Kodak A2-K Dust And Static Removal Unit

Identification plate on front of unit.

Here's an odd piece of darkroom history: The Kodak A2-K Dust And Static Removal Unit. There isn't much information about them available online, but from what I can gather Kodak made a few variations of this unit for professional darkrooms. My model is the standard configuration: a 10-in. tall tower with horse camelhair bristles attached to an air ionizer unit in the base. The ionized air is blown through the tower and film is passed through the gate to remove dust. The unit was designed to eliminate dust on negatives before making enlargements. I was in the market for a film drying cabinet when I came across this and figured it'd be useful for all the film scanning I do. After a quick blast of canned air to clean out the camelhair bristles I could watch the dust fall right off as my negatives passed through the gate.

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The other accessory for the A2-K was a camelhair brush that attached to the black terminal seen in the photo above. The tower can accommodate up to 8x10 negatives (a format I don't shoot... yet) but the brush was designed to spot clean film. These machines are pretty rare so I doubt I'll be able to find the brush accessory but I've had great results from the tower alone. I'd like to have the entrance gates on the other side of the unit refinished as they've become pitted over the years and could potentially scratch the film. I don't want to tear it apart without some guidance so this might be a project for another day, but in the meantime I'll appreciate having less dust on my scans to deal with.

35MM & 120 film with EPSON Scan

In the world of flatbed scanners, there are a lot of options for the software that runs the show. Some popular software options for the most common flatbed scanners are EPSON Scan, ViewScan, and SilverFast. I use EPSON Scan for my film on MacOS with a V600. I decided to write this post as a way to help out analog shooters getting started with film scanning since the options can be pretty daunting. Many photographers start scanning with the V600 because it's a great mix of convenience, quality, and cost. Look at the following screenshots; the numbers in this post correspond with what you need to click.

Using epson scan for 35mm & 120 film

To scan film, you'll need to remove the reflective document backing on the lid of the scanner. Open the scanner and pull up on the white cover under the top lid. It'll slide off and you'll see a clear strip of glass. This is needed to light your negative so the scanner can see the film. Run some compressed air over the scanner bed and load your film into the tray. The emulsion (opaque) side of your film should be facing up for both 35mm and 120 film.

Dust and curling film are the biggest threats in the scanning process. Flat film will always makes better scans, and extremely curly film can cause unsightly marks on the finished product. If you have the chance, pick up an antistatic cloth from Ilford to help control dust. Gently wipe the negatives with the cloth and remove any dust left over with compressed air before putting the film holder on the scanning bed. Dust on 120 film isn't terrible but it can ruin 35mm scans.

Place your loaded film holder on the scanning glass and line up the "A" tab with the corresponding spot for 35mm film or the "B" tab for 120 film . This tells the scanner what film holder you have and what size negative it should look for. Open the EPSON Scan software and select "Professional Mode" (1) from the dropdown in the top right of the window. Use the following settings (not saying these are the best, but it's what I use):

- (2) Document Type: Film
- (3) Film Type: Color Negative Film (or B&W Negative Film)
- (4) Image Type: 48-bit Color (16-bit Grayscale for B&W)
- (5) Resolution: 3200 dpi
- (6) Unsharp Mask: On

The unsharp mask is subjective, but I find scans without it can't be salvaged in Lightroom. Digital ICE is something you might want to consider using (this only works on color negatives) but it'll increase scan time. It works by using an infrared light to find and fix scratches on the negative, but I prefer to do that myself in Photoshop.

Look at the bottom of the EPSON Scan window and click "Configuration" (7). There's some things you'll want to change for a better preview scan to work with. Go to the "Preview" tab and set these options:

- Quality Preview (check this box)
- Thumbnail Cropping Area (move slider to "Small")

Quality Preview gives you a better idea of what your scans will look like in the next step, and setting the thumbnail cropping to "Small" will make the program trim the least amount of your image when scanning. You don't have to do this every time as your settings will save.

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Click "Preview" (8). This will give you an overview of the negatives you put on the scanner. Go frame by frame and look at the images. Under the "Frame" (9) heading there's tools to rotate and flip your images if some of them aren't oriented correctly. You can also do this in Lightroom/Photoshop, but I usually just do it in the Preview window.

