question about scanning negs...

[zrfraser]

if I can scan a negative (probably a B&W one), do I still have the negative image, or does it flop it like if I had made a print using a negative? I've got a ton of B&W negs, but since I shoot film its hard for me to get them on my computer to play around with. I enjoy printing my own pics, but its hard for me to go to the college darkroom, and it will be closing in 5 weeks. Anyway I'm rambling if anyone could help that would be great.

Thanks-Zack

[freygr]

if I can scan a negative (probably a B&W one), do I still have the negative image, or does it flop it like if I had made a print using a negative? I've got a ton of B&W negs, but since I shoot film its hard for me to get them on my computer to play around with. I enjoy printing my own pics, but its hard for me to go to the college darkroom, and it will be closing in 5 weeks. Anyway I'm rambling if anyone could help that would be great.

Thanks-Zack

It soley depends on the scaner and software settings. If you are scanning color negatives you must set it for color negatives, as it is a pain to try to invert the color negative film your self. READ the manual that came with the film scanner.

Note under exsposed negatives can be scanned on a flat bed scanner see attached photo, it's negative is very under exposed and it would not scan using the negative adaptor. Is from a Kodak Folding camera film size 620, about 1959-61 Stawberry Mine, Spirit Lake, WA

[another view]

I always scanned b&w negs as color slides - the results seemed to be best doing it this way. My scanner has software that lets me pick whether the film is color, b&w, neg or pos (slide), and you can use whichever setting you want.

Obviously you'll still have a negative image at this point, and it may have a color cast - don't worry about that at this point. Make sure you're getting all the detail you need in the original scan. You're not trying to make it pretty at this point, just capturing all the information on the film. Check the histogram to make sure you're not losing highlights or shadows. Make sure that you have the best scan you can get before you bring it into Photoshop.

First steps in Photoshop are "invert" (think that's what it's called, been awhile) and convert to greyscale. Then spot out all the dust you didn't think you had...

[zrfraser]

so is all this possible on just a normal flatbed scanner, or am I going to have to buy a special film scanner? Flatbeds are really cheap right now, and film scanners are just too much for me right now.

[freygr]

so is all this possible on just a normal flatbed scanner, or am I going to have to buy a special film scanner? Flatbeds are really cheap right now, and film scanners are just too much for me right now.

Please note the sample I posted is almost a CLEAR negative!!!! Normal negatives WILL NOT scan at all. You will need to purchase flatbed with a filmscanning attachment. For 35mm negatives the PrimeFilm 1800 Silver is only $120.00 from Publishing Perfection.

[another view]

I've never tried to scan 35mm on a flatbed but have always heard that the quality isn't that great. Dedicated 35mm film scanners have come down a lot in price - I've seen a couple in magazines in the $200 range.

I use an Acer 2720S which is pretty old and has a SCSI interface. They sell on ebay for well under $100, and I've got pretty nice 8x10's from those scans. Never tried anything larger but it could probably handle a little more than that (2700dpi). Scanning interface software isn't bad either.