Nikon – Kodachrome mess

From: (Don)

I need a couple of sets from a Nikon film scanner claiming to do Kodachrome slides (I believe 8000 is one of them).

Having initialized all Nikon Scan settings to neutral (no analog gain, flat curves, etc) please save one of each:
1. a Positive set
2. a Positive – Kodachrome set

Here’s a temporary email address to send it to:

It’s a lot to ask, I know, but Nikon is no help and I will never buy a Nikon product again…

Turn off Digital Ice, which doesn’t work with Kodachromes (on the Nikon scanners I’ve used — LS 2000 and LS 8000). See if that helps.

I don’t scan much Kodachrome (shoot mostly Velvia but have some 1990-ish K-25 and K-64 trannies) but it seems to scan fine with my 8000.

Bill

On 08 Dec 2003 15:05:38 GMT, (Bill Hilton)
wrote:

From: (Don)

I need a couple of sets from a Nikon film scanner claiming to do Kodachrome slides (I believe 8000 is one of them).

Having initialized all Nikon Scan settings to neutral (no analog gain, flat curves, etc) please save one of each:
1. a Positive set
2. a Positive – Kodachrome set

Here’s a temporary email address to send it to:

It’s a lot to ask, I know, but Nikon is no help and I will never buy a Nikon product again…

Turn off Digital Ice, which doesn’t work with Kodachromes (on the Nikon scanners I’ve used — LS 2000 and LS 8000). See if that helps.
I don’t scan much Kodachrome (shoot mostly Velvia but have some 1990-ish K-25 and K-64 trannies) but it seems to scan fine with my 8000.
Bill

Unfortunately, all I have here is an LS-30 which just doesn’t do Kodakchrome so I’m trying to push it as far as I can. Digital ICE is off, but I really need a way to calibrate the LS-30 for Kodachrome.

It’s a mess… I’ve been at this for about 9 months now, had a round with Nikon support (3 months right there) but in the end it got absolutely nowhere…

I tried getting a color chart slide from Kodak to do the calibration myself but all they have is Ectachrome…

So, my last attempt is to get the above two sets and figure out the compensation.

Failing that I’ll take a crowbar to the LS-30 and vent all this frustration which has been slowly building up…

And never buy a Nikon product again!

Don.

From: (Don)

I really need a way to calibrate the LS-30 for Kodachrome
I tried getting a color chart slide from Kodak to do the calibration myself but all they have is Ectachrome…

You can try Wolf Faust, he doesn’t list a Kodachrome IT8 target but I think he can make one quickly and his prices are very good.

http://www.targets.coloraid.de/

Bill

In article ,
(Don) wrote:

[…]
And never buy a Nikon product again!

Will another scanner really do a better job? Is the problem perhaps the extreme dmax of Kodachrome? I don’t know, but it is a thought.

On 09 Dec 2003 02:40:07 GMT, (Bill Hilton)
wrote:

From: (Don)

I really need a way to calibrate the LS-30 for Kodachrome
I tried getting a color chart slide from Kodak to do the calibration myself but all they have is Ectachrome…

You can try Wolf Faust, he doesn’t list a Kodachrome IT8 target but I think he can make one quickly and his prices are very good.

http://www.targets.coloraid.de/

Bill

Thanks for the tip, Bill.

In theory I could do an IT8 target myself too, but I wanted a genuine article from Kodak as they have all the necessary hardware.

Don.

On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 21:34:38 -0600, (jjs) wrote:

In article ,
(Don) wrote:

[…]
And never buy a Nikon product again!

Will another scanner really do a better job?

Yes! More recent Nikon’s own scanners claim to do Kodakchrome. I understand there is even a separate setting for Kodachrome.

Is the problem perhaps the
extreme dmax of Kodachrome? I don’t know, but it is a thought.

Dark scans are only a part of the problem. A much more troublesome one is the heavy blue cast.

What ticks me off is that Nikon has been refusing to even admit there was a problem, instead blaming everything and everyone. I even sent a slide in but they got worse results than what I’ve been getting…

On a related subject, I decided to upgrade the firmware on my Nikon CoolScan and it refuses to do it! Wrote to Nikon, and their advice is – are you ready for it – download the firmware!!!
They don’t even read the emails, but just spew nonsense back…

So, I’m really fed up with Nikon!

