The Scanning Solution

00 -00 This article was published in the January-March 2010 issue of The scanning solution

Resolution One of the settings you have to make in the scan window is ‘Resolution’. On the Slide copying scanners we used this went from 75dpi to 4800dpi. If you are scanning prints, Do you have a large legacy of 35mm transparencies which never and want to make see the light of day? We look at two different ways you can convert duplicate prints of similar size, a resolution these images to digital files for viewing and printing. of 300dpi is fine – or 600dpi if you want the duplicate prints to be a little larger. For transparencies (and negatives) any prints Above Canon scanners operate from within you make will be much scanning. Improvements in flatbed scanners Canon makes a range of flatbed scanners imaging applications. Once the scanner software larger than the original are the reason that mid-range dedicated film suitable for film scanning. The CanoScan is installed, you will be able to access the image, so scanning scanners have disappeared – the results from 9950F (above), now discontinued, has been scanner through the application’s ‘File’ menu. at a higher resolution is recommended. the more versatile flatbed scanners are now our office scanner for quite a while. We also However, the higher very good. Flatbed scanners also give you the tried the new CanoScan 8800F. Both offer the resolution, the option of creating digital files from negatives, up to 4800x9600dpi scanning with 48-bit slower the scanning prints and documents. colour depth. One advantage of the earlier process and the larger the file. We found that 9950F model is that it will scan up to 12 35mm 2400dpi was a good Using your camera mounted slides in one pass using the holder. compromise between However, you already have a device which will The holder for the 8800F holds four slides. speed and quality. It is create digital copies of 35mm transparencies worth making tests at different resolutions – your EOS camera. Is this a good alternative Software to see what suits your to a flatbed scanner? A Canon scanner comes with all the software own needs. If you have a macro lens, or a lens and you need. Scanners usually work through extension tubes that will give you life-size imaging software such as Photoshop Elements images, you can shoot without any other or PhotoStudio. A complete version of a accessories. Place the slide on a small suitable program is on the CDs supplied with lightbox and position the camera and lens so the scanner, along with the scanner driver. that the 35mm frame fills the viewfinder. You Once installed, you open the main imaging Above The scanner window offers a range will need to use a tripod to eliminate the risk program and access the scanner from the of options. Once you have chosen the source (print or transparency) and the output of camera shake during the exposure. ‘import’ or ‘acquire’ option (usually in the resolution, we suggest that you leave other It is important that no light falls on the front ‘File’ menu of the software). The scanner options at their default settings and experiment of the slide during the exposure as this will driver will also work with imaging programs with them one at a time after you have a few degrade the image. Either work in a dark room other than the one supplied. We scan from basic scans for comparison. If you have been taking photographs for (switch any lights off before you make the within Photoshop as we are familiar with The CanoScan more than ten years, you probably have exposure), or build a tunnel of card or material this software. Although there are variations 8850F will scan 12 some 35mm transparencies. You might have to shield the front of the slide from light. If the between programs, the main principles of transparencies at a time hundreds or thousands of them. slide is bigger than the lightbox, cut a mask scanning are the same. (left), while the 8800F When was the last time you looked at from black card to cover the box, leaving an (above) handles four. After you have done the these transparencies? Do you still have a aperture just big enough for the slide frame. Scan settings full scan, each image slide projector to view them? Are they sitting This will eliminate the risk of flare in the lens Switch the scanner on. A window will open, will appear in its own neglected in a cupboard? The obvious answer from the extraneous light. allowing you to select the options for the type window within your is to convert the 35mm transparencies to Instead of a lightbox, some photographers of scan you want. Choose ‘Platen’ as the source imaging application on your computer desktop. digital images. There are two main methods tape the slide to a window with a background if you want to scan prints or documents – place This is the Canon Here you can modify to do this and we have been looking at both. FS4000US of sky. Drawing the curtains up to the edges the print face down on the glass, where it will the image (if required), dedicated film of the slide gets rid of the extraneous light. be illuminated from the base of the scanner. name the file and save Scanning the slides scanner. Introduced Good results are possible, with practice. For slides, choose ‘Color Positive Film’ – it to your computer hard drive. The traditional way to turn slides into digital in February 2001 it However, we prefer the easier route of remove the insert from the lid of the scanner so offers a maximum images is to scan them. You can do this 4000dpi resolution using a dedicated slide duplicator. It is simple that the transparencies can be illuminated from with a dedicated film scanner or a flatbed with 14-bit scanning to use and gives almost instant results. above. You can also choose ‘Colour Negative scanner. These days a dedicated film scanner per colour. Long Film’ or ‘Monochrome Negative Film’ and is either very expensive or very cheap. The discontinued, it has The digital advantage scan them in the same way. Once set, with the been replaced by expensive models are designed for high-end flatbed scanners One advantage of making digital copies of transparencies on the scanner, click ‘Preview’. professional use; the cheap models are for slides is that you can correct some mistakes This gives a quick scan and brings up the Above Clicking ‘Preview’ gives you quick, low which can offer resolution scans. If these are correct you can casual home use. If you are looking for good equivalent or better made at the time of shooting. Horizons can image in the software window. If everything click the box under some or all of the images results at a modest price you need a flatbed results. be straightened, colour balance changed, looks fine, select all the slides and click ‘Scan’. to make high resolution scans. scanner that also offers the option for film brightness adjusted and contrast improved. www.eos-magazine.com www.eos-magazine.com 00 -00 ROBERT SCOTT Left and right This portrait was shot in the Copying with your camera 1980s. The scanned image (left) was created If you already have a macro lens, or a set with a resolution setting of 2400dpi. The of extension tubes, you can try setting up second image (right) your back-lit slide in front of the camera. The was captured using a results can be very good, providing