliment!
Pittock Mansion, Portland, Oregon - Kodak Ektacrome 64 (EPR-120) - This is an image from the first roll of film I shot through my first Hasselblad - 500 C/M w/80mm f=2.8 C T* lens
While attending Univercity (1975-1979) I worked part time at a camera shop, where I made a “personal purchase” of a Hasselblad 500 c/m kit. This was the beginning of my medium format (square) obsession. Back then I exclusively shot Kodak Ektachrome 64 (EPR-120) transparency film and Kodak Tri-X or Panatomic-X for B&W. Over time I briefly shoot with Kodak EPN-120 (not suitable for landscapes), then EPP-120. Almost all my Kodak transparency film was shot between 1975-1990, when I switched to Fuji Velvia and Provia transparency films. In black and white I switched from Kodak to Ilford when Kodak dropped Panatomic-X (when was that?). Now shooting Ilford FP-4 and Pan-F-120. In 2005 we moved from the Warren, Oregon to Eureka, Nevada. E-6 film became difficult and expensive to process in such a remote location, so I switched to Kodak Ektar 100 color negative film. By this point most of my color work had switched to a Canon 5D merry-go-round of digital upgrades. The last of my digital equipment was sold last year. I have been creating up to 3,000 high resolution scans a year (48 bit - 40x40 inch @ 300 dpi 824Mb average). I have some interesting observations regarding scanning so much film. The earliest film I used was Kodak Ektachrome 64 for the most part this film has shown significant and I mean significant fading, mostly yellow and magenta Leaving a blue/cyan dominant image. Between Silverfast and Photoshop I’m able to get the image back to its original state without too much fuss. EPR film and the 80mm lens is also not a great combination for sharpness. When I traded the 80mm 2.8 C T* lens for a 100mm 3.5 C T* sharpness improved. I started shooting EPN-120 film, that was short lived as I didn’t like the color (studio/strobe balance). I’m NOT having fun getting the colors where I want them with EPN film. EPP was a significant upgrade, T-grain tech and much better colors for landscape photography. Sharpness improved dramatically with the 100mm lens in combination with the EPP film. EPP-120 has shown very low to no degradation with really nice scan results. In 1990 I switched to Fuji transparency film, this film has shown zero fading or color shifts, however I’m finding mold spots on the earliest examples. This takes more time to remove these issues in photoshop, sometimes quite difficult depending on size and location. Fuji Velvia has a tendency to favor the CMYK colors and magenta dominates, creating purple skies. It has been a challenge to tone those colors down to something that resembles reality.
Lesley Gulch, Oregon - EPP-120 - Hasselblad 500C/M w/350mm f=5.6 CF T* lens
Color negative film. Until recently I have shot very little color negative film in 2 1/4. But I did shoot a ton of color negative film with 35mm point and shoot cameras as documentary device for our jobs and travels. There were plenty of cameras over the years with what ever color negative film was around. Silverfast makes color negative scanning easier than most software. There are profiles for most film manufactures and film types. For the most part this works fantastic, sometimes not, but sometimes using the wrong profile works great. Black and White film scanning. Using the film profiles makes it easy to get it right the first time. The only issues I have had with B&W film was of my own making. When I processed the film I either had exhausted fix or I didn’t do it sufficiently. Luckily this was rare.
Ruby Hill Mine, Nevada - Fuji Velvia (RVP-120) - Hasselblad Arcbody w/45mm f=4.5 Rodenstock lens
Film storage. I keep my transparency film in archival sleeves mounted to a board giving room for caption, contact and copyright. They are stored in archival boxes in light tight steel cabinets. Negative pages are in Printfile archival pages in Bessler archival boxes in a dark place. Contact sheets in 3 ring binders. From start until 2005 I lived on the wet side of the Pacific Northwest (high humidity). Then moving to the dry desert to present. Don’t know what effect this might have had on the film, mold on the Velvia was unexpected, faded Ektrachrome was not. In the past since I was also shooting commercially I usually went through at minimum of 300 rolls of transparency film a year and a hundred rolls of black and white. Now days, not shooting for anyone but myself, I’m shooting about a hundred rolls of black and white and about 20 rolls of color negative a year. Image output. Color images digital or analog are printer on an Epson P-6000 archival printer. Most of my black and white images are printer traditionally in a wet darkroom.
Questions???
