400-speed color negative film for scanning

I haven't shot color negative film in quite a while because I was never happy with the

results I got from scanning it. I'm happy with using Provia 100F for most things, but I

don't love the way it makes skin look and I need some extra speed every now and

then. So, I'm wondering if anyone has had success with scanning some of the newer

negative films. Subject will mostly be people, so good skin tones are my highest

priority. I'd be specifically interested in anyone's experience with good film for the

Minolta Scan Dual used with Vuescan. I've searched the archives, but most info I've

been able to find is somewhat out-of-date. If anyone knows of a good thread I might

have missed, please point me to it. I'm obviously going to test a few things myself,

I'd just like some suggestions for where to start.

Any of the Kodak Portra films will scan well, particularly 160NC, 400NC and 400UC. I

don't particularly like the VC variants.

<p>I've scanned Portra 160VC, 400NC, 400VC, and 400UC on my Canon FS2710 and have had good results. As portrait films, good skin tones are a key feature of these films. Fuji NPH also has lovely skin tones, but it has a reputation for being difficult to scan. I've scanned one roll of old NPH and one roll of new NPH and they haven't been nasty, but I do like the results from 160VC, 400NC, and 400UC better; I'm not as happy with 400VC due to its grain.</p>

In a traditional darkroom Portra 400VC is my favourite film, but, as others have

noted, Portra 400VC doesn't scan well on budget scanners (though it's fine on an

Imacon).

 

Portra 400UC, on the other hand, should scan very well on a Minolta Scan Dual. It

looks nasty, using an enlarger, but I'm sure you can fix that in Photoshop.

I've been having some problems with cheaper films like Superia 400. Actually I started today a thread regarding this problem. I'm usually scanning in a flat bed scanner with transparency adapter, maybe it's not the best thing to judge scanning results. But with other films of lower ISO and with NPH 400, I had good results.

 

Here is the thread if you want to follow it:

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=005Qlt

Portra UC 400 is the best over all scanning print film on the market, end of arguement. This film also has little relation to VC/NC other than name.

 

New NPH isn't bad, along with Supra 400 which has always been a legend in terms scanning, but Portra UC is in a class by itself.

I agree Portra 400UC is the easiest 400 speed film to scan. I love NPH 400 but it tends to be inconsistent in scanning and can give my Nikon IV/Vuescan combo big headaches. Here's a sample of a <a href="http://www.tokyomafia.com/eventcoverage/2003.03.22-importrevolution/2003032002-r01f33-cherie_roberts-y-extensis.htm" target="_window">Porta 400UC</a> scan vs. a <a href="http://www.tokyomafia.com/eventcoverage/2002.12.01-christmasmodelexpo/20021201-r02f28-nikko_zeno-e-extensis.htm" target="_window">NPH 400</a>. I've noticed UC is red biased and details in red areas tend to get blown out. For example, the red costume of the NPH scan would blow out if I shot it with UC.