Epson V500 Scanning

*J.Scott* · 08-20-2008, 08:45 PM

I hope this post is in the right section of the forum. Scanning is a post-process that involves hardware and software. If it's in the wrong spot I am sure a mod will move it.

I just got my Epson V500 today and I've taken it for a bit of a test drive. I tried scanning some medium format (6 X 6) negatives. These were from the first roll I put through the camera this past winter. After dinking around with the software I found the setting for various sizes of medium format film; now I was scanning the whole image and not just a portion!

I need to play with it a bit more to get comfortable with the settings. I was wondering if anyone else that owns one of these could share some information or tips for scanner-newbies like myself.

This is a 300 dpi scan of a negative.

This is a 100% crop of the people in the picture scanned at 3200 dpi.

Does this look to be acceptable? I used the Digital Ice setting for both scans.

I would gladly accept any comments, criticism or suggestions.

*J.Scott* · 08-21-2008, 06:21 PM

I'll let this thread die. Oh well....

*Nesster* · 08-22-2008, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by J.Scott

I'll let this thread die. Oh well....

Oh don't be so hasty, after all the site had a major melt down... oh the withdrawal...

I have a 4490. Here are some tips with the Epson software -- I've since switched over to VueScan which is better but is also confusing as all hell. I still don't know how a lot of stuff works, it just does. LOL so I emphatize with you there.

First, you should scan at >300 DPI, I found 600, 800, 1200 were decent compromises between too large and time consuming vs. losing a bit of detail. At 300, which is a photo print quality scan, it's as though you're scanning a print the size of the negative. In post processing you can always re-size to what you need.

Auto balance & auto exposure sometimes is close enough, sometimes needs tweaking. If your software allows different settings or curves, try them out.

The ICE stuff is a mixed blessing: on the one hand it is effective, on the other sometimes the artifacts it produces are too much for a given photo. The artifacts include a general softening of the image, and sometimes streaky skies.

It occurs to me, I'm assuming your software is Epson... what software does Epson package with the V500?

*J.Scott* · 08-22-2008, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by Nesster

Oh don't be so hasty, after all the site had a major melt down... oh the withdrawal...

I have a 4490. Here are some tips with the Epson software -- I've since switched over to VueScan which is better but is also confusing as all hell. I still don't know how a lot of stuff works, it just does. LOL so I emphatize with you there.

First, you should scan at >300 DPI, I found 600, 800, 1200 were decent compromises between too large and time consuming vs. losing a bit of detail. At 300, which is a photo print quality scan, it's as though you're scanning a print the size of the negative. In post processing you can always re-size to what you need.

Auto balance & auto exposure sometimes is close enough, sometimes needs tweaking. If your software allows different settings or curves, try them out.

The ICE stuff is a mixed blessing: on the one hand it is effective, on the other sometimes the artifacts it produces are too much for a given photo. The artifacts include a general softening of the image, and sometimes streaky skies.

It occurs to me, I'm assuming your software is Epson... what software does Epson package with the V500?

For web viewing I agree that 300 dpi is more than adequate. However, for printing shouldn't I be scanning at a much higher dpi quotient?

The software appears to be the same that came with my older Model 3490. I also have Vuescan 8.4.47 which doesn't seem to be as sophisticated or complex as the Epson software. I need to experiment with both to compare the results. I see that the digital Ice does soften the image a bit, too; not always an effect I desire to achieve. I will probably just scan the image 'as is' and manipulate the image produced in Photoshop.

*Blue* · 09-16-2008, 08:55 AM

I know this thread is nearly a month old but just saw it. I have had the V500 for about 6 weeks. Try experimenting with the above neg scan. scan it at 450 and 600dpi and repeat the crop of the people. At some point you are going to run into the law of diminishing returns.

graphicgr8s · 09-16-2008, 10:22 PM

For the web anything over 100dpi at the final size is wasted server space and longer download time.
For your scans that you want to print try 300-400 dpi and do your crop and enlargement/reduction in your scanning software. Then once you have it in your editing software fine tune your crop and size. Scanning something at 3200 dpi is a waste if your not blowing it up. Output devices can't print resolution greater than 300-400 dpi at final output size so any additional dpi is lost anyway.
If you want to manipulate the image than don't have the scanner add sharpening. Do that as the last step before you save and print.
As for your crop, look at the original slide with a magnifying glass. Compare the quality of the slide with a print of your scan then make you judgement as to whether the scan is good enough. Remember, an LCD monitor will always make it look sharper than it really is and the shadows will be darker.

