Tips for Scanning old 620 Individual Negatives

[dale_lundy]

<p>I received a number of very old 620 negatives from a family member. I am looking for tips on how to best scan these on an Epson V700 scanner.</p>

<p>At the time these negatives were processed, the labs cut them into individual frames, and apparently it was done by a guy with a pair of scissors. The frames are all roughly 2.5" x 3.75" but they vary in size (both directions at times) and the cuts are often not straight.<br>

<br />I managed to get four of the negatives into the film holder, but could never get EpsonScan to recognize them and produce thumbnails. (I'm still working through installation issues on SilverFast SE 8). I put one directly on the glass inside the Film Area Guide and it recognized and scanned it but the scan was poor quality (of course the negative likely was, too).</p>

<p>Has anyone used the V700 or similar scanner on this type of 620 frame, and do you have any advice to share?</p>

 

[lachaine]

<p>I don't know about EpsonScan, but if it's like other software I've used, there must be a way to turn off auto-thumbnailing or cropping preview so you can just select the frame you want to scan yourself by dragging over it. The only difference is that you will have to do this and scan each frame one by one. This is because the software sometimes can't tell where the edges are supposed to be when it's medium format film.</p>

[Niels - NHSN]

I use a v600, place one 620 neg at a time in the 120 strip holder and support the negative with

that supporting "flap" (have no idea what that included black sheet is called). Just override

Epsonscan's auto detect and define your own scan area.

[dale_lundy]

<p>EpsonScan does allow dragging to select the scan area. I normally do that once I see a preview, but I could not get any preview to show. I did discover, however, that I was not positioning the film holder correctly. Now I am seeing the preview and all is working well. However I may not be understanding what both of you are saying. How do you override the auto detect? Is that for a preview? Perhaps that will help me be sure I'm understanding you.</p>

<p>I did try scanning just one negative at a time. (actually two, one in each track of the film holder) and it did much better. The reason is because since I have individual negative frames, not negative strips, placing a frame at the top of the track allows it to be supported on 3 sides, whereas if I place a second frame further down the track, it is only supported on two slides and tends to slide and sag since the film is not cut consistently to fit tightly.</p>

<p>I have so far not found an included black sheet ("the flap"). How does that work? Is this what the V600 user guide calls a "scanning support sheet" in the section on placing the film in the holder? If so, I do not think one came with my scanner. I haven't seen it, and that section of my manual doesn't mention it. Maybe the film holders are different on the two models?</p>

<p>Also, a bag of small black plastic pieces came with the scanner. They were shown on the parts layout, but not identified. They have an arrow on the back, and snap into the film holder. I assume they are spacers to put the film holder at the proper height for focusing?</p>

 

[John Seaman]

<p>I've got a 4870 rather than a V700 but to get rid of the auto detect feature, which is a complete pain, I have to go into professional mode - on the scanning screen there should be a button or tick box somewhere which enables you to do this.</p>

[dale_lundy]

<p>I typically scan in Professional Mode, but I've not been able to locate the control to get rid of auto detect. I'm probably overlooking it somehow.</p>