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Glass negatives


farren

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  • RMweb Gold

I have some glass negatives of LNWR/LMS locomotives  but am unable to get copies made from the local shops and was wondering if anyone knows of any where I can send them to to have some positive produced to a good standard and  safely.

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A decent flat-bed scanner should be able to handle the negs, producing images which can then be converted to positives with photo manipulation software. I've had good results by this method with some glass plates inherited from my grandfather. Sadly he was an even worse photographer than I am so the resulting photographs were rubbish, but that wasn't the fault of the process :D.

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  • RMweb Gold

thank for your advice after having multiple goes ether may scanner is not that Decent or am not doing it right so i am still interested if any one can point me towards a company. 

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I use an Epson V700 flat bed scanner for glass quarter plates.  You need proper "masks" so the flatbed scanner can recognise the images.  The Epson has such although I still had to cut a smaller cardboard infill.  Much also depends on the software.  The Epson comes with Silverfast.  I scan at 300dpi to an image size of 20 inches for the longest dimension.  This yields publication quality images.  You will find debate around here that suggests higher figures for dpi, but I find this works: always remember that the definition is a combination of dpi and image size.  See the results on the weblink below my signature. I do indicate in some specific images which are from glass quarter plate.  If the negatives are of any age at all, you will also need decent photo editing software (Photoshop or Photoshop Elements) to clean the images up. 

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thank for your advice after having multiple goes ether may scanner is not that Decent or am not doing it right so i am still interested if any one can point me towards a company. 

 

It has to be a "photo" type scanner – one with a secondary light source in the lid – like the various Epson V series

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  • RMweb Gold

i see this could be the reason why i just get a black mess i need a better scanner all together. i won't say how i did this but i thought i would share one pic has i own the negative.post-12485-0-76649800-1399542077.jpg 

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  • 1 month later...

Don't bother with a flatbed scanner. Use a digital SLR and lay the masked-off plate on a light box; much better results. I realise that you probably don't have this equipment but maybe a friend might? Or approach a local museum or high street photographer... Of course if you could get them to central London I'd shoot them for you for free  :)

 

Dudley

(I work as a photographer in a national museum where we handle hundreds of original glass plates).

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  • 9 months later...

i see this could be the reason why i just get a black mess i need a better scanner all together. i won't say how i did this but i thought i would share one pic has i own the negative.attachicon.gifLNWR London North Western Railway Steam Loco 3022 1920s.jpg

Hi,

It looks to me taht the DPI is not high enough for getting the best from the neg. Also you have a 'scanner jump' just in front of the cab (look closely at the handrail)

 

Cheers Tony

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