Pittock Mansion, Portland, Oregon - Kodak Ektacrome 64 (EPR-120) - This is an image from the first roll of film I shot through my first Hasselblad - 500 C/M w/80mm f=2.8 C T* lens
- EPSON Perfection V700/V750
While attending Univercity (1975-1979) I worked part time at a camera shop, where I made a “personal purchase” of a Hasselblad 500 c/m kit. This was the beginning of my medium format (square) obsession. Back then I exclusively shot Kodak Ektachrome 64 (EPR-120) transparency film and Kodak Tri-X or Panatomic-X for B&W. Over time I briefly shoot with Kodak EPN-120 (not suitable for landscapes), then EPP-120. Almost all my Kodak transparency film was shot between 1975-1990, when I switched to Fuji Velvia and Provia transparency films. In black and white I switched from Kodak to Ilford when Kodak dropped Panatomic-X (when was that?). Now shooting Ilford FP-4 and Pan-F-120. In 2005 we moved from the Warren, Oregon to Eureka, Nevada. E-6 film became difficult and expensive to process in such a remote location, so I switched to Kodak Ektar 100 color negative film. By this point most of my color work had switched to a Canon 5D merry-go-round of digital upgrades. The last of my digital equipment was sold last year. I have been creating up to 3,000 high resolution scans a year (48 bit - 40x40 inch @ 300 dpi 824Mb average). I have some interesting observations regarding scanning so much film. The earliest film I used was Kodak Ektachrome 64 for the most part this film has shown significant and I mean significant fading, mostly yellow and magenta Leaving a blue/cyan dominant image. Between Silverfast and Photoshop I’m able to get the image back to its original state without too much fuss. EPR film and the 80mm lens is also not a great combination for sharpness. When I traded the 80mm 2.8 C T* lens for a 100mm 3.5 C T* sharpness improved. I started shooting EPN-120 film, that was short lived as I didn’t like the color (studio/strobe balance). I’m NOT having fun getting the colors where I want them with EPN film. EPP was a significant upgrade, T-grain tech and much better colors for landscape photography. Sharpness improved dramatically with the 100mm lens in combination with the EPP film. EPP-120 has shown very low to no degradation with really nice scan results. In 1990 I switched to Fuji transparency film, this film has shown zero fading or color shifts, however I’m finding mold spots on the earliest examples. This takes more time to remove these issues in photoshop, sometimes quite difficult depending on size and location. Fuji Velvia has a tendency to favor the CMYK colors and magenta dominates, creating purple skies. It has been a challenge to tone those colors down to something that resembles reality.
Lesley Gulch, Oregon - EPP-120 - Hasselblad 500C/M w/350mm f=5.6 CF T* lens
- Epson PerfectionV700
Color negative film. Until recently I have shot very little color negative film in 2 1/4. But I did shoot a ton of color negative film with 35mm point and shoot cameras as documentary device for our jobs and travels. There were plenty of cameras over the years with what ever color negative film was around. Silverfast makes color negative scanning easier than most software. There are profiles for most film manufactures and film types. For the most part this works fantastic, sometimes not, but sometimes using the wrong profile works great. Black and White film scanning. Using the film profiles makes it easy to get it right the first time. The only issues I have had with B&W film was of my own making. When I processed the film I either had exhausted fix or I didn’t do it sufficiently. Luckily this was rare.
Ruby Hill Mine, Nevada - Fuji Velvia (RVP-120) - Hasselblad Arcbody w/45mm f=4.5 Rodenstock lens
- Epson/ PerfectionV700/
Film storage. I keep my transparency film in archival sleeves mounted to a board giving room for caption, contact and copyright. They are stored in archival boxes in light tight steel cabinets. Negative pages are in Printfile archival pages in Bessler archival boxes in a dark place. Contact sheets in 3 ring binders. From start until 2005 I lived on the wet side of the Pacific Northwest (high humidity). Then moving to the dry desert to present. Don’t know what effect this might have had on the film, mold on the Velvia was unexpected, faded Ektrachrome was not. In the past since I was also shooting commercially I usually went through at minimum of 300 rolls of transparency film a year and a hundred rolls of black and white. Now days, not shooting for anyone but myself, I’m shooting about a hundred rolls of black and white and about 20 rolls of color negative a year. Image output. Color images digital or analog are printer on an Epson P-6000 archival printer. Most of my black and white images are printer traditionally in a wet darkroom.
Questions???