From Imacon scans 3f Raw to digital.

[TribeArts]

Hi all.

This is my first post. Firstly a big thanks to Peter for writing the book. Felt like it plopped into my life just when I needed it. I have loads of questions at the moment but I will try to keep to the DNG stuff here.

I currently scan 4 by 5 and medium format film on an Imacon scanner to make fff, (aka 3f raw files). I am interested in the DNG file as an archive master file.

Suposedly I can turn my fff files into DNG files. However I must be missing something here as I cannot see how this is done. I cannot see an option for this in Flexcolour, despite this being a stated ability. I wonder if Flexcolour can only export the 3f raw files to DNG if they originate from a camera rather than from a scanner (hasselblad for example). I cannot seem to find the answer to this.

I will be shooting film for some time. I may shortly have the option of digital capture for some work (it doesn't seem to make sense to use film for work for stock anymore), but it will not replace my film fully for a good long time so I need to work out my options for archive master files.

I am about to switch to i-view mediapro as it seems a better choice for me than Portfolio.

I am not just wondering about fff to DNG due to the advantages of DNG, but also because I don't know if iview will be able to preview fff files. I certainly seem to remember Portfolio was thrown for a loop in terms of previewing them. The crux of it is that I want to be able to integrate my fff files into my workflow from within iview. However if iview can catalogue them but not preview them, then I will have to use flexcolour to 'interact' with these files seperately to the Tiffs (that are generated from them and subsequently handled in bridge/photoshop/iview).

I wonder if the lack of DNG export from Flexcolour is due to the fact that on my computer it is installed as a 'scanner only' configuration. I remember previous installations where I was asked if I wanted to install it as 'scanner only' or 'scanner and camera'. I recenlty had to reinstall (windows fell on its face.... again...     ) and I was not given any option this time around.

I suppose I better send the same query to Hasselblad/Imacon, but wanted to ask for thoughts here.

Right, that's it.

Thanks.

Despite the above, I am smiling today as there is a UPS driver somewhere between here and Edinburgh, and on his truck is an iMac. Should be here today. 

[peterkrogh]

I can't answer the fff questions since I'm not an Imacon user, but I know several do come by withh some regularity.  I see why you might want them.

As I recall, there may be a reason to be careful with these files in Bridge.  I think it was 3f files that got corrupted in Bridge when metadata was added, since the header tag said it is a TIFF, when it really is not.

Check out the iView forum, or the Imacon help site and let us know what you find out.

Peter

[TribeArts]

Hi Peter,

Wow, quick reply.

Love the fact that the forum is active.

Will check it out. The whole issue of the transition for people not shooting full digital seems to be somewhat ignored by software companies, apple, adobe etc. (Lightroom, aperture.....) Maybe a something to consider for the next edition of your book... 

Thanks again,

Neil Tribe.

[TribeArts]

Just back with an update. I asked Hassleblad about converting 3f raw scans from the imacon scanner to DNG and they confirm that it cannot be done. Only the fff raw files from the digital capture backs  contain the exif data needed. I received a reply asking why I should want to do this and I sent them a reply explaining the issue, but no reply since then.

I was deciding whether to buy a scsi to firewire converter for the scanner but given the news about fff to DNG I think what I will do is to buy a used Mac G4 to run the scanner (used to run off of a pc with scsi card). I think I will attatch a big drive box to the G4 and connect the G4 to my main computer, an iMac 20" with a direct ethernet link or via a gigabit switch. The scans will live on the G4 and I will process them to tiffs and move them over to the iMac.

It's a shame also that the 3fs don't seem to preview with thumbnails in finder or Bridge, but show with the file type logo.

[peterkrogh]

The question as to why DNG is a good one. Right now, there are fewer good reasons for scanned files. Since they are not mosaiced like camera files, the preview needs are less, and the file size saving compared to TIFF is much less. 

When DNG supports multiple versions, however, there will be good reason to want scanned files in that format.

As I understand, the fff format is a funky TIFF file, one where the file header calls it a TIFF, even though it is a custom variation.  I think Bridge had a bad problem with this mismatch in prior versions.  I wonder if they really do not put a preview in the file, or if it is just hard to find.  Seems inexplicable not to put an easily accessed full-res preview in a file like this.
Peter

[TribeArts]

Hi Peter,

Yeah it makes no sense. And I will be using film for some time. I have friends using pro DSLR cameras and others using Phase One backs. I can see myself using the slr hardware in the next couple of years to try to produce images for stock without the overhead of running the film through the jobo then the scanner, but for my my fine art work there is no competitor to film that I can afford. I loved the clarity of the Phase One captures but that equipment is not affordable to me at present. Add to that the wonderfull advances in film quality in recent years!

I am trying to keep in mind the idea of making my workflow 'portable'. In the future it must cope with scans/digital capture, and maybe then just digital.

I love the 3f raw files. However I need to use software that does not currently preview them or access their metadata. I think I have a reasonable solution. I will do low resolution prescans of all film exposure from a batch of work, in sequence. These will be named appropriately i.e Tribe_070706_1423. I will scan these as Tiffs rather than 3f raw. These will go into the rating/sorting/keywording workflow in Bridge in my Working Files folder.

As I come to work on the first of the best rated images, I will simply make full size imacon 3fr scans. The full size scans will go to the Original Files folder/buckets as Tribe_070706_1423. This file is 'processed' out to a full resolution tiff file Tribe_070706_1423Master which I will work on in Photoshop at which time it will 'live' in the Working Files folders. When work on the image is complete it will be moved to my Derivative Files folder/buckets.

I can't tell you how much clearer my head is since I adopted your non content based data structure. Stuff that I am working on is in 'Working Files', when I am finished with an image it moves to its permanent home in 'Derivative' Files in the Archive, and I know that all of the files in 'Original Files' are raw scans.

I cringe to think of all the wasted time previously spent creating and adjusting content based folders.

Also, thanks to the new computer (iMac 2GHz with 2GB RAM) I am now working with just one full resolution file. With 16bit scans and lots of adjustment layers my old computer couldn't cope and I had to use work-arounds that lead to multiple versions of files until an image was finished. I also see the value of appending to a file name but not changing it during the life of the file. If I type Tribe_070706_1423 into a finder spotlight searches, up pops all derivations of the file.

Thanks Peter...!

Regards to all.

Neil.