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Category: Scanning Photos and the Digital Darkroom

Photography Question 
- Eric B. Miller

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Scanning Photos


 
  Turbine at sunset
Turbine at sunset

Eric B. Miller

 
 
Many of my older pictures are taken on film. Recently I've purchased a digital camera and uploaded some of those pictures to my Web site as well. When I compare the quality of the film prints with the scans on the site, the film scans look a little fuzzy and less crisp than the original prints. Is this an issue with my monitor, my scanner or something else?


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December 02, 2007

 

Richard Lynch
  All scans are not created equal. You may be able to get a scan for a few dollars made on an inexpensive flatbed, or a high-end drum scan, and likely other options. The sharpness of the scan result might depend partially on what it was scanned on, and even the talents of the operator (depending on what they are operating).
All that aside, without knowing if you have a calibrated scanner, a calibrated monitor, considered color management options, how you are chosing to embed profiles or not, the question becomes more difficult to answer.
You may want to check out my From Monitor to Print course if several of these may be an issue. The course discusses all aspects of color management as well as resolution and more.
I hope that helps!


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December 02, 2007

 

Andy
  As Richard pointed out, the quality of scanned images varies depend on the type of scanner you use. Also, did you do any post-processing after you scanned the pictures? I also use a film scanner. I have to do some basic post-processing for every single scanned image - contrast, resize, sharpening. I have looked at your windmill picture. Maybe a little sharpening is necessary. Hope this helps.


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December 03, 2007

 

doug Nelson
  Dedicated 35mm film scanners tend to deliver a sharper scan. Flatbeds these days, especially from Epson, can do a decent job, if you don't demand extreme sharpness beyond about an 8 x 10. All scanners, however, require knowledgable, judicious use of Unsharp Mask in Photoshop or Elements.


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December 03, 2007

 

Ken Henry
  It's like what Richard says, "it's a difficult or a rather lengthy answers of detail".

Well, here's to the point, before you should get a scanner or have your film scanned.

Learn: 1. Reprogrming your camera settings to what you like. 2. "From Monitor to Print" by Richard. 3. Photoshop, Elements or other.

Who am I to tell you all this. My work is architectural, very, very detail. I can make six foot photos from my scans from 35mm Reala Film. My scans are only at 24MPXL, 125MB. A pro lab charges $1.00 per MB. That's why I have my own Super CoolScan 5000 Nikon. I've had more than one.

I am assuming your scans came from a consumer outlet such as Walmart, one-hour photo, corner drugstore, etc. Or a flat bed scanner. You didn't say. No comment here, not worth the rant. There's not enough PS to make these scans look good.

All scanners have a default even from your scanner source. Flat Colors and not Sharp.

I set up few default programs in my scanner. One each program for Interiors, Exterior Sunny Day, Sunrise, Sunsets, etc.

I can pretty much go directly to print very sharp photos without going to PS.

And this is after two years and four scanners of learning. So, how technicaly good are you?

I think the Nikon Coolscan is less than $500.00. The others scanners for about $300.00 produce very amazing photos.

Well, this is the intro page one of one hundred pages 'how to scan'.


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December 04, 2007

 
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