**wlank** · 09-21-2008, 04:15 AM

Well, I ordered the V500 refurbished from the Epson store. $149.00 including shipping. Everything in the box same as a brand new one including warranty. We'll see.

ChrisN · 09-21-2008, 05:10 AM

Can I just toss in a few ideas here about the issue of scanning resolution and printing resolution? Nesster referred to 300dpi as printing resolution - it is true that many high quality printers will print at 300dpi, but that does not mean you scan at 300dpi. Here's why.

Let's say you want to print an 8 x 10 print; that's 8 inches by 10 inches. DPI means dots per inch, and each dot needs a pixel. To print an 8x10 at 300 dpi you need an image file that is (8x300) x (10x300) pixels or 2400 x 3000 pixels. With a 6x6 negative you'll probably print at 8 x 8 inches or 2400 x 2400 pixels image size (assuming you don't crop). OK so far?

Now, you are starting with a negative at 6x6 (cm) or 2 1/4 inches square. To turn 2.25 x 2.25 inches of negative into 2400 x 2400 pixels, you need to scan at more than 300 dpi: you need 2400 / 2.25 = 1067 dpi.

For moderate enlargements, scan at 1200 dpi - that will give you a file 2700 x 2700 pixels in size. And more importantly, this will capture a lot more fine detail from the negative compared with scanning at 300dpi. This is the reason for high-res scanning capability - to capture all the detail in the neg and to make a large file size (in pixel dimensions).

A file 2700 x 2700 pixels in dimension can print at 9 inches square at 300 dpi, with 1 pixel per dot on the paper, and no need for further interpolation by the software to produce extra pixels. If you need to print bigger, scan at any resolution up to the scanner's maximum optical resolution (ie true scanning resolution with no interpolation by the scanner software).

The file sizes will be huge, especially with colour negs and saving in TIFF format. But if you want quality that is the only way to go. I generally scan initially at 600 dpi just to give me something to look at on the screen. (600 dpi x 2.25 inches) x (600 dpi x 2.25 inches) gives me a file 1350 x 1350 pixels, which fills the screen on my monitor. That lets me see if I want to make a print, in which case I go back and take a best-quality scan, maximum resolution, maximum-bit colour saved as TIFF. Then bring that into Lightroom or Photoshop for cropping, levels etc.

So - your scanning resolution should be guided by the file dimensions you need for your purpose - for screen display or for printing.

*Blue* · 09-21-2008, 10:18 AM

Chris,

Then why is it called dots per inch? If you have 300 dpi, it doesn't matter if it is 2 x2 or 10 x10, shouldn't there still be 300 dots in an inch? Pixel by Pixel is another measure.

Tyler · 09-21-2008, 10:35 AM

I too use my V500 to scan 6x6 negs ( and 6x7 now too). I usually scan at 1200dpi with everything off except for USM at the medium setting. I used to scan with nothing and do it all in PS, but I really like the look I get using the USM at medium. Nice and sharp.

I've never liked anything I've scanned with digital ice.

Heres a 3200dpi scan of Pan F 50+ through my 124G. The line on the right side has since been fixed. I had a piece of dust over the calibration area.
http://pixelbypixeldesign.com/image/scan038cc.jpg

ChrisN · 09-21-2008, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by Blue

Chris,

Then why is it called dots per inch? If you have 300 dpi, it doesn't matter if it is 2 x2 or 10 x10, shouldn't there still be 300 dots in an inch? Pixel by Pixel is another measure.

When printing, it is called dots per inch. Inkjet printers squirt out little dots of ink, 300 of them in each direction, for every inch of paper, So one square inch of paper will have 300 x 300 = 90,000 little dots of ink, and for best quality each dot needs to be driven by a separate pixel in the image file. For a bigger print you need more pixels.

