Scanning Color Negatives

[digitaldog]

57 minutes ago, Robin Smith said:

I would never have kept a slide with ugly magenta color cast, so doesn't apply to me in that case...

It might not just after processing.

It very well many years later.

https://filmcare.org/vd_dyefade.php

Dye fading reduces the overall density of the image, which results in loss of contrast. Additionally, since different dyes have different stability characteristics, color dyes fade unevenly, resulting in distracting shifts in color balance. 
 

[Robin Smith]

I knew someone would say that. This has not so far happened to my slides from the last 40 years, I suspect because I have kept them in the dark and in a dry environment and most are Kodachromes which used to be thought to be more resilient, although my E6 slides are OK too. No doubt there is some subtle color shifting going on, which I am not noticing, but so far nothing drastic.

[digitaldog]

18 minutes ago, Robin Smith said:

I knew someone would say that. This has not so far happened to my slides from the last 40 years, I suspect because I have kept them in the dark and in a dry environment and most are Kodachromes which used to be thought to be more resilient, although my E6 slides are OK too. No doubt there is some subtle color shifting going on, which I am not noticing, but so far nothing drastic.

Happy to hear none of your old slides have a cast. I'm simply saying it's possible and recently observed here and in such a case, improving the rendering not matching it is fair game.
Nothing about the original rendering nor what it might look like 40 years later is “correct”. Rendering is subjective and the way photographer doing the rendering decides what is “ correct”. As outlined in Karls article for Adobe I provided.
Hopefully (hopefully) it answers Alans question about what's “correct” (building comment).

[conrad_hoffman]

My Kodachrome and Ektachromes seem to be in good shape after 50 years or so. OTOH, I don't know how to evaluate old negatives. Maybe they're changed, but I've no point of reference. I suppose if they're terrible, but slight shifts? All I can do is scan them and make the images look the way I think they should look. As far as memory of the original scene, I don't think that's reliable at all.

[digitaldog]

All you need to do is scan them and make the images look the way you think they should look. 
No different in the darkroom. 

[httpwww.photo.netbarry]

On 12/1/2022 at 5:45 PM, Ed_Ingold said:

I use "NegativeLabPro" plugin for Adobe Lightroom. It uses AI for the most natural color I've obtained when "scanning" negative color film with a camera. Rendering options included several models of commercial printers, with fine tuning options available. It does batch conversions, analyzing each frame individually.

@ Ed 

I checked out their site and it looks to be an excellent tool.  So I guess you have to use a digital camera set-up to shoot the negatives as it wants raw files?  I might have to explore that. Pretty nice. Thanks.

[Ed_Ingold]

10 hours ago, httpwww.photo.netbarry said:

@ Ed 

I checked out their site and it looks to be an excellent tool.  So I guess you have to use a digital camera set-up to shoot the negatives as it wants raw files?  I might have to explore that. Pretty nice. Thanks.

I use a Sony camera (currently an A7Riv) with a Nikon 55/2.8 Micro lens, a PX-13 extension ring for 1:1 magnification, and a Nikon ES-1 (slide) or ES-2 (film strip and slides) adapter. The whole assembly is locked together, and doesn't need a tripod or special support, just reasonably gentle handling. It helps to have a video monitor, connected to the camera HDMI output, for adjustments and focusing. For consistent light, I use a LumeCube panel, or even a desk lamp.

[httpwww.photo.netbarry]

8 hours ago, Ed_Ingold said:

I use a Sony camera (currently an A7Riv) with a Nikon 55/2.8 Micro lens, a PX-13 extension ring for 1:1 magnification, and a Nikon ES-1 (slide) or ES-2 (film strip and slides) adapter. The whole assembly is locked together, and doesn't need a tripod or special support, just reasonably gentle handling. It helps to have a video monitor, connected to the camera HDMI output, for adjustments and focusing. For consistent light, I use a LumeCube panel, or even a desk lamp.

Thank you.  It also seems I can use a scanner with VuScan. and scan to a raw file.  Negative Lab Pro had that as one of the methods.  Since I do have a Nikon scanner, I will fire that up and try that first and see if the result is pleasing and take it there.  I have quite a few negatives stored so it might be fun to go through and try some of them.

[digitaldog]

Scanners do not really create “raw” data. Nothing like that from a camera. 

This is raw:

 

[Ed_Ingold]

I have a Nikon scanner, two in fact (4000 and 8000), but I like the results using a camera and NegativeLabPro better. It's also 5x as fast.

[OregonCam]

23 hours ago, Ed_Ingold said:

I have a Nikon scanner, two in fact (4000 and 8000), but I like the results using a camera and NegativeLabPro better. It's also 5x as fast.

Yea, those were great scanners but S L O W! As are most scanners! I wish I would have scanned more of my slides when I had a photo lab with a Noritsu printer, that scanner built into it was blazing fast- and did a great job. A 2901 printer, the only problem was the expensive bulbs that didn't last as long as the later models using LED lamps.

[digitaldog]

Slow? Speed demon compared to my Leaf scanner. 

[hjoseph7]

"Now, I’m scanning color negatives and again I become aware of the color palette from that film. "

I scan color negatives with my Epson 750 then convert them to B&W. They come out better than any B&W conversion technique I ever tried, including channels. All the hues are there and there is no reversal of colors.

[AlanKlein]

3 hours ago, hjoseph7 said:

"Now, I’m scanning color negatives and again I become aware of the color palette from that film. "

I scan color negatives with my Epson 750 then convert them to B&W. They come out better than any B&W conversion technique I ever tried, including channels. All the hues are there and there is no reversal of colors.

Do you have examples?

[hjoseph7]

 

[fkac2]

I have a Rollei 6008 film camera with high-class lenses, a Jobo developing unit and an Imacon SCSI scanner just sitting in boxes and waiting for me to get back into photography. I also have lots of photographic and computing experience but lack the impetus (don't ask). Really hanging out to get back into photography. The photo.net community seems to be that way to go. Willing to help out wherever possible for our mutual benefit. Have a few rolls of Velvia in the fridge ready to go. Please reply.

[marceppy]

Wow an Imocan scanner.  No s*&!  Do it while you still can.  

[matt_t_butler]

Slightly off tangent but an 'old school' technique used to reduce the blue cast on directly inverted positive images when photographing colour negatives involved the addition of two filters.

 A dSLR with a macro 1:1 lens on a copy stand set up with a daylight lightbox source was used.

A combination of a Wratten #50 Blue and a Wratten #50 Cyan placed under the negative film holder.

A visual observation of the negative  showed the orange base colour corrected to a neutral 'grey' colour.

Technology has moved on and advanced software and scanners make this work a lot easier.

 

Edited December 14, 2023 by matt_t_butler