Next, you'll want to check the exposure of your images. Under the "Size" (10) heading, change the preview to show individual images. In the EPSON Scan panel, find the button that looks like a histogram (11). Click through your images and use the histogram tool to set the white and black points if they need adjustment. The button to the left of the histogram resets the automatic exposure, in case you need to undo your settings. Now that your images are loaded, correctly exposed, and free from dust it's time to scan. Go back to the multiple images view and click "Scan" (12). Change the file type to TIFF (*.tif), select your output destination, and click "OK". Let the scanner work its magic and soon you'll have high quality images to work with in Lightroom/Photoshop.

Kentmere 400 | Budget B&W Film

Film isn't cheap. C-41 color film is more expensive than black & white, Portra is more than Superia, and Tri-X is more than HP5+. What if you're strapped for cash or just don't want to waste a roll of Tri-X testing out those light seals you just replaced? I recently sent my Pentax ME Super off to Eric Hendrickson for recalibration and replaced the light seals myself over the weekend with a kit from USCamera. Not wanting to waste a roll of Tri-X on photos that might not even turn out right, I reached for a roll of Kentmere 400. I discovered Kentmere 400 film in September when I decided to pick up two rolls of the cheapest black & white film I could find at B&H.

Note: I recently revisited Kentmere 400 in a recent blog post - check it out here!

As of November 2017, Kentmere 400 is the second least expensive 35mm black & white film you can buy at B&H (it's 10¢ more expensive than Arista 400). I paid $3.49 a roll at B&H in September when I made my yearly film order. The film is manufactured by Ilford, makers of the more popular HP5+. I've read that the beginning and end of HP5+ batches aren't up to Ilford's standards, so they're rebranded as Kentmere film. I had high hopes for the film when I loaded it into my AE-1 Program, ready to spend a day shooting around NYC to test the film.

I wasn't overwhelmed by this film, but it sure beat my expectations. The grain structure isn't well defined like more expensive films but it records lots of detail in the shadows which can be brought out later in Photoshop and Lightroom. The film feels "mushy", it's hard to describe. I did my best to shoot with a variety of lenses and lighting conditions, and you can see the results below. This roll was developed in Sprint 9+1 for 11 min 30 sec.

Overall, I would buy this film again. In fact I have two rolls of it right now in my film fridge. It's a good black & white film for testing out concepts for an upcoming project or to just have fun with your cameras. The grain isn't amazing and the images are a bit mushy, but what more can you expect from such a low price point? The bottom line is I don't feel bad about exposing a roll of Kentmere 400 just for fun. I need a good reason to shoot film because I feel like I'm otherwise throwing money away. The few rolls of Kentmere I've shot have been predictably similar in performance, which is good news for photographers that are used to the consistency of Kodak films. Look below for a side-by-side comparison of Kentmere, HP5+, Tri-X, and T-Max at ASA 400.

Review | Epson V600

Film isn't the most expensive part of analog photography and neither is the camera. Most film bodies go for around $100 and lower, and come coupled with a fast 50mm prime. Even development isn't expensive if you shoot black and white film. When you do the math using Kodak products like I do, you're spending about $1-2 per roll to develop the film. Scanning is by far the most expensive part of film development if you use a lab. For example, scanning your film with a professional service like the one near me in Columbus costs $18 per roll for 3200 dpi scans. You'd only have to shoot and scan about 11 rolls of film to break even, assuming you bought a V600 brand new at $200. With prices like that, the savings quickly add up when scanning at home. But which type of scanner is right for you?

Dedicate vs Flatbed Film Scanners

When I started shooting film I had two amazing scanners at my disposal - an Epson V750 and a Hasselblad X1. The Hasselblad scans a single frame at a time but can resolve an amazing amount of detail. The machine was complicated to use but produced results on par with lab scanning... which explains the $15,000 price tag. The Epson V750, on the other hand, could scan 24 frames per film holder at about the same speed as the X1. The biggest difference between the two was that I could set up a film holder on the Epson, make my adjustments, and walk away while it scanned the negatives. Both dedicated and flatbed scanners have their pros and cons, which I've outlined below.

