Color space for archiving chrome scans

[jay_bees]

What color space would be reccommended for archival 16-bit scans of 35mm

Kodachrome? The scans are both high-end from a Heidelberg Tango drum scanner and

others from a Nikon 5000 ED.

 

Ekta Space PS 5 is frequently used for drum scans, but I worry about the

compatibility of this space 10-20 years from now. What about using ProPhoto RGB?

[eugene_scherba]

<p><i>What color space would be reccommended for archival 16-bit scans of 35mm Kodachrome? The scans are both high-end from a Heidelberg Tango drum scanner and others from a Nikon 5000 ED.</i></p>

 

<p>To minimize the number of color conversions, I would recommend using for archival purposes whatever space the files are already in.</p>

 

<p><i>Ekta Space PS 5 is frequently used for drum scans, but I worry about the compatibility of this space 10-20 years from now. What about using ProPhoto RGB?</i></p>

 

<p>Once you embed the ICC profile, a color space is a color space is a color space is like any other. If 2500 years from now the ICC specification is preserved somewhere under a rock, the ProPhoto RGB will be read just as easily as EktaSpace and just as easily as easily as any other ICC profile. If a salamander eats the ICC specification, the world will turn to grayscale.</p>

[jay_bees]

I should have been more clear, what color space should be used for scans yet to be performed, that will be archived, I'm not talking about changing something that is already in another color space.

 

So I'm unlikely to have a problem with scan files using Ekta Space PS 5 20 years from now?

 

Perhaps a better question is then:

 

What color space will best capture to colors in the Kodachromes and provide the most flexibility and robustness for any required color corrections later? ProPhoto RGB, Ekta Space PS 5, others?

[eugene_scherba]

Aha, that's a more difficult question to answer. My bet would be on EktaSpace since it's been

designed by analyzing color of scanned slides. ProPhoto has been designed by analyzing

real-world objects, so it lends itself more to digital capture rather than film.

[eugene_scherba]

On the other hand, you could just leave the files in the scanner space -- to minimize

the number of color conversions. Again, a color space is a color space is a color space -- all

of them are equally good for archival purposes as long as they adhere to ICC specification.

[digitaldog]

Archive in the actual color space of the scanner as defined by its ICC profile. Then convert

into whatever working space you wish to edit. The original color space of the scanner is

about as 'raw' a file as you can get for archiving.

 

From there I'd compare gamut plots to ProPhoto and Ekta and pick the one that fits closest

for editing. Neither will be anywhere near a perfect fit of course.