[Frameworks] a question about negative film stock for s-8mm

[Marco Poloni]

Dear Florian,

Your post is very inspiring and helpful, as was Buck Bito's. The guys
at Nova Rolfim, the lab that was recommended to me, had indeed said
that scanning negative would be more difficult and expensive then
reversal film. Maybe they should have been more upfront and state that
they could not do a good job with negative material. I might take this
issue up with them.

I did not know however the specifics of scanning neg vs reversal, that
is, the orange mask and the need for a “deeper” scan. Your email is
very informative, thanks!
What I don't get though, is that my material was scanned on a Rank
Cintel Ursa Diamond, a machine that should, in principle, be able to
encompass the full dynamic range of the images, and not deliver what I
got, clipped skies that look like blown up electronic noise. So maybe
they tried to apply a profile for reversal film, rather than trying to
fine-tune it for negative?

A video made ochoypico was indicated to me by Buck. I had a look
again. Indeed the video of the two models is impressive, and humbling
since what I got with the same film stock is much worse.

I am willing after reading you to send my material to another lab and
ask them to scan a sector before committing to rescan everyhting. So
there would be ochoypico, AVP that you seem to recommend, and
cinelicious in LA of whom I only heard good things. Do you have
personal experience with AVP?

Many thanks again for your help.

Marco