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Here you can seek solutions for your tricky digitization (scanning) projects or answers to your question about how to best....Whatever your digital imaging questions are, whether for scanner or digital camera, Howard Brainen is your expert with the answers, so fire away |
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Howard Brainen Howard Brainen, a photographer for over three decades, has been a serial entrepeneur for most of those years. He has started and run professional photography studios, stock photo agencies, photographic and digital imaging labs. An established leader in the world of digital imaging, over five million photographs have been digitized under his direct management. His latest project is Two Cat Digital, a company specializing in digitization of large collections for libraries, museums, historical societies and corporations. Brainen also provides consulting services related to digital imaging. Add to a thread or ask your questionLatests QuestionTHREAD: Software for Eversmart ProQUESTION: I'm looking to buy an Eversmart Pro, and need software for it. Any ideas other than Kodak? RESPONSE: Every used Eversmart Pro I've seen for sale has come with some version of the Scitex scanning software (which is quite good, by the way). You should be able to upgrade the software through Kodak. THREAD: Portable ScannerQUESTION: I appreciate all of the information and insights in your answers. My task is to scan or copy images contained in books, many of which are reference copies, and must remain in libraries. Most of these images will be detailed B&W engravings; some will be photographs. A few will be color illustrations. Most images will be 4x5 or 5x7; a few 8x10. The ultimate use is for video documentaries--my scan or copy needs to be broadcast quality. The final challenge: I need to carry the scanner or copy set-up into the libary. Any suggestions on proper gear, or hints for maximizing speed and quality. Many thanks for pondering this riddle. RESPONSE:Suggest you consider a flatbed scanner that you can carry into the library and operate with a laptop computer. Broadcast quality video is less than 1200 pixels on the long dimension so files will not be very large. Most flatbeds around the $1000 USD price point do a fine job with detailed BW engravings. QUESTION: Can you suggest a scanner that combines excellent image reproduction with portability? I need to scan engravings, photographs and color illustrations from books, many of which are reference sources and cannot leave the library. RESPONSE: I've been impressed with the Epson flatbed scanners. Suggest you look at the V700 or the 4990. Both scan prints as well as film. Don't be tempted by the V750 for your application. It offers wet mounting of film and you won't be doing that in libraries! Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL THREAD:: removong yellow from scans thaqt resulted fom vapor lamp changing the color of the picureQUESTION: I am scanning slides and negatives which have a yellow and some green covering the complete scan. I am using a hp 3500c scanner and adobe. I have tried all the options in the image adjustment window. I also tied picaso and the hp softwared that comes with the scanner to limit the color scan level. I am looking for a filter or a way in adobe to get rid of this yellow tint. You are using a flatbed scanner to digitize film, which is not ideal. You will capture a great deal more information from the film by using a scanner made for the job. If these are 35mm slides and negatives, try the Nikon 5000ED scanner. This relatively inexpensive unit produces a very high quality scan from 35mm. RESPONSE: You are right to try and get as much of the color cast removed using the scanning software. If you can't, then make sure you are scanning, and saving the file, at as high a bit depth as possible. If the scanner supports 10, 12 or 16 bits/channel scanning, use that and save as a 16 bit/channel TIFF file. The Nikon scanner will let you do this. This way you will have considerably more to work with when you bring it into Photoshop for doing corrections. Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL |
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Older Questions:THREAD: Best genral purpose scanner under $500.00QUESTION: I am looking for a scanner which can scan text, photos, 35 mm slides and negatives under $500.00. I have looked at the Epson Perfection 4490 scanner but some reviewer say that slide scans are very soft. What scanner(s) would you suggest. I have larg number of old picitres, 35 mm slides and negatives which need digitzation. Much appreciate your help. Haseeb RESPONSE: Try www.flatbed-scanner-review.org. They may be able to steer you in the right direction. Howard Brainen> TWO CAT DIGITAL Add to threadthread: Scanning 35mm black & white negsQUESTION: I have thousands of B&W negs which I want to store on CD. I have an Epson GT10000+ which scans most things beautifully but as soon as I scan negs they lose their pin sharpness and the exposure is all wrong ( much too dark ). RESPONSE: You are using the wrong scanner. Flatbeds are made for scanning flat art; not film. Even with adapters, they are not as good as film scanners. Howard BrainenTWO CAT DIGITAL Add to threadThread: Mac OS X scanning app for Eversmart ProQUESTION: I have an eversmart pro and am only able to use it using Mac OS 9. Where can I get the software to allow me to scan using Mac OS 10.4? RESPONSE:The SCSI Eversmart Pro won't work on OSX. Check with Creo (now owned by Kodak) Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL Add to threadthread: Nikon Scan 4 vs VueScan