Making film lay flat in LS-8000 scanner

Hello!

I just purchased a Nikon LS-8000 scanner and I'm having trouble getting my
6x7 film to lay flat, do I just need more practice? I'm sure that the
glass holder would make life easier, but I can't afford $240 for a film
holder. Anyone have any tips?

Thanks,
Ray

"Lunaray" wrote in message
...
Hello!

I just purchased a Nikon LS-8000 scanner and I'm having trouble getting my
6x7 film to lay flat, do I just need more practice? I'm sure that the
glass holder would make life easier, but I can't afford $240 for a film
holder. Anyone have any tips?

Save up for the glass carrier.

Some people claim that cleaning the parts on the standard carrier that grab
the film helps, sometimes cutting into single frames helps, but the bottom
line is that you need the glass carrier. And even the glass carrier isn't a
panacea: if you don't use a mask to hold the frame off the lower glass,
large areas of smooth color (like sky) will generate Newton's rings, and
with a mask, you can't flatten out perversely warped frames.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

"David J. Littleboy" wrote in message
...

"Lunaray" wrote in message
...
Hello!

I just purchased a Nikon LS-8000 scanner and I'm having trouble getting
my
6x7 film to lay flat, do I just need more practice? I'm sure that the
glass holder would make life easier, but I can't afford $240 for a film
holder. Anyone have any tips?

Get used to spending money. Digital is expensive; a black, bottomless,
hungry pit.

Save up for the glass carrier.

Some people claim that cleaning the parts on the standard carrier that
grab
the film helps, sometimes cutting into single frames helps, but the bottom
line is that you need the glass carrier. And even the glass carrier isn't
a
panacea: if you don't use a mask to hold the frame off the lower glass,
large areas of smooth color (like sky) will generate Newton's rings, and
with a mask, you can't flatten out perversely warped frames.

I mount single 645 frames in anti-newton mounts for very critical scanning.
Works fine on the flatbed. Not sure what your options are for 6x7 or the
LS8000.

This may not be what you want to hear, but a workround for severe is to scan
one end of the 6x7 and then do a second scan with the other end securely
flattened down,--put them together in PhotoShop. A severe workaround, but not
that hard really for really warped films.

Dan Lindsay
Santa Barbara

On Wed, 18 Feb 2004 16:18:19 -0800, "Lunaray"
wrote:

Hello!

I just purchased a Nikon LS-8000 scanner and I'm having trouble getting my
6x7 film to lay flat, do I just need more practice? I'm sure that the
glass holder would make life easier, but I can't afford $240 for a film
holder. Anyone have any tips?


Practice, practice, practice.

Line up the film edge against the non-moveable
clamp.

Get as much of the film as you can under the clamp.

When you close the clamp, make sure the clips at
both ends snap shut.

Now repeat the process on the other side of the
film -- the side with the moveable clamp. Again,
try to get as much film under the clamp as will fit.

Finally, with both thumbs, push the moveable
clamp *gently* outward to flatten the film. If it
doesn't work, start over again. Seriously.

If the clamps aren't secure it won't work right -
make sure the clips at both end snap shut.

A lot will depend on how "even" the film is when
you lay it under the clamps and close the clamps.

Sometimes a piece of film will lay nicely in the
holder and clamp perfectly flat on the first try,
sometimes it takes several tries.

One more "last resort" is to cut your strips
down to fewer frames. I have never had to
scan a single frame twice (as suggested in
another post.)


rafe b.
http://www.terrapinphoto.com

Thanks that should help! Reminds of when I first tried to load 120 film
into a developing tank, or when I was trying bar-cord on my guitar:
practice, practice, practice :-)

Lunaray writes:

I just purchased a Nikon LS-8000 scanner and I'm having trouble getting my
6x7 film to lay flat, do I just need more practice?

You need flatter film. The easiest way to get the film flat is to make
sure it's that way in the first place. Don't roll it up or crease it.
If it is really curly or wavy, put it in sleeves and compress it between
a few books for a few days, until it's flat. Once the film is flat,
it's easy to scan.

The glass holder does help with this, but if that costs too much,
flatten the film before you scan it instead. It _is_ possible to get
film to stay completely flat; most of my MF film is indeed quite flat
(the lab is careful to not put any weird curl in it, and it eventually
flattens out on its own, anyway, if it is stored that way).

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

A tip for this scanner.


The rubber strip on which the film edge lies can get slippery and fail to
grip from time to time.

Clean it with a little soap, rubbing it with your finger and rinse.
Allow the thing to dry properly.
It grips again.
I discovered this by trial and error.

Comment.

These are marvellous scanners

Thanks for the tips! Actually my fim is flat, it's only when I load it in
the film-holder that I have a problem; I think I just need to experiment
more :-)


"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
Lunaray writes:

I just purchased a Nikon LS-8000 scanner and I'm having trouble getting
my
6x7 film to lay flat, do I just need more practice?

You need flatter film. The easiest way to get the film flat is to make
sure it's that way in the first place. Don't roll it up or crease it.
If it is really curly or wavy, put it in sleeves and compress it between
a few books for a few days, until it's flat. Once the film is flat,
it's easy to scan.

The glass holder does help with this, but if that costs too much,
flatten the film before you scan it instead. It _is_ possible to get
film to stay completely flat; most of my MF film is indeed quite flat
(the lab is careful to not put any weird curl in it, and it eventually
flattens out on its own, anyway, if it is stored that way).

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

MikeWhy wrote:
...
I mount single 645 frames in anti-newton mounts for very critical scanning.
Works fine on the flatbed. Not sure what your options are for 6x7 or the
LS8000.

Using anti-Newton mounts in a high resolution scanner is usually
considered to be a Bad Idea. The scanner can see the bumps.

-- Lassi