ICE and dirt

Hi all, me being a first-timer and all that.

Just wondering how people get over dust problems with 35mm slide scanning. I
have a Minolta Scan Dual III. All the software processing seems to soften
the image somewhat. Is there an alternative to my current method of using
the Photoshop clone-stamp? I think my slides are as clean as possible but
even so there is always a little re-touching to be done.

I would also be interested to hear of people's experiences with digital ICE
scanners.

Roger

In article , Roger
writes
Hi all, me being a first-timer and all that.

Just wondering how people get over dust problems with 35mm slide scanning. I
have a Minolta Scan Dual III. All the software processing seems to soften
the image somewhat.

Unfortunately that is one of the limitations of a non-ICE equipped
scanner. On the up side, the Minolta doesn't exaggerate the dust as
much as some scanners.

Is there an alternative to my current method of using
the Photoshop clone-stamp?

None that work as well. :-(

I would also be interested to hear of people's experiences with digital ICE
scanners.

ICE works extremely well on normal chromogenic emulsions, but not on
emulsions which contain silver residue, such as traditional black and
white film and, in early versions of ICE, Kodachrome. With the
concealment only applied to the areas where dust or damage is detected,
the image is not softened anywhere else so it is virtually
imperceptible. Hand spotting is a rarity since getting an ICE equipped
scanner.

ICE does have some limitations though, such as the size of dust particle
that it will conceal. To big results in a strange ragged white shape at
the centre of the concealment area - although if the dust particle is
this large it is usually easy to see before the film is put in the
scanner.

Apart from that, my only complaint with it is that it uses a rather
simple nearest area interpolation algorithm to conceal the defect, which
can result in a smooth area against a granular background if examined
closely. An adaptation of the Photoshop "Healing Brush" filter applied
after the defect interpolation would make the defects completely
invisible even under very close scrutiny.

It might be the film stock that I shoot on, but I have never yet had as
much success with the 'fine' ICE setting on my Nikon LS-4000ED as with
the normal. Rather than making better concealment, the fine setting
seems to detect every grain as a potential defect and results in a
visibly poorer scan. I suspect that this is due to a known defect in
Kodak and Fuji base film which was identified some time ago as "pepper
noise", and is actually very fine bubbles in the film base which are
only detected by very high resolution scanners.

The normal setting, where the ICE sampling appears to be around 1/4 of
the native resolution of the scanner, works really 'fine' though. ;-)
--
Kennedy
Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;
A lovely little thinker, but a bugger when he's ****ed.
Python Philosophers (replace 'nospam' with 'kennedym' when replying)

"Roger" wrote in message ...
Hi all, me being a first-timer and all that.

Just wondering how people get over dust problems with 35mm slide scanning. I
have a Minolta Scan Dual III. All the software processing seems to soften
the image somewhat. Is there an alternative to my current method of using
the Photoshop clone-stamp? I think my slides are as clean as possible but
even so there is always a little re-touching to be done.

I would also be interested to hear of people's experiences with digital ICE
scanners.

Roger

Try to download Polaroid's free Dust & Scratch Removal program. It can
be used as a "stand-alone" program or as a Photoshop plug-in.
--
/Dag

"Kennedy McEwen" wrote in message
...
In article , Roger
writes

[snip]

ICE works extremely well on normal chromogenic emulsions, but not on
emulsions which contain silver residue, such as traditional black and
white film and, in early versions of ICE, Kodachrome. With the
concealment only applied to the areas where dust or damage is detected,
the image is not softened anywhere else so it is virtually
imperceptible. Hand spotting is a rarity since getting an ICE equipped
scanner.

As I only shoot b+w it seems I made a good choice - not that I could afford
the Nikon which I understand is an excellent piece of kit.


ICE does have some limitations though, such as the size of dust particle
that it will conceal. To big results in a strange ragged white shape at
the centre of the concealment area - although if the dust particle is
this large it is usually easy to see before the film is put in the
scanner.

Apart from that, my only complaint with it is that it uses a rather
simple nearest area interpolation algorithm to conceal the defect, which
can result in a smooth area against a granular background if examined
closely. An adaptation of the Photoshop "Healing Brush" filter applied
after the defect interpolation would make the defects completely
invisible even under very close scrutiny.

It might be the film stock that I shoot on, but I have never yet had as
much success with the 'fine' ICE setting on my Nikon LS-4000ED as with
the normal. Rather than making better concealment, the fine setting
seems to detect every grain as a potential defect and results in a
visibly poorer scan. I suspect that this is due to a known defect in
Kodak and Fuji base film which was identified some time ago as "pepper
noise", and is actually very fine bubbles in the film base which are
only detected by very high resolution scanners.

The normal setting, where the ICE sampling appears to be around 1/4 of
the native resolution of the scanner, works really 'fine' though. ;-)
--
Thanks for the reply - much appreciated.


Kennedy
Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;
A lovely little thinker, but a bugger when he's ****ed.

Now that's poetry!

Roger
Python Philosophers (replace 'nospam' with 'kennedym' when
replying)

"dj" wrote in message
om...
"Roger" wrote in message
...

[snip]

Try to download Polaroid's free Dust & Scratch Removal program. It can
be used as a "stand-alone" program or as a Photoshop plug-in.
--


Thanks for the recommendation.


/Dag