Scanning positive transparencies

[Norm Dresner]

I've got a few positive transparencies of pictures I took in the mid '70s --
and haven't been able to find the original negatives. I have no particular
memory of ever using B&W reversal film so I'd have to guess that I shot B&W
negatives of the B&W negatives and then mounted them in slide mounts.

I'd love to scan them but so far the best I've been able to do with my Nikon
ED V (5000) scanner is to do it on the "Kodachrome" setting and I get weird
highlights. The other settings produced what I have to call "unacceptable"
results.

Now I'm a novice with this scanner -- I only set it up about 3 hours before
I tried scanning these pictures so I'm sure that there's a way to do it that
I'm not yet aware of.

If anyone has experience with scanning B&W transparencies with this (or any
similar) scanner, I'd love to hear about it.

TIA
Norm

 

[CSM1]

I've got a few positive transparencies of pictures I took in the mid
'70s --
and haven't been able to find the original negatives. I have no particular
memory of ever using B&W reversal film so I'd have to guess that I shot
B&W
negatives of the B&W negatives and then mounted them in slide mounts.

I'd love to scan them but so far the best I've been able to do with my
Nikon
ED V (5000) scanner is to do it on the "Kodachrome" setting and I get
weird
highlights. The other settings produced what I have to call
"unacceptable"
results.

Now I'm a novice with this scanner -- I only set it up about 3 hours
before
I tried scanning these pictures so I'm sure that there's a way to do it
that
I'm not yet aware of.

If anyone has experience with scanning B&W transparencies with this (or
any
similar) scanner, I'd love to hear about it.

TIA
Norm

Try scanning with the Positive film type. Then choose Grayscale.

Do not use Kodachrome unless you actually have slides that say Kodachrome.

Turn off Digital ICE if you get poor results. B&W film may have silver left
in the emulsion which interferes with Digital ICE.

 

[Charlie Hoffpauir]

I've got a few positive transparencies of pictures I took in the mid '70s --
and haven't been able to find the original negatives. I have no particular
memory of ever using B&W reversal film so I'd have to guess that I shot B&W
negatives of the B&W negatives and then mounted them in slide mounts.

I'd love to scan them but so far the best I've been able to do with my Nikon
ED V (5000) scanner is to do it on the "Kodachrome" setting and I get weird
highlights. The other settings produced what I have to call "unacceptable"
results.

Now I'm a novice with this scanner -- I only set it up about 3 hours before
I tried scanning these pictures so I'm sure that there's a way to do it that
I'm not yet aware of.

If anyone has experience with scanning B&W transparencies with this (or any
similar) scanner, I'd love to hear about it.

TIA
Norm

Norm,

I'd first try scanning them as if they were Black & white negatives
(which they are, if they are shots of negatives on B/W neg film), then
inverting in Photoshop (or whatever image editing program you have).

 

[Alan Browne]

I've got a few positive transparencies of pictures I took in the mid '70s --
and haven't been able to find the original negatives. I have no particular
memory of ever using B&W reversal film so I'd have to guess that I shot B&W
negatives of the B&W negatives and then mounted them in slide mounts.

I'd love to scan them but so far the best I've been able to do with my Nikon
ED V (5000) scanner is to do it on the "Kodachrome" setting and I get weird
highlights. The other settings produced what I have to call "unacceptable"
results.

What CSM1 and Charlie said.

note: B&W reversal film did exist and some people process B&W negatives
in a way that makes them reversals ... but you'd remember that!