Normally, when scanning an original photo to obtain a tiff or jpg file, it is necessary to establish a series of settings that are adjusted, as close as possible, to one’s requirements.
The quality of this scanning process, therefore, is directly proportional to the ability of the person operating the scanner, who often is not the photographer. The changes made during this scanning process are not reversible and all the information contained in the original that is, by choice or incompetence, left out, cannot be retrieved. Also, negative originals, either color or black and white, are reversed during the scanning process to the positive; this reversal process is the most crucial phase, during which most of the noise and grain are generated. Finally retouching of the scratches and remaining dust must be done on the saved file and must be done again if the file needs to be redone.

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Normally, when scanning an original photo to obtain a tiff or jpg file, it is necessary to establish a series of settings that are adjusted, as close as possible, to one’s requirements.

A traditional scanning is, therefore, irreversible and requires the photographer to be an expert in scanning techniques and to own an expensive scanner. The alternative is to entrust the scanning to a third party and to establish a direct connection with the scanner operator, not an easy task.

3F files are based on a concept both basic and revolutionary. The scanner’s software acquires all the information contained in the original without any intervention by the operator. The resulting file is a peculiar 16bit, flat, tiff file without any usharp mask and not inverted. The 3F from a negative remains a negative.

Reversibility is the essence of the FlexColor System, allowing you to revert to your original 3F scan to make necessary changes in new tiff outputs, while retaining the 3F digital negative’s retouching and any of the previous setting you wish to keep.

This is made possible by the unique Hasselblad 3F file format which retains the reversible settings in its meta data.
With the FlexColor software system you are able to make your new .tiff outputs independent of the availability of the scanner.
Thus having FlexColor software on your computer frees you from the outside source and allows you to output absolutely new .tiff images at home.

The 3F format is, from a functional point of view, the equivalent of a raw file created from analog; its structure, however, is different because it is a flat tiff with an incorporated file containing the preview, the metadata and the history of all your savings.

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3F Scanning, Easy As a Pie

The ease of obtaining a scan of the very highest quality is the first strength of the system. 3F scanning is a mechanical operation during which the operator cannot and must not intervene in any way other than determining the final size of the scan. The system automatically acquires all the information contained in the original. There is no difference between a 3F made by a professional operator and one done by a first timer. A 3F scan cannot be “bad” or “wrong”, it’s always perfect. This system works for a large archive as well as a small one because it allows you to obtain the best possible quality without investing substantial resources in professional operators and to save the file in tif later so to optimize the settings.

3F scanning offers the best quality and reversibility at the least cost. The scanning process is very simple; after inserting the frame in the correct position all that is left is to push a button. The scanner will read, through the holder the format of the original, will focus the image and will crop the black border. At this time, setting the auto level option in the 3F windows, the scanner will analyze the color and density of the picture and will apply, if necessary, automatic levels to the preview in all the following scans.
Flextight scanner at work

Here below you can see the X5 working. To insert your film in the holders is very easy. They are magnetic, no glass, plastic or oil between film & scanner lens.
The X5 in this video is scanning a 100Mb file very quickly. It’s the fastest on the market. Speed doesn’t mean only best productivity. As shorter the scannin time is, less the CCD heats and less noise and grain it creates.
Retouching the 3F originals

Another important and exclusive function of the 3F system is the ability of restoration of the originals once and for all. Scratches, marks left during the developing process, spots of any kind that are left on the original can be definitively removed so that every following saved file come absolutely perfect.

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Those who have worked on scanned originals know what it means when, after a long and complex restoration, the job needs to be done once again because something is not satisfactory. Maybe while applying the scanning options some details were lost in the shadows or in the light; maybe an excessive mask was applied during the scanning; or maybe the file was saved as CMYK instead of RGB. A 3F digital negative allows you, by working directly on the retouched original, to apply all the desired changes and resave the file without retouching it again.

This means that the file master will be forever clean and retouched by eventual scratches or developing spots and ready for any necessity. It also allows to archive a copy of the digital files separately. I believe any photigrapher fears that a fire, a flood, a theft or an act of vandalism could destroy an archive and an entire life worth of work. I personally feel more secure now that I have a digital copy of my originals, especially because I keep a second copy in a separate place.

Note: In order to retouch 3F files in Photoshop, one must install the “Imacon 3F Plugin in the Photoshop “Plugin” folder. The 3F file should only be retouched in Photoshop. It cannot be rotated, cropped or its dimension changed. If actions other than retouching are taken, the file cannot be saved on itself in 3F and must save as a normal tif. Then, as a tiff, the file cannot be reopened in FlexColor and 3F’s great advantages and output options are lost.