It also saves a lot of work in preparing the scans and makes scanning a much more rewarding step in processing negatives.Įpson V600 Categories REVIEWS Tags epson negatives scanning, epson scan review, epson scan software review, epson v600, negative lab pro results, negative lab pro review, silverfast or epson or vuescan or negativelab pro Digital Ice also works very, very well with the plugin. I myself tested the plugin with all three software packages and Epson Scan gave the most neutral and sharpest results. The Negative Lab Pro plugin converts your negative in Lightroom into a positive image where you have control over all settings. You also export as TIFF or preferably as DNG (RAW) with Silverfast or Vuescan. You scan the films the same as in the above steps, but with the setting positive (just like with slides). This prevents deviations in colors that are applied by the used scanning software and the result remains as close as possible to the properties of your used film roll. Instead of scanning negatives ‘as negatives’, this plugin allows you to scan the as positives and export them as ‘real’ RAW files to Lightroom and only there make all adjustments in lighting, colors and sharpness. You will also only see here how well Digital Ice does its work with dust and scratches.Īlthough this method is sufficient for most scans, there has been a new software, or better a plugin for Photoshop, that shows much better results: Negative Lab Pro. Once the scans are ready, you will have high-resolution tiffs that are easy to import into Lightroom or Photoshop or similar packages. With medium format the same principles apply but you can scan only 1 stroke of negatives at a time (4-5 photos). My Epson has a double negative holder, so that takes more than half an hour. Feel free to have a coffee or tea, because a strip of five negatives gives you at least 15 mins rest. Now you can let the scanner do its work by scanning per negative or do the entire ‘batch’. Choose ‘Tiff’ (24 bit or higher) as export format, since it gives you the most dynamic range to edit in software like Lightroom or Photoshop. A higher resolution means more time to scan and a much larger file! In practice, a resolution between 24 dpi is far sufficient for most applications. Personal preferences naturally play a role here and the destination of the final scans: printed photos, online albums, websites. It is best to check and edit all negatives separately. This is without a doubt the best feature of the software. Titled ‘Digital Ice’ in the Epson software, e.g. Additional options are sharpening and removing dust and scratches. As soon as it is active, you can adjust the color, lighting, resolution etc. In all packages you can manually create frames where you draw a mask over the negative. More on that later.Įach software starts with a prescan that gives you a preview of the negative strip. ![]() After two months and extensive testing, I think the included free Epson scan is the better and the easiest. The Epson includes excellent software, but more options are included in bundles from Vuescan or Silverfast. Don’t forget the infrared plate in the scan lid! Also first wipe the scanning plate with a cloth so that no stains or dusts are visible. ![]() The legible side (the negative numbers) is placed on the scanning plate. Also use a blower to keep both sides dust-free when you place the negative strips in the holder. Wear soft gloves and try to remove any dust with an anti-static cloth. How does it work?Īllow the scanner to warm up for a few minutes, while preparing your negatives, that is, make them as clean as possible. Count on 2-3 minutes per negative, depending on the chosen resolution. If you think you can scan a roll of 36 images in 10 minutes, you will be disappointed. Scanning is a matter of patience, a lot of patience. The scanner can also scan infrared to remove dust and scratches from your negatives and that saves a lot of work in editing. This means that frame holders are included for both 35mm and medium format. Advantage: The Epson is a native negative scanner. Of course there are many other good scanners, but to keep it affordable, I chose the Epson. Nevertheless, with a few tips and tricks you can achieve good results faster, better and in a more pleasant way.įor several months, like many others, an Epson scanner (V600). Difficult because it is a time-consuming task with not always the desired results. The most difficult step after developing a roll of film is scanning your negatives.
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