What’s sad is that I always used to look up to Nikon. Back in the analog days I considered my Canon A1 to be a "poor man’s Nikon".

Ah, the naivete of youth… Now that I’m a grumpy old man, I know better… ;o)

Don.

"Don" wrote in message

[…]

So, I’m really fed up with Nikon!

What’s sad is that I always used to look up to Nikon. Back in the analog days I considered my Canon A1 to be a "poor man’s Nikon".
Ah, the naivete of youth… Now that I’m a grumpy old man, I know better… ;o)

Well, that doesn’t brighten my day. I have an 8000ed on order. And I’m certainly meet the age requisite too. Bummer!

From: "jjs"

Well, that doesn’t brighten my day. I have an 8000ed on order.

The 8000 does fine with Kodachrome, at least with the dozen or so frames I’ve scanned, mostly medium format K-64. It even has a separate setting just for Kodachromes.

Bill

On 09 Dec 2003 02:40:07 GMT, (Bill Hilton)
wrote:

From: (Don)

I really need a way to calibrate the LS-30 for Kodachrome
I tried getting a color chart slide from Kodak to do the calibration myself but all they have is Ectachrome…

You can try Wolf Faust, he doesn’t list a Kodachrome IT8 target but I think he can make one quickly and his prices are very good.

http://www.targets.coloraid.de/

Bill

Thanks for the tip, Bill.

In theory I could do an IT8 target myself too, but I wanted a genuine article from Kodak as they have all the necessary hardware.

Don.

On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 21:34:38 -0600, (jjs) wrote:

In article ,
(Don) wrote:

[…]
And never buy a Nikon product again!

Will another scanner really do a better job?

Yes! More recent Nikon’s own scanners claim to do Kodakchrome. I understand there is even a separate setting for Kodachrome.

Is the problem perhaps the
extreme dmax of Kodachrome? I don’t know, but it is a thought.

Dark scans are only a part of the problem. A much more troublesome one is the heavy blue cast.

What ticks me off is that Nikon has been refusing to even admit there was a problem, instead blaming everything and everyone. I even sent a slide in but they got worse results than what I’ve been getting…

On a related subject, I decided to upgrade the firmware on my Nikon CoolScan and it refuses to do it! Wrote to Nikon, and their advice is – are you ready for it – download the firmware!!!
They don’t even read the emails, but just spew nonsense back…

So, I’m really fed up with Nikon!

What’s sad is that I always used to look up to Nikon. Back in the analog days I considered my Canon A1 to be a "poor man’s Nikon".

Ah, the naivete of youth… Now that I’m a grumpy old man, I know better… ;o)

Don.

On 09 Dec 2003 22:07:03 GMT, (Bill Hilton)
wrote:

From: "jjs"

Well, that doesn’t brighten my day. I have an 8000ed on order.

The 8000 does fine with Kodachrome, at least with the dozen or so frames I’ve scanned, mostly medium format K-64. It even has a separate setting just for Kodachromes.

Yes, that’s exactly what I’m after!

Could I bother you, Bill, to send me the two sets I asked about on top?

All other settings at neutral (analog gain, curves, etc), then one set with regular positive settings selected and the other with Kodachrome settings selected.

Here’s a temporary email:

It would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Don.

Dark scans are only a part of the problem. A much more troublesome one is the heavy blue cast.

It’s nominally for the LS2000 but should also work with the LS30:-

http://www.marginalsoftware.com/LS2000Notes/casestudyI/scann ing_kodachrome_on_the_nikon_caseI.htm

Andrew

On Wed, 10 Dec 2003 16:23:23 -0000, "Andrew Morton" wrote:

Dark scans are only a part of the problem. A much more troublesome one is the heavy blue cast.

It’s nominally for the LS2000 but should also work with the LS30:-
http://www.marginalsoftware.com/LS2000Notes/casestudyI/scann ing_kodachrome_on_the_nikon_caseI.htm
Andrew

Thanks, Andrew!

Don.