scanning softwareQUESTION: What would be the best scanning software, that provide the best advance features and funtions to closely match a drum scanner? I'm using a Nikon Super coolscan 9000 with Nikon's Version 4 software. Could you sugeest a few that I could possibly test out or does the VueScan set the standard as being a high end scanning software. The best feature abould the Nikon Scan 4 is the way it handles dust and scratches through its digital ice technology? I'm scanning mostly 35 and 2 1/4. RESPONSE: Nikon Scan 4 works fine. The Digital ICE feature is actually not software. It involves a 2nd scan that is done using infrared light to record dust and other artifacts on the surface of the film. The scanning software allows you to activate this feature but does not actually produce the dust removal itself. VueScan is very inexpensive and is used by thousands of people. You can download a trial version from their website: http://www.hamrick.com/vsm.html before you purchase. Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL |
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Thread:Digital camerasQuestion: I need to purchase a digital camera for photographing a small museum's collection of artifacts that includes tiny pieces such as lapel pins and coins to large oil paintings. The budget is around $1000. Response: At this point on the price/performance curve, you'll be hard pressed to do what you need for $1000. The biggest challenge will be selecting the right lens. (Don't even consider a "magnifying filter" as the quality will be terrible.) Macro lenses are the sharpest and closest focusing lenses made for 35mm (film or digital) cameras. On a film camera, a macro lens would work fine. You'd be able to focus up close for the small objects and move back to shoot a large oil painting. Canon's 50mm macro would be just fine. Problem is most digital SLR's have sensors that are smaller than 35mm, so there is an effective "multiplier" to the focal length of the lenses. With the Canon Digital Rebel, the multiplier is 1.6x. That means the 50mm Macro lens will act like an 80mm lens (1.6 x 50mm). That might be OK for very small objects, like the lapel pins, but you won't be able to shoot the large paintings. Unfortunately, the lens manufacturers have not addressed this issue yet with shorter macro lenses (like a 30mm Macro). If you can first borrow the camera and some lenses, you might try testing some high quality zoom lenses for this application. Canon makes two likely candidates: 24-70mm and 24-85mm. If these zooms will focus close enough for the macro work, they might be satisfactory. Normally zooms should not be considered for copying flat art because they are not as sharp across their coverage as fixed focal length lenses. They also suffer from some other quality issues. However, most of these problems are in the outer 1/3 of their coverage. Since you'd be using the center 2/3, the quality might be OK. We're in the process of doing some tests like this with Nikon zooms to test the theory. However, these zooms, when added to the cost of the camera body, will put Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL Add to threadthread: Image size for clean scan?QUESTION:I need to get still shot in 35mm scanned to 720x540 for use in a video. I can't afford to make individual prints, and the negatives are old enough that scanning from a slide scanner is a scary concept. My question is, what would be the smallest image I can get a scan that will blow up cleanly to the size I need? Can I scan from a contact sheet? What are some other options? I did a test run on my Epson 1660 flatbed, and liked the results except the image quality was far too soft. I don't have enough experience to figure this out. Thanks for the help. Response: If you want high quality, do not scan from generational derivatives (like prints and contact sheets). Do not scan on a flatbed scanner. Scan from the original negative on a film scanner. If you do not have this capability, there are a number of service bureaus that have the equipment and expertise. Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL www.twocatdigital.com Add to threadTHREAD: Third party SoftwareQUESTION : Is there a third party software that works with this fairly new scanner, the Canoscan LIDE 80, other than the so-so bundled Canon software? Also, is it possible to get really sharp scans of illustration work done with this, or did I buy a poor scanner? REAPONSE: "You didn't necessarily buy a "poor" scanner, but you did buy a very inexpensive, consumer desktop unit, and you get what you pay for with digital equipment. That said, you should be able to get usable scans, but there is a fairly steep learning curve with scanning. You might pick up a book on scanning if the Canon manual doesn't have enough detail to help you get good results. The only inexpensive 3rd party software I've used that supports desktop scanners is SilverFast 6 from LaserSoft Imaging. You should check with them to see if they support your particular scanner. The software is priced based on what scanner is being supported. You can download a test version from their website. Here is the link: http://www.silverfast.com/show/silverfast/en.html We've used their software with a Microtek ArtixScan 1800 flatbed and its quite nice. I'm aware of some inexpensive scanning software that is recommended by people using Nikon film scanners. It is called VueScan and the company is Hamrick Software. According to their website, they support your Canon flatbed. Its only $59.95. Here is the link: http://www.hamrick.com/. Let us know at the forum if you try it. Good luck!" Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL Add to threadThread: Is it possible to get quality sharpness out of a Heildleberg TangoXL using Linocolor 6.0?ANSWER TO QUESTION ABOUT SHARP SCANS The Tango scanner is capable of extremely sharp scans, so I assume you're asking if you should use Unsharp Mask at the time of scanning using Linocolor software. Since we don't use a Tango here, I did check with three other companies to see what they are doing. I've included contact info in case you'd like to follow up with them. NancyScans (www.nancyscans.com 518-392-7734) in New York uses the Tango and offers her customers a choice of sharpening levels. Repro Images in Virginia (www.reproimages.com 703-938-2604) does sharpen when using their Tango. You might also check with Bill Nordstrom at Laserlight in California (www.laserlightprintmaker.com 831-685-1366). Bill has considerable experience with drum scanning and would be a good source. Good luck! Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL Add to threadThread: the right scanner/right processQUESTION: Howard, I will be undertaking a project, where I will be scanning thousands of photos, mostly 8x10, with nearly half of them being black & white and 50+ years old. Images bound for a yet-to-be-determined DAM and assembled as a photo catalog/library. Any general suggestions as to equipment or method in doing this? Thanks RESPONSE My recommendation will depend entirely on final size of files and quality desired. Here are some possibilities:
These days I am much more likely to consider digital capture at the appropriate size and quality level when digitizing prints and artwork. It is fast and can be very high quality if done right. The Phase One digital backs can go as high as 600mb, and if you only need 10 - 60mb files, you can go with digital SLR's and get fantastic throughput (as fast as you can move a new print under the lens). Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL www.twocatdigital.com Add to thread |
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thread: scanning a piece of microfilmQUESTION: I need to scan a piece of microfilm with an epson perfection 4870. There is no microfilm option for scanning. Can microfilm be scanned successfully with the black and white negative option? regards RESPONSE: I haven't used that particular scanner, but I'd experiment with different settings. If the black and white negative setting gives you the best detail, use it. I assume you have figured out how to get the microfilm to stay flat while in the scanner. Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL Add to threadthread: Konica OscanQUESTION I have been given a Konica Oscan OS-1202 film scanner, Model G621B with trays and apparently in good condition but NO manual or instructions. Konica is no help. I cannot find drivers for this unit. I have a laptop with WIN XP home edition installed. Can you or anyone help me in using this equipment? I am not a professional but have several thousand 35mm slides going back to mid-1940's and would like to digitally copy them and assemble the scans into albums to give to family members. Any help will be greatly appreciated. RESPONSE: Charles:VueScan software will drive it. Very inexpensive.http://www.hamrick.com Good luck! Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL Add to threadThread:Scanning Framed PhotographQUESTION I am trying to scan a photograph that is in a frame. The customer does not want it removed. The scan looks good but part way through I am getting a double image. I am using a Scitex Eversmart Supreme Flatbed scanner. Does anybody have any suggestions? Thanks RESPONSE: I'm surprised you're getting a good scan with the flatbed. Most frames put the photograph too far from the scanner bed to get it in focus. But you're going to get reflection off the inside edge of the frame. And if its in glass, you've got a bunch of additional issues. My advice is to convince the client it needs to come out of the frame. If you come up with a solution that works on the Scitex without removing it from the frame, please come back here and share it with us. Thanks... Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL |
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THREAD: betterlight 6k camera backQUESTION: I just bought a betterlight 6k camera back. I have some cables, but the last owner used Mac, and my computer isnt recognizing it. Does anyone know how I could set up my back with my PC? I have asked everyone I know around here...PLEASE HELP! Boriana RESPONSE: You can get help directly from Betterlight, in San Carlos, California, USA. Call them at: 650-631-3680. I also suggest you subscribe to the Betterlight Users Forum. You can find information at: http://www.betterlight.com/ownersForum.asp Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL www.twocatdigital.com THREAD: How do i network an epson gt10000+ with OSXQUESTION: I have an epson GT10000+ A3 scanner with a network box that used to work with os9 as a networkable scanner. We are now entirely OSX with no os9 running and I can not seem to find a driver or twain utility to alow all of my 30 macs to use the scanner over the network. Do you know of any 3rd party drivers/apps that will alow me to do this - otherwise I have a rather useless £1000 scanner on my hands! cheers - kieron Tarling RESPONSE: Have you talked to Apple about this? I would start there. Also check Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL www.twocatdigital.com THREAD Copying flat artQUESTION: Dear Howard, I am working for a Japanese art gallery. Most of art works are Japanese woodblock prints printed on thin paper. We are selling the prints online. My job is copying flat art for our