DIY transfers via the workprinter

Marty Hamrick · March 1, 2005

I would be interested to hear some experiences some folks here have had with the workprinter, a rather intriguing DIY transfer system.I was wondering if anyone here has had the experience of transferring negative stocks and if the slow running projector (6fps I think?) is gentle enough to handle it.

Marty Hamrick · March 7, 2005

I would be interested to hear some experiences some folks here have had with the workprinter, a rather intriguing DIY transfer system.I was wondering if anyone here has had the experience of transferring negative stocks and if the slow running projector (6fps I think?) is gentle enough to handle it.

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Gee don't everyone answer this one at once.I emailed the people who make the workprinter and while they offer transfers on reversal film at 20 dollars a fifty foot roll,they don't do neg.No one here has tried?Someone did attempt it on 8mm filmshooting.com although they said telecine was much better.I would like to hear from people who have attempted it.

Nate Downes · March 8, 2005

I've done a DIY neg transfer before, but I've not yet bought a workprinter so as to try my process with it yet.

GeorgeSelinsky · March 8, 2005

I've never done it before and I was interested in hearing what responses (if any) you'd get.

I think there is one inherent problem with high quality direct from negative transfers - you have to filter the light source so that the video camera isn't forced to correct the color balance. I don't think it's a healthy thing to force the video camera to make such a radical correction, it may introduce noise and other artifacts. It seems that those who have transferred neg to video DIY have either relied on white balance or did a color correction in the computer, both methods will introduce noise IMO.

If one does introduce a filter, that takes away some light, so that will force the video camera to have a more open aperture. I doubt it'd trigger the auto gain, but I don't know to what f-stop or sensitivity setting the designer of the Workprinter aimed for.

Anyway, they're not so great at answering emails I've noticed, but do post any updates.

- G.

Matt Pacini · March 8, 2005

I haven't transferred neg on mine yet, but I will be at some point.

Supposedly, you can white balance to a piece of blank neg and it will reverse out with the orange mask, but that to me, sounds like an "easier said than done" scenario.

I'll find out soon enough!

I've also heard there are Photoshop/Premier plugins out there to correct for it, but I haven't found one yet.

Matt Pacini

Phil Rhodes · March 8, 2005

Hi,

I think you should try to do it optically - even a rough match with gels on the lightsource would get you closer. That's an awful lot of orange to try and take out digitally, especially after compression.

Phil

Riku Naskali · March 8, 2005

Also, the problem with neg in workprinter is dirt, it really shows up.

Marty Hamrick · March 13, 2005

I'm talking to a guy now on another forum who has done some neg on his Workprinter and he is dealing with the orange mask issue,which he says he hasn't worked out yet.He says he now is going to try running it through an 80A filter.Thank you,George for the technical rundown.All issues to think about when you're pondering any DIY procedure.

Phil Rhodes · March 13, 2005

Hi,

> He says he now is going to try running it through an 80A filter

S'what I'd do.

Phil

Matt Pacini · March 14, 2005

I would think it would still be a problem.

It's not orange, like a regular orange filter for shooting, it's really specific.

Nobody tried the white balancing to it yet?

Sounds like "theoretically" it would work.

I'd have to disagree that it can't be done digitally, because the setups that scan 35mm still negs at your local photo places deal with it just fine.

Unfortunately, it's proprietary hardware/software, and I haven't been able to get Kodak to even answer my emails when I've asked them about it.

Matt Pacini

GeorgeSelinsky · March 14, 2005

I'd have to disagree that it can't be done digitally, because the setups that scan 35mm still negs at your local photo places deal with it just fine.

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Well, it can be done but not at cost to the recompression artifacts that this would introduce! The NTSC/PAL color gamut bound DV codec and the raw 24/32 bit data you scan on the scanner are two different animals.

The best solution is to take a clear piece of 35mm orange negative, double it up, put it on the lens of a still 35mm SLR like a filter and aim the camera at a white or grey card (make sure the light source is balanced correctly, i.e. use a 5000K flash if it's the usual Kodacolor neg). Try several exposures. Then get that neg processed (no prints necessary of course), and you should theoretically get the polar opposite color. You then use that negative as the filter.

The first layer of the orange negative is to cancel the mask of the film in the camera, and the second will push it further to the opposite color. Should work in theory, just gotta try some exposures and oh yes, use the same brand of film.

- G.

Edited March 14, 2005 by GeorgeSelinsky