# Adjusting film carrier height



## Josh66 (Mar 8, 2011)

I didn't want to hi-jack this thread more than it already has been...  So, new thread.

OK, so I have an Epson V600, and I've been trying to get the focus better as suggested by djacobox372 in the other thread.

I picked a pretty old strip of film (Efke KB50) to make sure it was nice and flat...
So far, the scan with no tape looks the best.  So - I'm thinking that the carrier actually needs to be lowered...  It's pretty clear to me that the more tape I add, the worse it gets.

Here's a screen shot of 3 100% crops - 6 layers of tape, 3 layers, and no tape.:



Scanner focus test by J E, on Flickr
Link to full size version:  http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5016/5509759522_6bf56d20f9_o.jpg

No sharpening or any PP of any kind done to them.  The scanner software only sharpens when using the flatbed, the option isn't even there when using the top unit so I don't think any sharpening is being applied in scanner either.  If it is, there's noting I can do about it anyway...


At this point, I think I'm just going to pull the tape off and use it like I always have before...  


Hmm...  I just had an idea.  OK, so the carrier needs to go down, but it can't...  I can shim the lid up instead.  It has that hinge that allows it to scan books, so I will be able to shim it and still keep it parallel.


I guess that's the plan now.  I'm going to take all of the tape off of the carrier and start adding layers to the lid.

Anyone have a better idea?        .


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## Josh66 (Mar 8, 2011)

OK, pretty much the same results shimming the lid up...




Scanner focus test 2 by J E, on Flickr

It took 9 layers to fill the gap under the lid, so 10 layers = 1 and 12 = 3.  The scan with no tape still looks the best to me.

I'm going to just say that it's as close as it's going to get already...  This film was extremely flat - no curve at all.  The thickness of one layer of tape (.006" - yes, I actually measured it) was too much to get it adjusted...

So I need to either live with it, or get thinner tape...


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## Josh66 (Mar 8, 2011)

OK, 9 layers of tape (to fill the gap under the lid) = .054.  I can make an aluminum frame for it at work out of some .050 aluminum (I would probably use 7075-T6 for that), and add thinner tape to that...


What I'm wondering though, is - is it even worth the hassle?  How much improvement would we be talking about?

If you need to see what I'm doing now with no adjustment, go to my Flickr (link in sig), and look at the 'Film' Collection on my photostream.  Lots of different films, with lots of different subjects.  Almost everything has been uploaded at full size, you you can view it at 100% too.



Considering that I have never done any sharpening to any of them (they didn't really seem to need it), I'm thinking I'll leave it as is and just add sharpening to my workflow...

It does piss me off a little that I can't get it 'perfect', but I think it's pretty good as it is now.


Ideas?


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## djacobox372 (Mar 8, 2011)

It's looks like your scanner is adjusted just right and the differences in results that I pointed out are due to the V700 being a higher native resolution scanner.  This site compares the two and it looks like the differences are about equal to what I was attributing to focus: Epson V600 scanner

Sorry if I sent you on a wild-goose chase.


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## Josh66 (Mar 8, 2011)

djacobox372 said:


> Sorry if I sent you on a wild-goose chase.


 No problem.  You did raise another question for me though...

I've been scanning at 3200 dpi.  4800 is the highest I ever go if I think I'll need that particular frame in a very large size.  I can go up to 6400 or 9600 though...  Would that make a difference?

Those would be very huge files, and I think my computer and GIMP would have trouble opening them...  

4800 is plenty big for me - that's approximately 6000x9000 pixels.


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## Josh66 (Mar 8, 2011)

Nevermind - just re-read your post and it makes more sense now.


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