Okay - somebody kick me. Kick me hard.
I have been using the Dimage 5400 film scanner for a long time. I have been using it with the "grain dissolver." I set this up as a job a long time ago, and never really did tests with the dissolver on and off. The scanner is also set to do a 2x multi-pass to pick up more in the shadows. I did do tests with the multi-scan option and found enough difference in what was picked up in the shadow areas to double the scan time. But --
This morning - just for the hell of it - this is what I discovered: To do a full 5400 scan with the dissolver @ 2x passes takes about 7 - 8 minutes. The same image scanned at 2x with the "dissolver" off takes 2.5 minutes.
Maybe worthwhile if the results were significantly better with the dissolver - but in fact the dissolver gives a slightly softer rendition which is then "fixed" when you unsharp it later which also brings back the grain.
The difference between the two renditions is so slight - that looking at both versions of a scan side by side - if I didn't know which was which - I don't think I could tell.
So there you go. How could I not have noticed this way back when? I think I need a supervisor to watch what I'm doing or at the very least, a wizard to pop up saying - are you sure you want to increase the time it takes to do a scan? Or - you might want to look at the manual - page 32 before you press that nice icon on the toolbar.
5 comments:
hey Dave- what is the output size of your scans (in pixels)?
Nikon has a grain management tool in their film scanning software but it has never proven useful to me. I want to try it sometime with TMZ...
bill - output file:
dpi 240 (which is what I print at)
print size: 20 x 29 inches
pixels: 7016 x 4786
16 bit scan filesize about 70 MB.
I do my touching up on the big file, then scale down for the print; and then again for the web.
Good, I thought those scans you did took forever, and now the idea of finally buying a film scanner and entering the 21st century, seems plausible...
Matt - and the new Dimage 5400 II is faster and cheaper.
Jeff - the short answer is the Epson 1600.
It's okay for the 4 x 5 stuff; but barely makes it with the medium format.
I scan them in 16-bit color. I tweak the thing to give it a deep orange color. Then it goes into Power Retouche where I have a setting saved that turns it to b&w by removing the orange cast.
Dumb but the only way I could get a good dynamic range out of the thing.
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