you keep slide duplicator on an stray light off the front of the slide. EOS 7D. We used flash aimed directly at the However, the easy way to copy slides with diffuser screen of the your camera is by using a duplicator unit. unit for illumination We have been using the Ohnar Zoom Slide – this proved to be Duplicator. These units have been around more consistent and gave better results than for many years – originally introduced for aiming the camera and copying slides to film, so duplicating the copier unit at the sky. original image. With the introduction of digital The variation in colour photography they have taken on a new lease is easy to adjust using imaging software. There of life for creating digital files from both slides is slightly less detail in and negatives. the image duplicated up or down, and side to side, so you are not using the EOS 7D, but RAW or JPEG? Two sizes restricted to just the centre of the image. And it is still a good result. The built-in wireless The original Ohnar slide duplicator gave a Is it best to shoot that’s about it. There are no other controls on flash feature of the 7D 1:1 reproduction. This means that when used with a RAW or JPEG the units. proved very useful – we with a 35mm camera it copies the entire quality setting? If you So how do you focus and get the correct were able to position our only have a few slides 35mm slide. Later came the Ohnar Zoom slide exposure? As far as focusing is concerned, Speedlite 550EX in front to copy and want to of the camera, pointing Duplicator. This zooms from 1x to 2x, which adjust each one on your you don’t. The built-in lens is pre-focused. It towards the diffuser of means that you can select just part of the slide computer, RAW is best. also has a fixed aperture. The T-mount means the slide copier without to copy – a very useful feature when copying It gives more control that there is no exchange of data between the the need for any trailing over the image. But if to film. camera and the unit, so you need to use ‘stop- cables. With other you have hundreds (or cameras, the Canon Off With the introduction of APS-C size sensors thousands) of images to down’ metering. Switch the camera to Av Scanner or camera? Camera Shoe Cord is the free for changing the slides) it is possible to on digital cameras, the 1:1 reproduction is copy, use JPEG (Large/ mode – you will see that the aperture display There is no clear winner between slide accessory you need. copy at least six slides a minute, or 30 slides less useful. It means that only part of a slide Fine will give the best is ‘00’. The exposure is now controlled by the copying with a scanner and with a camera. in five minutes. quality). This will give can be copied (APS-C is smaller than 35mm). image files which can shutter speed, which will be set automatically. It all depends on the number of slides you If you are copying lots of holiday pictures However, this problem has been overcome be used immediately The simplest way to shoot is by aiming the want to scan, and what you plan to do with and images of family and friends, the results with the Ohnar Zoom Reverser. This reduces without further camera at the sky, ideally bright cloud (never the image files. from the camera will be adequate for viewing the size of the 35mm slide to fit the APS-C processing. However, directly at the sun). Set the white balance If getting the best quality reproduction is on screen, e-mailing and the occasional print. spend time on the first sensor (in effect, a 0.6 zoom). The zoom range slide getting the results to Cloudy. Check the review image after the most important factor to you, then you Shoot as Large/Fine JPEG files and the work now runs from 0.6x to 1.6x. just right. Experiment shooting. If it is too light or too dark apply a should consider a good scanner. The 18 will be done quickly and efficiently. Do you need a zoom for digital copying? with exposure little exposure compensation and try again. megapixel EOS 7D camera we used for many We found that time setting up the camera Most of the time we copy the full area of a compensation or Shooting at the sky can give good, but not of our tests gave surprisingly good results, and shooting test exposures was time well flash exposure slide and crop the image, if required, on the compensation to get always consistent, results. For more control but the scanner at 2400dpi had the edge. spent. Getting the exposure just right in the computer. However, if you know that you only (or working at night), use an off-camera However, if you have a lot of slides to Below The scanner camera gives better results than trying to the exposure perfect. image, at 2400dpi, is on want part of the image, zooming in when you Check the white Speedlite. Aim it directly at the white diffuser scan, the camera wins hands down. With the the left while the image correct the images on a computer. make the copy will make better use of your balance. Once you are screen of the slide unit, ideally from a distance CanoScan 8800F at 2400dpi, four slides took copied using the EOS However, if you have some stunning slides happy with the first camera resolution. of about 0.5 metre. Use autoflash exposure, five minutes to scan, and longer if you count 7D is on the right. In which you would like to convert to digital image, you can shoot terms of quality, there the rest at the same applying flash exposure compensation if the the time needed to save each file. With the is very little to chose images and print to A3, a good scanner will T-mount fitting settings. review images are too light or dark. camera fixed on a tripod (to keep your hands between these images. give you the best results. The Ohnar units are self-contained with a ROBERT SCOTT built-in lens – they fit directly to the camera Will digital images last? without the need for a camera lens. Well, almost directly. They use the long-established The colour images on these pages were shot T-mount system. You need a T-mount adaptor more than 30 years ago. Will we be able to read the digital images we shoot today in 30 for EOS. This attaches to the camera body. years’ time? Probably – but only if we keep The Ohnar unit screws into the adaptor. This copying and converting the images to suit means that, with the appropriate adaptors, the new systems and storage media. same unit will fit different makes of camera. We have already encountered this problem at EOS magazine. Some years ago we archived material to Syquest disks Camera settings – cutting edge at the time, as they had a Once the Ohnar unit is attached to your capacity around 200x that of the ubiquitous camera, the first thing to do is rotate the floppy disks. However, Syquest disks were a passing phase and we can’t read the slide holder at the front so that the sides are data with our current computer systems. aligned with the viewfinder frame. If you don’t Similarly, some of the files created with do this, every slide you copy will be at an early page design software can no longer angle. The front can be locked in place once be opened with the latest versions of the programs and the earlier versions won’t run it is in the correct position. on the current computer. You can use the zoom if you want to select There’s a lot to be said for a shoebox! an area of the image. The slide can be moved