Flextight Scanning
The Imacon Flextight is a dedicated film scanner designed specifically for photographic film. It combines high optical resolution, 16-bit scanning and an unusual film transport system to produce extremely detailed scans from 35mm, medium-format and large-format film.
I use the Flextight for everything from affordable Proof scans to high-resolution 16-bit TIFFs. Because the film is scanned dry, it requires much less preparation than wet-mounted drum scanning while still producing excellent results.
What Is a Virtual Drum Scanner?
The Flextight gets its name from the way it holds the film during scanning. Rather than placing the film flat against a sheet of glass, it’s loaded into a flexible magnetic holder that curves as it’s drawn into the scanner. Imacon called this arrangement a “virtual drum.”
The curved holder gives the film additional rigidity and holds it in position relative to the scanner optics without placing glass between the film and the scanner optics. Different holders are used for different film formats.
Despite the name, a virtual drum scanner is quite different from a traditional drum scanner. The film isn’t mounted to a rotating drum and no mounting fluid is used. The Flextight is a dry scanning system, and the curved holder keeps most film very flat. Particularly curled or difficult originals can occasionally be more challenging.
The Flextight Scan
I scan 35mm, XPan, 120 and medium-format film, panoramic formats and 4×5 sheet film on the Flextight.
Flextight Scans are available at Medium or High Resolution.
Medium Resolution produces at least 12 megapixels, depending on the film format. It provides plenty of resolution for many uses while keeping file sizes more manageable.
High Resolution uses the highest practical Flextight resolution available for the selected format. It’s the option to choose when you want to get as much detail as possible from the Flextight.
Scans are produced using a colour-managed workflow. For more information about scanner profiling, colour spaces and how I handle different types of film, see Colour Management →
Framing and the Film Border
One limitation of the Flextight is its film-holder system. Because the holder supports the film around the edges of the frame, some cropping is unavoidable.
The exact amount varies with the film format, holder and position of the image on the film. If the photograph extends particularly close to the edge of the frame, a small part of the image may be hidden by the holder. The surrounding film rebate and edge markings also can’t normally be included.
If retaining the entire exposed image or the surrounding film border is important, I can scan the film on the Howtek 4500 instead. Because the film is mounted directly to the drum, I’m not restricted by a film holder covering the edges.
When Would I Choose a Drum Scan?
The Flextight produces excellent scans, but the Howtek 4500 can take things further.
A Drum Scan takes considerably more preparation, but wet mounting and the Howtek’s PMT scanning system offer advantages with difficult originals, dense transparencies, surface imperfections and the reproduction of fine detail.
For an important photograph, or when getting everything possible from the film takes priority over the additional time and cost, I’d choose a Drum Scan.
Scanned on Imacon Flextight Precision III
This 6×6 transparency was scanned at 3200 DPI on our Imacon Flextight. Select a crop to view the scan at 100%.