Dedicated Film Scanners

There's a lot of options in this range, especially if you're only going to scan 35mm film. When I went looking for a film scanner, I ended up deciding between a Plustek dedicated scanner or an Epson flatbed. There's really no way around it: dedicated scanners will produce better results than flatbed scanners. They scan frame by frame, often requiring the user to manually advance the film holder. There are three main issues I had with these dedicated scanners: they only accept one format, require the user to manually advance the filmstrip, and can only hold one strip of negatives at a time. More advanced scanners have features that negate some of these issues, but they're far from the $200-300 price point I was looking for. If time isn't a concern and you want the best quality scans possible, a dedicated scanner is a good option.

Flatbed Scanners

Flatbed scanners are versatile. They'll scan documents and film of varying sizes, with the higher end scanners taking everything from 35mm to large format. They use specialized holders which flatten the film and automatically identify individual what type of film you have on the scanning bed. In Epson's case, this allows you to set up multiple strips of film, make adjustments, and let the scanner do its work - no manual advance needed. Flatbed scanners won't give you the same quality image as a comparable dedicated scanner, but will allow you to scan multiple formats and more exposures at one time.

A Note on Digital ICE - Digital ICE can be useful when scanning color negatives. It scans the film with an infrared laser to identify scratches on the negatives and makes the appropriate corrections to the final result. This technology is useful for color film but doesn't work for black and white. If you're looking to save some money on a dedicated film scanner, and shoot primarily black and white film, look for a scanner without this technology. Plustek specifically sells a model without Digital ICE, and it'll save you a bit of money.

Epson v600

The Epson Perfection V600 Photo is Epson's entry tier photo scanner, coming in around $200 on most sites like Amazon. This scanner can handle documents, 35mm, slide, and 120 film. Everything you need to scan is included in the box and setup is a breeze. The V600 uses the included film holders and EPSON Scan software to automatically identify the type of negative you're scanning and the individual frames. The scanner is a bit too small for large format so photographers with 4x6 or 8x10 negatives will need to look to the V600's older brothers, the V750 and V850.

The following negative holders are included with your purchase:

  • 35mm / film slides - Holds 4 slides or 12 35mm frames (2 strips of 6 frames)

  • 120 film - Up to 4 frames of 6x4.5 or 3 frames of 6x6

The process of scanning film with the V600 is easy and it's the primary reason I love this scanner. I use EPSON Scan which is the default scanning software provided by Epson. Other alternatives like Silverfast exist but I'm just not a fan of their interface, and I've been working with EPSON Scan since I first started scanning film with my college's V750.

This is the process I use to scan 35mm and 120 film:

  1. Load the film into the negative holder emulsion side up (the matte side of the film)

  2. Run anti-static cloth over negatives, dust off with compressed air to remove any visible dust

  3. Dust off scanner bed with compressed air and check for finger prints

  4. Remove the document backing from the scanner lid (if applicable), place negative holder onto V600 scanner bed

  5. Close the scanner lid and start up EPSON Scan

Once in EPSON Scan, I prefer to scan my negatives at 3200 dpi (16 bit grayscale for black & white and 48 bit color for C-41). In my testing, anything beyond 3200 dpi hasn't produced a noticeable improvement in image quality. The V600 only has a real dpi of around 1500 dpi, so anything beyond 3200 dpi is a waste.

My favorite thing about the V600 is that I can preview 12 images, make my adjustments, then leave the scanner alone while I work on something else. I don't have to manually advance the film or make adjustments as I go which frees up time for me to get other things done. Scanning film isn't a quick process by any means and the ability to make dinner while my film scans is valuable when I'm stretched for time. Note that I have printed my scans before, but I wouldn't recommend printing larger than 8x10. I'd recommend the V600 for anybody who's looking to do their own scans at home without spending too much on a scanner. Look below for some examples of the different film stocks I've scanned on the V600.

