# Film scans and Lightroom workflow



## Hutch (Dec 29, 2010)

I've just started scanning my old 35mm slides and negatives.  I am scanning them and then saving them as .tif, then importing to LR.  I'm looking for advice on the best workflow for this.  The tifs that I'm getting are huge.  I am using a Plustek OpticFilm 7600i Ai scanner with SilverFast Ai studio software.  I'm looking for someone or a website with guidance about using this combination.  I need information about the optimum settings to use with the SilverFast software.  Right now with resolution set at 7200dpi I'm getting tifs well over 70mb.  I think what I'm doing  right now is overkill and I would appreciate any help with using SilverFast and this scanner. 

If I've posted to the wrong forum please move this thread to the correct one.


----------



## Bruce J (Dec 30, 2010)

I went through the same process a number of years ago w/ a Nikon film scanner.  My best advice would be to do a series of scans of the same slide at various resolutions.  Also, try scanning at the scanner's native resolution (7200 dpi?) and then down-res to various levels.  Input all the images into LR and compare them at 1:1.  Only you can decide how much resolution you need and how much is just additional noise.  As a point of reference only, when I did this, I settled on scanning at native resolution and then a down-res in PS to 3000 dpi.  Couldn't see any improvement beyond that point; I can easily see the film grain at 3000 dpi.  Wound up scanning ~25,000 slides and color negs and have no regrets on the process I used.  

Sorry, I can't help w/ SilverFast settings.  I did use SilverFast, but it's been too many years and too many versions ago.  Good luck,


----------



## Victoria Bampton (Dec 31, 2010)

Robert, can you screenshot your Silverfast settings - perhaps we can spot the issue.  Also, you may be scanning in 16-bit - depending on the importance of the old photos, you may decide to decrease that.


----------



## TVinYpsi (Jan 2, 2012)

*Any Further Updates to this Thread?*

I went completely digital with my photography just over a year ago.  I implemented Lightroom 3 about four months ago, and am running 3.5 now.  Today I installed a new Plustek 7600i film scanner to digitize my legacy film images.  This thread appears to have gone cold a year ago.  Anyone have any newly refined guidance to offer to help make this technical combination as useful as possible?
[-tv]


----------



## Lee Stephens (Jan 2, 2012)

I suggest you take a look at Wayne Fultons's site: www.scantips.com. Scanning 35mm at 7600 is almost certainly overkill, it all depends on the final destination of the scan. For desktop printing 3000-4000 pixels per inch is probably enough. For emailing and web viewing, 500 may be enough. Good luck.


----------



## Brad Snyder (Jan 2, 2012)

TVinYpsi and Lee Stephens, welcome to the forums. Ypsi, we have a couple of heavy film/print scanners among our membership, but they're not 'everyday' folks. I'm sure they'll drop in in the not too distant future.


----------

