How to scan 5x4 negs?

RobMac

RobMac

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I have an Epson V550, but no Photoshop. I use Lightroom when needed. I know that the V550 necessitates scanning two halves of a neg, then stitching together in photoshop. Given the equipment I have, is there any way I can scan a 5x4?

If not, suggestions welcome.
 
I had to look up the 550 on the Epson website. This is what they say:
"The built-in transparency unit allows you to scan two 35mm filmstrips (12 frames) or four 35mm mounted slides at a time and also supports medium format film. You can also scan up to A2-sized pages, such as large photos, newspaper articles, posters etc. with ArcSoft® Scan 'n' Stitch Deluxe™ software1."
I don't know any more, but it might be a start.

These days, you don't need to pay Adobe's extortionate price for their ransomware. Affinity Photo is currently available for a three month free trial or you can buy it for half price. Affinity is based here in the UK.
Here is the website:

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I like Affinity - I use their publishing software - but would prefer not to stitch. I just have a prejudice against stitching, but like most prejudices it is probably based on complete ignorance!

I know some people scan negatives with a digital camera, but the only digital I have is the first iteration of the Leica Monochrom. I'm not complaining, as it's a great camera, just not the right one for scanning. I bought the V550 a year ago, not thinking I'd ever contemplate 5x4 negatives.
 
Other than using a digital camera that you have, but you do need preferably a macro lens and copy stand to do it right, that alone would set you back much more than the Epson v series scanner
 
OK, Martin. Thanks for the bad news ;-) The V700 upwards makes a big addition to my LF budget. Time to rethink.
 
Search for any of Epson 4870, 4990, V700, V750, V800, V850 secondhand. But also look at the Better Scanning film holder, which is available for those scanners. Compared with setting up a darkroom, the cost is not that bad.

You could also sell your V550 to offset the cost as any of the above will also cover the films you are currently using.

As for scanning software, some recommend various esoteric (paid) solutions but if you have a Mac, the Preview app will work, or you can use Epson's own software perfectly adequately.
 
I bought the Better scanning holder and found it no better than using the Epson fluid mount holder, scanning as a Raw file in Vuescan and using ColorPerfect to convert from negative to positive a very good workflow
 
Better or worse, I really didn't want to go to all the hassle of wet scanning and use a V700 with the Better Scanning holder dry. The BS holder is adjustable height. I found the Epson software more intuitive and it also scans directly as a positive from a negative.

I used to use PS CS3 until it wouldn't upgrade to macOS Catalina. Now, Like David, I use Affinity Photo for retouching scans.
 
I am with Joanna on this. I use a V700 with Epson's own software, and use Affinity Photo (which I find excellent) to work up the image. The only difference is that I use Epson's own 5x4 film holders for scanning. These are very good, unlike the 35mm film holders which I found needed a bit of DIY on them to get them to work better.
For scanning 5x7 film in the V700 I use a home-made film holder.

Alan
 
Alan Clark said:
I am with Joanna on this. I use a V700 with Epson's own software, and use Affinity Photo (which I find excellent) to work up the image. The only difference is that I use Epson's own 5x4 film holders for scanning.
Click to expand...
Do you not find that the open nature of the Epson holders tend to let the film "bulge", thus making the image slightly out of focus in parts?
Alan Clark said:
For scanning 5x7 film in the V700 I use a home-made film holder.
Click to expand...
How did you find/adjust the correct height?

I just ran a test of using Affinity's own "import from scanner" dialog. Totally useless!!! you don't even get to see the histogram to check the exposure range. I'll stick with Epson.
 
I use an old epson 3200 for scanning 5x4, not too bad if you can find a working one they are quite cheap.
 
Thanks, guys. There's a 4870 for sale at the moment at a good price. I'm just wondering if the old software will work on my iMac (Mojave 10.14) and/or will the current Epson software work with it?
 
VueScan will work on every scanner I've come across and you buy it with a lifetime of updates and no monthly ransom. It works with Catalina. My Epson software`re does too.
I bought a Betterscanning holder, but I got tired of turning all those screws a quarter turn and counting each one. It might be my own lack of competence, but I could see very little difference. Some time in the future, I intend to try wet scanning, but at the moment the Epson holders on the 850 seem to be working reasonably well. I do wonder why they are a millimetre narrower than the film.
I used to have a 4990 scanner but sold it to a friend. The advantage of the 850 is the much shorter warm-up time but the 4990 worked perfectly well while I had it. Both will do a 10x8 neg if you ever need that.
 
Thanks, David.

Well, I bought the 4870 for £105, which seems a bargain if it works. It's coming from a college where the photography department used it for a couple of years before replacing it. All boxed up, with paperwork too.

So, that's my first step towards 5x4 shooting!
 
Joanna Carter said:
Do you not find that the open nature of the Epson holders tend to let the film "bulge", thus making the image slightly out of focus in parts?

How did you find/adjust the correct height?

I just ran a test of using Affinity's own "import from scanner" dialog. Totally useless!!! you don't even get to see the histogram to check the exposure range. I'll stick with Epson.
Click to expand...
Joanna, I find that if I hold a sheet of 5x4 by a corner and let it hang down, the film has a very slight bulge or curve, with the emulsion side on the inside of the curve. If the film is placed emulsion side down on a flat surface, gravity causes it to lie flat because the slight bulge sags. The same thing happens when the sheet of film is placed emulsion side down in an Epson 5x4 film holder. The film goes flat. I have checked centre versus edge sharpness a few times and could never see any difference. What helps here is that there seems to be a certain tolerance in how high the film is off the glass. I certainly found this when I ran tests to find the optimum height, by adjusting the feet and also using DIY shims.

You ask how did I find the correct height for a DIY holder for 5x7 film. I scan this flat on the glass. My holder holds it flat, and in the correct location on the glass.

Alan
 
One small thought. When I didn't have a darkroom for a while after a house move, I made contact prints. A bit of darkness and any kind of light source, plus some kind of timer is all you need, plus the usual dishes.
 
RobMac said:
Thanks, guys. There's a 4870 for sale at the moment at a good price. I'm just wondering if the old software will work on my iMac (Mojave 10.14) and/or will the current Epson software work with it?
Click to expand...
Even if Epson Scan won't work (it does on Catalina) you can always use the in-built Image Capture app.
 
Thank you Joanna. So it does. Never tried it before
 
You have the option to dry mount the negs on the Epson fluid mount, you just need a piece of anti newton glass to sit on top of the negative, works extremely well for 4x5 negs, keeps them dead flat and the height seems to give optimum sharpness, I only wet mount if there badly scratched or full of dust particles that cant be mechanically removed, wet mounting helps in that scenario
 
Cheers, Martin. I'll put some thought into that.
 
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