web site and publications. I will be giving 300 prints to copy in one month. RESPONSE:Hello Nako:\Your work sounds very interesting.You should be getting very good quality from the Epson flatbed and I would recommend you use that for all your work. In order to get the same quality from direct digital copy, you will need something much better than a Canon Rebel. Simply do the high resolution scans for printing on the Epson and then scale them down for web usage. It would be a waste of time to also shoot them on a copystand. If you want to switch to direct digital copy, and need a quality level equal to the Epson flatbed, I recommend a Betterlight 6K-2 or 8K-2 scanning back, Northlight HID lights and a TTI copystand. This is a fine system that will give you superb quality along with much better productivity than you can achieve with the Epson.www.betterlight.com Good luck! Add to thread |
THREAD:Is there a safe way to clean filmQUESTION: I have a lot of 40 year old 35mm positives and negatives to scan with Minolta Dimage Elite 5400 which is basically working very well. Needless to say they are dusty; aero dusters and lense brushes do not do the jobe very well and ICE de-sharppens the image. Is there a safe cleaning fluid (eg isopropyl alcohol) or a wipe that anyone knows of? there are too many dust specks to do individually. RESPONSE: We use Nostat-X film cleaner and Ilford orange anti-static cloths. Be careful not to scratch the film. You will need to dismount slides to do this cleaning properly. You can then remount them, or scan them unmounted. Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL www.twocatdigital.com THREAD: Macro photo vs scanningQUESTION: Howard, in order to make digital files from 35mm color negs and slides, I have the options of farming out the work, buying a sub $2000 dollar film scanner or making a 1:1 duplication set-up with a digital camera ( Nikon D70s and macro lens/entension tubes). The 1:1 duplication with the D70 would be the cheapest alternative; would the quality equal or surpass the scanning with a Nikon Coolscan? Any suggestions? RESPONSE: Coolscan 5000 will be far superior to D70/macro lens for scanning color negs and slides and is sub $1000. Its slow but easy to operate. As to outsourcing the scanning, it depends on how many you have and how much time you want to spend at it. In most cases you won't be able to come close to the productivity of a good commercial scanning house. And if you can get Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL www.twocatdigital.com THREAD: Scitex Image Quality LowQUESTION: I was needing some help I have been scanning slides on our Scitex EverSmart Supreme and I have been noticing black dots in the images. We clean the slides everytime and we have recently had the Tech from SciTec out to clean and services it. It got better for a little while but then got bad again. We have tried using different filters and touch up tools in Photoshop but we sacrifice image quality. Can anyone please give me a suggestion on what might be. I thank you for your time. ANSWER: The Scitex Eversmart is a remarkably sharp scanner. That means it picks up every piece of dust and dirt on the film, and on the glass. Since things seem to get better after the scanner is cleaned, I suspect this is the problem. Check the scanner manual for instructions on cleaning the glass yourself. Keep it, and the inside of the scanner, very clean. Also clean your slides carefully before scanning. Be careful to not create static in your cleaning. Static will attract more dust than you can imagine. Also keep the workspace, and yourself, clean and static free. Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL Add to thread |
thread: Scanning Transparencies QUESTION Howard, RESPONSE: You should be able to get good reproduction from that scanner. 48 bit will give you more dynamic range, but even with 24 bit you should get good results. If by "hazy" you mean not sharp, check other settings on the scanner. Also make sure the scanner is focusing on the transparency. Usually there is some way to "force" it to focus. Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL Add to threadTHREAD:vuescan work with my epson perfection 3490 Photo SxcanneQUESTION: why doesn't my vuescan work with my epson perfection 3490 Photo Sxcanner? RESPONSE: Hamrich doesn't offer email support for their software since it is so inexpensive and because you can download a demo version for free. If the demo doesn't meet your needs, don't buy it. Check this page for details on their support options. They do ask for problem reports. http://www.hamrick.com/sup.html Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL www.twocatdigital.com THREAD: haloing in high contrast areasQUESTION: I use a Creo Eversmart scanner and am having a problem with haloing in the images in high contrast areas when I scan transparencies. I've calibrated, run diagnostics, created various profiles and the only way I lessen the problem is to scan dense images which of course lose detail and create other retouching problems. I've racking my brain on this and nothing seems to work. RESPONSE: Have you tried cleaning the scanner thoroughly? I've seen this problem when there is some dust in the scanner or a smudge on the glass. Be careful that you're not generating static electricity when you clean. We use NoStat-X Static Control spray on hard surfaces like tables, counters and inside scanners. Also use their film cleaner. Humidity control is also very important in your scanning room. If it gets below 45%, you may have static problems Howard Brainen TWO CAT DIGITAL www.twocatdigital.com
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