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The debate over scanning flat vs scanning with a film holder is driving me nuts
I've been shooting film for about 4 years now, and I keep going back and forth on how to scan my negatives. A buddy of mine insists that flat scanning is the way to go, just lay the negative strip on the scanner glass with some anti-Newton glass on top. He says it gives sharper results because there's less glass between the lens and the film. But another photographer I met at a meetup in Chicago last spring swears by using a dedicated film holder. He says the holder keeps the film perfectly flat and reduces reflections, which matters a lot with color negative film. I tried the flat method on a roll of Portra 400 from my trip to the coast last fall, and I got some weird newton rings on a couple frames. But when I use the holder, I feel like the edges of the frame are softer. What's your take? Do you prefer laying the film flat on the glass or using a holder for scanning at home?
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reed.eva18d ago
Holders actually can cause soft edges if they don't keep the film at the right height. I've seen people shim their holders with little pieces of tape to get the film closer to the glass, but that's hacky. The real trick with flat scanning is to use a piece of really clean anti-Newton glass and make sure your scanner glass is spotless, not just a quick wipe. I had a roll of Ektar 100 from a trip to the mountains that gave me newton rings on three frames because I was lazy about cleaning, lol. So it's not really one versus the other, it's more about what your specific gear and shooting style needs.
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