That couldn't be further from the truth.įilm scans need to be edited in Photoshop or whatever software you like to increase the contrast to normal, like a proper black and white image should have.

Some think that it is how its supposed to be, others know how a black and white image should look, and they conclude that scanning sucks and that it is incapable of quality rendering. It seems that most photographers just accept the flat, lifeless, dull image that the raw scan provides. A full range of tones on a BW negative will include some areas of clear or near clear film in the deepest blacks, but the brightest whites in a properly exposed and developed negative will not be near as dense as the blacks in a slide.įor that reason, negatives will always scan in very flat looking. A full range of tones on a color slide will include areas of totally clear film and areas of almost opaque black.

I see a lot of images on the web that are scans from black and white negatives, and most of them look flat and dead.įilm scanners are designed primarily for scanning color transparencies, which have a much greater density range than a black and white negative.

Programs like vuescan