LaserSoft Imaging

My question is about scanning color 35mm film. I use professional film (Portra 400) and a very good lab. I get consistent results and prints.

This year i have invested in semi-pro or pro scanner Reflecta 10T with SilverFast Ai Studio 8. And I intend to scan 35mm film for printing purposes. My goal is to have very high quality 30 x 40 inch prints.

Scannand soft are giving me fantastic results: 230 MB, 7052 x 4715 pixels (33,5 MP) TIFFs with great natural/crisp film grain and overall great look.

BUT the colors are off. Always. I use NegaFix with the correct Portra 400 profile and I try to put accurate WHITE, BLACK and GREY points (where they are in picture) but I never get consistent and real results. Pics are never "right", always off, always to bright or to warm (to cold).

My questions are:

- Should I just continue this guessing game and try to somehow spot the right color everytime?
- Have you tried putting Grey Card 18% and set this as a correct exposure in scanning soft or Lightroom and color balance from there?
- Have you tried putting Color Balance Card (White, Black, Grey) to help scanning software determine exposure and color balance and color balance from there?
- Have you tried X-Rite's Color Checker Passport or other color calibration target to set full color correction this way?
- If yes, what about film bias. (Portra 160 more pastel, Ektar 100 a lot more vivid) Wouldn't it just get you to the POINT ZERO with film where you have no film specific properties?

The goal is to have as close to 35mm film scanned image as possible, without any interpretation but retain film own specific's (for Ektar, Portra). Just what you get from film processed neutral and printed neutral. To see real film color specific for it's kind. I just want to see good Portra 400 on my screen.

Thanks for your time.

Dear user,

You could try to adjust the NegaFix film profile and create a custom profile that fits your needs. That way you should be able to avoid individual adjustments.

Open the NegaFix expert settings (doctor hat).
In the curves tab click the pencil button.
You can now edit the curve.
For example click into a part of the image you want to set as neutral.
the selected value will be marked in the curve and a colorfield will appear which shows the color at the selected spot.
To neutralize it you can simply pull it down. To correct a color move the dot towards the intended color.
You can also manipulate the curve directly by grabbing one of the points. This will move the entire curve. To adjust individual points hold the command(Mac)/Ctrl(PC) key while grabbing and moving the point. Above you can select to manipulate a single curve instead of all three.

Also be aware that each profile actually consists of three curves. One for 0.0, 3.0 and -3.0 exposure.
Only manipulate the curve when one of these three settings is selected. Intermediate values a re interpolated from the existing curves.

Kind regards,
Arne