Hard times with Fuji Pro 160 and Nikon Scan

[matej_izgrada]

Today I shot a roll of Fuji Pro 160C and tried scanning it on Coolscan 5000

using Nikon Scan 4.<br>

The results were slightly shocking! Color balance was completely messed up, not

to mention skin tones. Throughout most of the film, green is dominant, followed

by the blue.<br>

Here are three examples: <a

href="http://free-du.t-com.hr/dnac/fujiproIMG01094.jpg">Example 1</a>, <a

href="http://free-du.t-com.hr/dnac/fujiproIMG01095.jpg">Examples 2&3</a><br>

For comparison, the red/yellow wall on last two shots <a

href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/29057471/">looks like this</a> in reality.

 

<p>About 10% of shots has more or less normal color balance, for reasons unclear

to me.

 

<p>I shot whole film on bright sunny day, processed it normally in C-41. The

scans are unmanipulated. I tried Vuescan, but the results were very close to these.

 

<p>Can anybody shed some light on why would Fuji Pro be so difficult to scan

comparing to ordinary Superia? I find it hard to believe that this is all Nikon

can offer?!

And where to begin with color correction? I'll never get skin tones right by

pure guesswork.

 

<p>BTW, it's funny that I had some similar problems with Portra 160VC (mild

greenish cast, nothing this serious though). Both are films designed to scan

better and to have more saturation and contrast. Coincidence?

[evan_goulet]

Do you balance the color before scanning or do you just scan on full auto?

[roger_smith4]

Wow, that's really neat!

 

Anyway, is analog gain on and is the green channel jacked up? With Vuescan, try the Erik Krause "super advanced workflow" for color negatives to use analog gain to take care of the film base. A search on comp.periphs.scanners group should help with this.

 

Locking exposure in Vuescan is essential to consistent color negative scans in my experience. I like scanning Fuji 160C a lot and think it's a great film. I find it very easy to work with- easier than 160S where the low contrast requires greater manipulations.

[matej_izgrada]

I scanned on full auto in 16bpc hoping I could fix it later in Photoshop. Preview turned out not to be too reliable in precise color work, and besides, I was too demoralized to try and fix every shot one by one during the initial scan.

[matej_izgrada]

Roger,

analog gain is off for all channels. I tried the super advanced workflow, but the changes are minute (although it helps a bit).

[ronald_moravec1]

Full auto sees all the red/magenta and tries to correct it and you get green/cyan.

 

Never run on auto or this is what happens.

 

Do a prescan using non automatic of a typical full color scene. Balance with density+ RGB dialog box. Apply to prescan. SAVE that setting under Fuji 160

 

Pre-Scan the next frame and recall (load) the saved settings. It will correct the same as the first.

 

If batch scanning, there should be a box that allows you to put manual corrections in. Use the same density +RGB settings.

 

My experience is the software works well, the instructions are too complicated. Take your time and figure out how to apply these principles.

 

The scans will be flat, but on color. When you open in PS, use auto levels and you will be 99% color and contrast.

 

Since I started working this way, I spend almost no time color balancing.

[jtk]

A mystery.

 

I do trust "auto" to get me very close to home.

 

Using Nikon V and "auto" with no adjustment other than Ice/Infared (and "slight grain reduction" with NPZ/Fuji800), I've never found a color film that didn't scan to low level photolab acceptability (as judged on monitor). That includes Kodachrome from the 40s and 50s and prewarII Agfa/Ansco (film my mother processed at home).

 

Color has virtually ALWAYS been within 10CC, which error is OK because I usually like to play around in a 5cc range. Density's always been credible.

 

I've seen weirdness as extreme as Matej's only once, due to something strange in processing of Ektachrome X (E4) in Kodak's otherwise more-perfect-than-god Palo Alto CA lab...decades ago. A product shot, green foliage hung with handwoven, intensely dyed orange wool: the leaves stayed properly green but the orange turned an intense purple. Nice.

[matej_izgrada]

Ronald,

<br>I'm not exactly sure I understand process you described. Which software are we talking about? What is the density dialog box?

If it's Vuescan, it doesn't matter: I only have the demo version and can't really purchase it at this time.

 

 

<p> <p>In the meantime, using basic ideas from Vuescan and "super advanced workflow", I decided to play around Nikon Scan and see what can be fixed.

<br>The workflow that is relatively simple and produces more than acceptable results is as follows:

<br>1) turn off auto exposure (on some shots it makes a difference, on some not)

<br>2) set analog gain as follows: Master +0,5EV, Red 0, Green -1EV, Blue -1,5EV.

<br>3) preview

<br>4) use the black dropper on unexposed film between frames which resets residual color imbalance (which rough analog gain settings didn't fix)

 

<p>I tried this on several frames on the film and the results were amazing, comparing to full auto.

 

 

 

<p> <p>Now what I'd like to know, why does this kind of problems occur only on minilab-optimized low sensitivity negative films like Kodak Portra 160VC and Fuji Pro 160C?

I can scan most other negatives without any problems, with only minute color balance adjustments, so it's hard to believe it's due to film base color...

[roger_smith4]

I'm glad the new workflow is better for you.

 

One issue is if there isn't that much unexposed film around your frame the autoexposure/color balance software can get fooled. That's where Vuescan's lock film base feature comes in handy.

[anthony_ilardi]

I am using Fuji Pro 160S (not 160C) and Nikon Scan with a Nikon ED 5000 and have

absolutely no problems. I assume, but do not know for certain, that the differences

between 160S and 160C should be small. I leave auto exposure on. I do very few

adjustments in the scanning software, leaving most color correction to CS2. I will use,

however, the midtone color sampler in Nikon Scan to get a basic setting. For color

negatives. I leave Nikon Color Management on -- I turn it off for transparencies, using

the plug-in in Photoship, then assigning an IT-8 profile, then convert to the working

space-- Digital Ice and not much else. It is easy to inadvertently leave a setting in the

wrong position -- I have done it many times -- and gotten some odd results. Assuming

that all the settings are correct, I suggest you play with the curves settings until you get

something you like, then save those curve settings.