Scanning with an Epson

JGOB · Mar 3, 2016

Hey!

I bought an Epson V550 a while ago. I'm really annoyed by the fact that the scans aren't a 3:2 ratio when using the scanning software and the film holder provided with the scanner. I love 3:2 and now I end up cropping to get the ratio back and in the end I lose so much of the image that the framing and composition I do in camera is totally lost.
I guess the film holder provided with the scanner is kind of useless.
Is there an easy way to get a scan of the whole frame? An alternative film holder? Make my own glass film holder maybe? Or would I need special glass?

Thanks!

limr · Mar 3, 2016

I can't figure out why you're not getting the proper ratio. Is the holder cutting off part of the negative? I don't use an Epson, so I'm not sure if you have the same option, but my Canon scanner doesn't always recognize the entire frame and it ends up cutting some of the image. To avoid this problem, I often turn off the thumbnail view and get an image of the entire scan so I can see where the crops are. Then I can manually adjust the frame size. Maybe your settings are off or the scanner isn't reading the negative properly.

JGOB · Mar 4, 2016

I guess the software decides to cut off part of the frame (in thumbnail view, same as with you) to be sure the holder isn't in the image. It's like a 3,2:2 ratio and the pixel dimensions always differ a little. The software looks at each frame differently apparently.
I can also just look at the entire scan like you say, but scanning film like this would take forever

table1349 · Mar 4, 2016

If it was easy everyone would do it. That's why the easy film strip scanners have pretty much died. Easy but very expensive.

Better software besides the OEM would help. Give Vue Scan a try. What you need will cost $90.00 but worth it. They have free trials. VueScan Scanner Software for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux

gsgary · Mar 4, 2016

JGOB said:
I guess the software decides to cut off part of the frame (in thumbnail view, same as with you) to be sure the holder isn't in the image. It's like a 3,2:2 ratio and the pixel dimensions always differ a little. The software looks at each frame differently apparently.
I can also just look at the entire scan like you say, but scanning film like this would take forever

I have not used the Epson scanning software for quite a while but im sure i had no problem i use Vuescan and you just go to the scan tab and choose any crop you want

Derrel · Mar 4, 2016

My EPSON Scan software on my flatbed has a strange, PITA glitchy behavior, exactly like the one you're experiencing...I seldom use it to scan negatives, except to scan old rollfilm. There's a weird behavior in the image aspect ratio selection process, where my software version (it's from 2011) seems to want to cling to whatever image area size has been set, and then it wants to KEEP and maintain that image area (crop area) size, despite efforts to change it. It's hard to explain, and I have not used it to scan any rollfilm negs for probably two years...but it has been a real PITA to change my crop area. I've had some instances where I went from 6x6 square to 645 negs, and the danged thing wanted to "keep" the 645 aspect ratio, and it was a royal pain to re-set the aspect area/crop for other formats.

There is other software that I've used that works better, like Silverfast, which is what I use for my Minolta film-strip scanner. VueScan as gsgary mentioned, is another well-known, proven scanner driving software.

Beverley · Apr 13, 2016

gryphonslair99 said:
If it was easy everyone would do it. That's why the easy film strip scanners have pretty much died. Easy but very expensive.

Better software besides the OEM would help. Give Vue Scan a try. What you need will cost $90.00 but worth it. They have free trials. VueScan Scanner Software for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux

Hi,

I am responsible for the marketing of VueScan - so I am not technical at all - but if you have any questions I am happy to find out the answers for you... Thanks, Beverley.