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how to scan 4x5 slide by epson 3200


vincent_lau

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Dear all,

 

I have just bought a Epson photo 3200 and was able to scan document

using it. But when I try to scan a 4X5 slide, I cannot get the image

from the silde. I try ti understand the user guides but I still have

the following problem:

 

1. Does it need a film holder ( included ) for positive slides?

 

( they talk about films with base face down? what films (

slide/negative), ?which side is the base in negative and slide?)

 

2. Do I need to enter some sort of software before scanning. i.e.

sliver fast/or adobe, or I just chick on the icon of epson scan and

use the professional mode.

 

I am new to digital, and still have a lot to learn.

 

thank you all

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Yes, you need to use the film holder (otherwise you'll get newton rings, plus centering a 4x5 without the holder would be tricky).

 

I've scanned slides (35mm, MF and 4x5) with both silverfast and the epson driver (non-automated mode), both called from within Photoshop SE, and I've had good results.

 

Make sure that you select "transparency" mode, which will light up the back of the scanner. You need to close the scanner, and you need to make sure that you don't have anything between the light and the back.

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First of all, you need to install the software that comes with the scanner before even connecting the unit to your computer. Epson has made it very clear by covering the ports with tape and big warning signs. But you seem to have Epson scan already installed. You can use that, or the Silverfast program.

 

The medium/large format film holder has a place for a 4x5 negative or transparency. There is also a sign (with an inverted F) to show which way to put the transparency. This is based on you holding it in your hand right way up. The side that you are looking at will go down towards the glass bed.

 

Then you just put the holder onto the glass bed with the little corner markers matching. Make sure you have removed the white foamy slide-in thing in the scanner cover so that you can see the light unit. Close the cover and start the scanning software.

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Vincent,

 

I don't know if this could be the possible source of problem, but when I first started to use this scanner (Epson3200Photo) with Epson Scan (Professional mode), I clicked preview button, but in a "thumbnail" mode - on some frames the scanner would report error like there is no film in the scanner. If you click the little arrow on the right of the preview button and select "normal", then there is no problem you just need to select the scanned area manually and all OK..

 

I'm not saying this is the problem, but it took me quite a while to figure this thing out.

 

Good luck.

 

Dave

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Dear all,

 

Thank you for all the infromation given. It turns out that I had'not removed the foamy cover between the lamp and glass flatbed. I am so silly.

 

I have another problem, I cannot scan the image in 3200 bpi, it say that I have not got enough disc space. My hard disc have ~35G space left. Can anyone tell me what is the problem.

 

Thank you all for the time put in to answer my question. I really appreciate it. As I have said before, I am new to digital stuff.

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Vincent: if you're using Photoshop on a Mac, you *may* have to increase the amount of hard drive that Photoshop reserves for itself. I'm not a Mac user so I can't help you any further.

 

Regardless, 3200dpi is overkill on the 3200, I personally barely notice any extra detail between 1800 and 2400dpi, and nothing between 2400 and 3200dpi. I scan at 2400dpi to be extra sure, but I'm confident that 1800dpi would be just about as good.

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Vincent, a 3200 DPI scan of 4x5 with 16-bit color is something like 1.5GB in size -- way too big to adjust in PS. It crashes my system. I think even 2400 DPI is overkill for 4x5. I suggest scanning at around 1600 DPI (or whatever EpsonScan allows, maybe 1800?). That gives you a file large enough to print a very good 24x30 and an excellent print at smaller sizes than that. Plus, it produces a file that doesn't take forever to manipulate in PS.

 

If you are just scanning for the web or e-mail, I find that a 300 DPI scan and downsampling works well, plus it is super quick.

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