Sample Images

Manfrotto Pixi Mini

When you're out backpacking, the weight of everything you carry really adds up. I'm always on the lookout for ways to cut back on the weight of things I take with me when out shooting or hiking. One of my heaviest pieces of camera gear which I commonly pack is my MeFoto Backpacker tripod. It's a little shorter than a standard tripod, but its total weight of 2.5 lbs. is comparable to the full size Manfrotto BeFree at half the price. The versatility of the Mefoto is great to have when I know I'll be doing long exposures, but it's just too heavy to take backpacking without a good reason to do so. It also has a tall minimum height, making true low angle shooting a challenge. Naturally I've been looking for ways to remove it from my pack when I found my latest purchase: the Manfrotto Pixi Mini tripod.

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Build Quality

The body is a combination of plastic and metal, and overall it feels quite solid. The tripod is hefty enough to keep my D5500 and 18-140mm lens stable on a flat surface. It becomes a little unstable when the lens is extended all the way out to 140mm, but I rarely find myself shooting at that focal length and the Pixi. The 3/8 in. screw on the top of the tripod is designed to fit directly into the bottom socket of a camera as opposed to an Arca-Swiss plate like most other tripods. The ball head can be adjusted by pressing the red button on the front of the tripod and swiveling the camera to its desired position. It takes a lot of force to actuate the button, but the ball head moves quite freely once a camera is mounted on the tripod. Little rubber feet on the bottom of the tripod keep it from sliding around when on slick surfaces like a desk.

Backpacking

My main reason for buying this tripod was to replace my current full size tripod for multi-day trips. After a few months of testing, it seems like a very capable replacement. I used to pack a tripod only when I knew there were waterfalls or other features that I'd need ND filters for, but now I can always have a tripod on me whether on the trail or in the city. Its smaller size saves on weight but makes some shots challenging due to the low profile of the tripod. You have to plan your shot more when using the Pixi and work with the landscape by finding the best vantage point given the tripod's low height.

If there's a shot I want which I can't get at the time with the Manfrotto Pixi, I'll just come back at a later time with my other tripod. The Pixi works in a pinch and saves a ton of weight in my pack, so I'm willing to sacrifice some versatility for an item I use once or twice on a trip. Below is a shot that I took with the Pixi suspended over the stream on a fallen tree.

I've also used it extensively on day hikes where photography wasn't my primary goal for the trip. It fits conveniently in the top of my LowePro camera bag and leaves the side pocket free for a 1L Smart water bottle. I can throw it in my backpack or whatever bag I'm carrying. Since it's so light, I'm more likely to bring it along when I'm just walking around shooting. In my experience, it's better to have a small tripod than none at all.

Blogging

The other reason I chose this tripod as an alternative to my MeFoto Backpacker was because I knew I'd use it for blogging. The minimum height on my MeFoto is 17.3 in. vs. 5.31 in. with the Manfrotto Pixi, so the Pixi has the clear advantage for low angle shots. A lot of the products I review on this blog are best photographed on a table, which requires a tripod with a low minimum height to get up close with my 40mm macro lens. My lighting situation isn't always the best for the products I shoot, so the added stability lets me take longer exposures and achieve a greater depth of field than I could obtain shooting handheld.

Macro Photography

Finally, macro work with my 40mm f/2.8 lens has greatly. I've been working more with intimate landscapes this year and use the Pixi to create "macro landscapes". Bugs don't particularly interest me and my subjects (trees, brush, flowers, etc.) don't get scared off if I'm on top of them with my tripod and lens. The Pixi allows me to take long exposures at f/16 without having to increase my ISO. A lot of these macro landscapes require a low viewpoint, which is perfect with the Pixi. Both shots below were taken with my 40mm f/2.8 and the Manfrotto Pixi.

Summary

If you're looking for a light, low angle capable tripod then look no further. The Manfrotto Pixi isn't a total replacement for a full-sized tripod but it's found a place in my bag on almost every shoot. I use it for intimate landscapes, product photography for this blog, and as a lightweight alternative to my full sized MeFoto. It's handy both as a tabletop tripod and as a hiking companion. It's currently priced at $25 on Manfrotto's website but I bought mine on Amazon. Consider picking one up if you're in the market for a tabletop tripod that's capable of a whole lot more.