Scanning 35mm Black and White Film Using VueScan and a Nikon CoolScan V ED

September 6, 2025

How I scan my 35mm black and white film.

Equipment/Supplies

• Nikon CoolScan V ED aka LS-50 w/ hole cut in back for full roll scanning
• Nikon CoolScan SA-21 film strip adapter modified per Converting Nikon SA-21 adaptor to SA-30 to increase limit from 6 frames to 40.
• Giottos Rocket Air Blower
• Print File Archival Storage Pages
• VueAll Archival Safe-T Binder
• Scissors

Software

• VueScan for scanning
• crown & flint app for recording image metadata
• Photo Mechanic for cataloging digital files

Preliminary

I use the crown & flint app for recording image metadata for each frame as I shoot. It allows recording metadata about each roll of film like date loaded, Camera model, etc.; and meta data about each frame as you shoot such as GPS coordinates, aperture, shutter speed, filters, lens, etc. This data can then be exported in a format compatible with ExifTool for adding metadata to the scanned images.

VueScan Settings

You only have to do this once because you can save the settings. These instructions are for VueScan version 9.8.46.14.

1. Reset all settings (File -> Default Options)

2. Input

   • Options: Professional
   • Media: B/W negative
   • Preview Area: Maximum
   • Bits per pixel: 16 bit Gray
   • Batch Scan: List
   • Batch List: 1-37 (for frames 0-36)
   • Scan resolution: 4000 dpi
   • Rotation: Flip
   • Auto skew: off (so it doesn’t have to p;review)
   • Auto Focus: Always

   

3. Crop

   • Crop size: Manual
   • X center: 12.5
   • Y center: 18.9
   • X size: 25.0
   • Y size: 37.8
   • Skew: 0

   

4. Color

   • Color balance: None
   • B/W brand: TMAX-400
   • B/W type: D-76 CI=.55 (for xtol 6.5 min @20C)

   

5. Output

   • Default Folder: Y:\ingest\scan
   • Tiff file: checked
   • TIFF file name: roll_number-00+.dng where roll_number is the two digit year followed by a dash and a sequential number, e.g. 25-2 for the second roll of 2025.
   • TIFF file type: 16 bit Gray
   • TIFF compression: Off
   • TIFF DNG format: checked
   • JPEG file name: same as TIFF file name except jpg instead of dng
   • JPEG quality: 100
   • Print size: Fixed dpi

   

6. Saved settings as Y:\misc\VueScan\T-MAX Roll.ini

VueScan Scanning Procedure

1. Load defaults (File -> Default Options or Alt, f, d)
2. Load Options (File -> Load Options or F10) Y:\misc\VueScan\T-MAX Roll.ini
3. Set TIFF Filename and JPG Filename patterns to match roll number
4. Set the Batch List on the Input tab to the frame number of a frame with a large clear/transparent area on the negative (add one to frame number if starting from 0)
5. Click Preview
6. Check Lock Exposure on the Input tab
7. Click Preview again
8. Check Lock Film Base Color
9. Set Batch List back to 1-37 (for frames 0-36) or whatever is needed
10. Click Scan
11. Wait about 40 minutes. Monitor roll to make sure it does not fall on the floor or a dusty area or on something that will scratch the negatives.
12. Eject film (Scanner -> Eject or ctrl-j). Monitor roll so it doesn’t scratch or fall on floor while ejecting.

File Negatives

1. Cut negatives into sets of six frames (or five if you prefer).
2. Insert negatives into an archival storage page and label and file in a binder.

Metadata

Replace “roll_number” with actual roll number in all steps below.

1. In crown & flint, select the roll and choose Export for ExifTool (three dots menu in upper right)

2. Use tool of your choice for transferring to computer (I use OneDrive)

3. Repeat for export pdf and export csv (not necessary, but I like to archive all)

4. Copy roll_number.zip (the one with exiftool json), roll_number.pdf to Y:\misc\Film\roll_number, also copy the film.csv from the second roll_number.zip (don’t need to copy the whole zip file)

5. Copy film.json to Y:\ingest\scan\roll_number-dng.json

6. Open roll_number-dng.json with a text editor (I user nvim)

7. Find and replace “cf-frame” with “roll_number”, e.g. in nvim: :%s/cf-frame/25-2/

8. Find and replace “.tif” with “.dng”, e.g., in nvim: :%/.tif/.dng/

9. Find and replace “Description” with “TransmissionReference”, e.g., in nvim: :%/Description/TransmissionReference/

10. Find and replace “UserComment” with “Description”, e.g., in nvim: :%/UserComment/Description/

11. Save roll_number-dng.json

12. Copy roll_number-dng.json to roll_number-jpg.json

13. Open roll_number-jpg.json

14. Find and replace “.dng” with “.jpg”, e.g., in nvim: :%/\.dng/\.jpg/

15. Save roll_number-jpg.json

16. At a command prompt in Y:\ingest\scan, run

    exiftool.exe -j="roll_number-dng.json" .\roll_number-*.dng
    exiftool.exe -j="roll_number-jpg.json" .\roll_number-*.jpg
    

17. Move the json files back to Y:\misc\Film\roll_number\

18. Ingest images into Photo Mechanic

Notes

1. I use the TransmissionReference IPTC field to indicate the roll number. This makes searching in Photo Mechanic easy (Search: tref roll_number).
2. Cutting the hole in the back of the Nikon CoolScan V ED was the hardest part of the modification. I had to tear the whole thing apart, then drilled a hole with a step drill bit, and cut a slot with a hack saw. Its not pretty, but it works.