Does scanning film negatives upside down reduce image quality?
Asked 7/21/2017
5 views
2 answers
0
I scanned some 35mm and medium-format negatives on a Nikon CoolScan and Epson V500/V550. A few were accidentally scanned with the film upside down, so the resulting images are mirrored. If I flip them later in Photoshop, will they have the same quality as if they were scanned the correct way up, or should I rescan them? I'm mainly concerned about sharpness, color, channels, and detail. Does the answer differ for flatbed draft scans versus higher-quality scans?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
5
It depends on what you were scanning and at what resolution, but in general you're missing out on a small amount of sharpness by scanning them upside down. However, if the scanned images look fine, it probably isn't worth the trouble to scan them again.
The main issue with scanning them upside down (film base down) is that you might put the emulsion layers out of reach of focus for the scanner. The stock trays that come with Epson scanners put the film at the correct distance so that they can be scanned in focus, whether right side up or upside-down. But if you were scanning on third-party trays or thicker mediums like glass plates, you might have issues with the scanner maintaining focus during a scan, as the registration distance for film scanning is within a millimeter range a few millimeters above the scanning bed. It's more likely you would have bad scans caused by film curling in the trays than film orientation.
For the scans done on the flatbed, the same issue exists, but the maximum dpi direct from the flatbed is considerably lower (reputed to be about 600 dpi) than it is for medium scanned in the tray. You'll be less likely to notice a loss of sharpness here. If they're drafts, say, like contact sheets, you probably don't need to rescan these either. In addition, you might run into newton's rings in your scans by scanning directly against the bed.
Anecdotally, myself, I've intentionally flipped some negatives/film when scanning if the emulsion side has a lot of issues (severe scratches, fine embedded dust, rinse marks) or the film doesn't lay flat enough the correct side up in the tray. Some issues are just too difficult to fix and it usually proved faster to just get some reasonable scan done first to get a closer look at the image before committing to fixing the film for a final scan.
Originally by user19985. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user19985
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Usually, no major quality is lost just because the scan is mirrored. If the scan looks sharp and normal, you can usually just flip it in Photoshop and keep using it.
The one possible difference is sharpness: scanning film upside down can place the emulsion slightly farther from the scanner’s plane of focus, so on some scanners you may get a small loss of focus. This matters more with very high-quality, high-resolution scanning. On typical flatbeds like the Epson V500/V550, the difference is generally negligible. With standard holders, many scanners are designed so either orientation still scans at the intended height.
So:
- If the image looks fine, it probably is fine.
- You are not losing color channels or detail just because the image is mirrored.
- Flipping the image later does not itself reduce quality, as long as you avoid repeated JPEG resaves. For best preservation, save edits as TIFF or another lossless format.
Rescan only if you can actually see a softness problem or if you need the absolute maximum sharpness from a high-end scan.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI9y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Should I buy a dedicated 35mm film scanner or use a service for scanning old slides and negatives?
Is it worth paying extra for TIFF scans instead of JPEG when scanning 35mm negatives?
What causes circular spots on black-and-white negatives after developing and scanning?
How can I safely digitize old glass plate negatives with a flatbed scanner?
Can I digitize film negatives without a backlit scanner using a light table or phone?