*tranq78* · 09-25-2008, 02:47 PM

See my post linked below. I just bought a new V500 from an authorized dealer for $150 net price.

For Canadians looking for a film/slide scanner

Last week the V500 was sold from Vistek for $180 net, a month earlier it was $200.

graphicgr8s · 09-29-2008, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by ChrisN

Can I just toss in a few ideas here about the issue of scanning resolution and printing resolution? Nesster referred to 300dpi as printing resolution - it is true that many high quality printers will print at 300dpi, but that does not mean you scan at 300dpi. Here's why.

Let's say you want to print an 8 x 10 print; that's 8 inches by 10 inches. DPI means dots per inch, and each dot needs a pixel. To print an 8x10 at 300 dpi you need an image file that is (8x300) x (10x300) pixels or 2400 x 3000 pixels. With a 6x6 negative you'll probably print at 8 x 8 inches or 2400 x 2400 pixels image size (assuming you don't crop). OK so far?

Now, you are starting with a negative at 6x6 (cm) or 2 1/4 inches square. To turn 2.25 x 2.25 inches of negative into 2400 x 2400 pixels, you need to scan at more than 300 dpi: you need 2400 / 2.25 = 1067 dpi.

For moderate enlargements, scan at 1200 dpi - that will give you a file 2700 x 2700 pixels in size. And more importantly, this will capture a lot more fine detail from the negative compared with scanning at 300dpi. This is the reason for high-res scanning capability - to capture all the detail in the neg and to make a large file size (in pixel dimensions).

A file 2700 x 2700 pixels in dimension can print at 9 inches square at 300 dpi, with 1 pixel per dot on the paper, and no need for further interpolation by the software to produce extra pixels. If you need to print bigger, scan at any resolution up to the scanner's maximum optical resolution (ie true scanning resolution with no interpolation by the scanner software).

The file sizes will be huge, especially with colour negs and saving in TIFF format. But if you want quality that is the only way to go. I generally scan initially at 600 dpi just to give me something to look at on the screen. (600 dpi x 2.25 inches) x (600 dpi x 2.25 inches) gives me a file 1350 x 1350 pixels, which fills the screen on my monitor. That lets me see if I want to make a print, in which case I go back and take a best-quality scan, maximum resolution, maximum-bit colour saved as TIFF. Then bring that into Lightroom or Photoshop for cropping, levels etc.

So - your scanning resolution should be guided by the file dimensions you need for your purpose - for screen display or for printing.

Dude, too much math. Scan at 300 ppi and scale it to the largest size you think you may print it at. This way the scanning software sizes it.
In most programs (well at least photoshop) it is actually listed as PPI or pixels per inch. A pixel contains 3 colors (it is a triad unit) RGB even in a true grayscale image whereas dpi as pertains to printing is one dot of one color.
Most people use the two term interchangably, and to an extent they can be. But pixel is an rgb world and dots are cmyk.

ChrisN · 09-30-2008, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by graphicgr8s

Dude, too much math. Scan at 300 ppi and scale it to the largest size you think you may print it at. This way the scanning software sizes it.
In most programs (well at least photoshop) it is actually listed as PPI or pixels per inch. A pixel contains 3 colors (it is a triad unit) RGB even in a true grayscale image whereas dpi as pertains to printing is one dot of one color.
Most people use the two term interchangably, and to an extent they can be. But pixel is an rgb world and dots are cmyk.

Dude - whatever works for you! But scanning at 300 on a scanner capable of scanning at 4000 is a waste, if printing is the desired end.

graphicgr8s · 09-30-2008, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by ChrisN

Dude - whatever works for you! But scanning at 300 on a scanner capable of scanning at 4000 is a waste, if printing is the desired end.

The waste is that the speed limit keeps me 100mph below what my car can run at. Wait, wrong forum.

Most output devices can't resolve anything above 300-400 dpi. Is that 4000 dpi optical or interpolated? If it isnt coming from hardware the software is adding pixels where it "thinks" it should be. And that ain't always a good thing. Why scan at such a high resolution when output will toss most of it anyway?