Problems when scanning negative film

I have seen some extra results with negative film scanned. I usually

use Velvia or Provia in my 35 mm and medium format, and all tries I

have done to scan negatives gives me a scan full of dirt and

scratchs. On the other way, my Velvia and Provia scan are flawless

(within the possibilities of my simple scanner) I guess if my

scanner is focusing on the surface of negative film and not on the

image and so is dirt what is perfectly scanned. Any special clue to

get good negative scannings? Thanks

Can't understand you. ..."focusing on the surface of negative film and not on the image".

The scanner should focus on the negative side of the filmstrip. There's where the emulsion (i e

the image) is. If you have a dirty filmstrip you'll of course record that dirt.

I mean sometimes the scanner focuses on the opposite side of the film. If negative film is thicker than slides that could be an issue, I don't know. Of course my negatives are no more dirty than my slides so this should not be an issue there.

I will try to post a small part of a negative scan just to see.

Are you sure this is really a scanning problem? My guess would be that your E6 is going to

a good pro lab that keeps their chemistry clean and your C41 is going to 40-minute-

photo place that's a little (or a lot) less careful.

Juan,

".... sometimes the scanner focuses on the opposite side of the film".

I don't know if I understand you correctly, but what you say indicates that the focusing isn't

consistent. That would most certainly not depend on the type of film.

Be sure the emulsion side faces the scanner's optics. Also see that the film is completely flat in

the film carrier. If you don't get it sharp now the focusing is working improperly or your scanner

simply isn't better than this.

Looking at your negative scan I can't say that the dirt is sharper scanned than the image.

I assume your post of the negative film is at 100% and the Velvia is at a considerably smaller enlargement. What do they look like if both are at 100% and scanned at the same dpi?

I believe what you are seeing in the negative scan is film grain and not dirt. Scans of negative film show more film grain that scans of positives. Do you have GEM turned on when scanning negative film?

Juan, why bother shooting print film and fighting your scanner's software when you can get good resulte like that from slide film?

If you need lattitude and lower contrast, then shoot Astia.

Robert, here goes a Velvia scan. If you look at the negative film scan there is not only more grain, as I can expect from this film, but plenty of white spots (only a few on my sample). The Velvia scan is clean. But I guess Roger was right thinking Velvia is better processed than fast negative processing and maybe chemical are not in best condition.<br>

On the other side, I am going to give Astia a try, as Scott sugests, as latitude exposure is what I am looking for. <br> Thanks you all.<div></div>