Positively , Negative Scanning ?

[dee]

Hi
Can i scan old monochrome negs and create a positive image on my mac /photoshop ?

dee-sastrously ignorant

[ChrisN]

Certainly! Do you have a scanner? Most have software that does this automatically (reverse the
negative to a positive).


Edited to add:

Try it - you will be dee-lighted!

[markinlondon]

Do be sure to check with the manufacturer that your scanner is supported in OSX. I have a 3kg Canon doorstop at home as a result of not doing this. :bang:

Anyone selling a film capable flatbed?

[Pherdinand]

some scanners, if you scan as positives and reverse in photoshop, give different results than scanning in negatives. Probably this is some automatic function to compensate for the different densities slide and neg films have.
E.g. with some barely exposed Delta3200 neg I have, the scanning-as-positive, PS level/curve editing and then inverting gives better results than scanning as BW negative.

[Spyderman]

I have similar experience to Pherdinand's:

When I scan in B&W neg mode - I can't capture the entire histogram - either I have blown hi-lights or black shadows. Therefore I scan as positive and in 16bits. Then I adjust white and black point and invert the image. And all the details are captured.

(my scanner: Minolta DSD III with original Minolta software)

[RML]

I'm gonna try that! Dang, I now remember people were suggesting such action years ago. I never used it as I never shot any B&W. Now that I am (and scanned half a dozen rolls already), I forget this "trick".