Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/03/11

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Subject: Re: [Leica] opinion on film scanner
From: John Brownlow <deadman@jukebox.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2000 14:55:32 +0000

I and I think Stephen Holloway both use the Minolta Dimage Scan Dual, which
is very good value. For mainly web use, I can't fault it. It remains to be
seen how well it works for printer output (?Stephen). The main bit-depth
problem that I see is in dark shadows on neg, which are sometimes registered
as speckled grey. Many film scanners struggle with fine gradations of dark
grey, such as grass in sunlight. The only solution I have found is to play
around with curves so that you crush the blacks on the shoulder (in
photoshop, actually toe in H&D terms).

This basically throws all the tones in question down to black or near black.
So long as you have exposed for the shadows this results in nice pictures.

One of the things a film scanner does is make you much more aware of your
exposure and development decisions... since they show up in front of your
eyes on the histogram.

- -- 
John Brownlow

http://www.pinkheadedbug.com