Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2014/01/16

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Subject: [Leica] IMG: Me (1954 Kodachromes)
From: pklein at threshinc.com (Peter Klein)
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 23:19:47 -0800

Susan and Jim, thanks!  I'm scanning with a Canon FS-4000 and VueScan. I 
scan at full resolution and 48 bits with multiple-exposure passes and 
the lightest of 3 IR cleaning settings. IR cleaning doesn't completely 
work with Kodachrome but the lightest setting helps a bit with some dirt 
and scratches, and doesn't do noticeable damage. Then I pull the 48-bit 
TIFF into Picture Window Pro.  I clone out the remaining crud that will 
be visible at Web size, do a curve adjust if need be, and save a 24-bit 
TIFF. I generally don't mess too much with white balance unless it's 
really off--I want the pictures to look like Kodachrome. Then I reduce 
to screen size JPG and sharpen a bit.

My standards are probably a bit lower than Tina's as the pictures are 
for family history, not stock sales. But if I see one I really like, I 
go all-out.  The shot of me in the sink was one of those, I going to 
print that one.

Tina's recent posts on scanning got me thinking about trying scanning to 
Raw or DNG and using Capture One, but right now I was eager to get into 
the pictures, so I used the process I know. I may try cleaning the 
slides with Isopropyl alcohol--that has worked before, but I didn't want 
to risk damaging any of the most precious slides.

Mark, yes, the indoor shots are with flash. The Bolsey B2 had a 
companion flash unit with about a five-inch reflector. I think it took 
two C-cell batteries. I don't know if I still have the flash or not. It 
was big compared to the camera, and it took bulbs that you pushed in and 
turned a quarter turn to lock. I remember my mother used clear bulbs in 
the early days, plus a filter. Then in the 60s she switched to blue 
bulbs, which allows her to use daylight Kodachrome without a filter.

Kodachrome is a miracle. The pictures look like they were taken last 
week, and they are 60 years old.

--Peter

Mark Rabiner wrote:
 > Did they use a flash which took type a flashbulbs?!?
 > Looks like it.!
 >
 >
 > On 1/17/14 12:24 AM, "Peter A. Klein" <pklein at threshinc.com> wrote:
 >
 > > I finally found "The Motherlode"--all the slides from my childhood. 
They
 > > were in the 27th box of 30 boxes left by my late parents. If you'd like
 > > to see some 1954 Kodachromes of me as a very wee lad, click on.
 > >
 > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563 at 
N04/11990571304/in/photostream/
 > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563 at 
N04/11990188085/in/photostream/
 > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563 at 
N04/11990999876/in/photostream/
 > >
 > > Bolsey B2 rangefinder and Kodachrome (the original, ASA 10. Yes, I mean
 > > ten).  I still have the camera.
 > >
 > > --Peter


Replies: Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] IMG: Me (1954 Kodachromes))