Author Topic: Awful scan.  (Read 2070 times)

vicky slater

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 820
    • vicky slater
Awful scan.
« on: February 03, 2010, 10:05:39 PM »
 Very occassionally I'll scan b/w film and it will randomly turn out like this and i have no idea why...
The film looks fine....any thoughts?



[Sorry, image deleted during forum software upgrade. Please re-upload if so inclined.]

Francois

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 15,841
Re: Awful scan.
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2010, 10:40:11 PM »
Did you make sure Digital ICE is not on? I know it can wreck havoc with silver based negatives...
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

vicky slater

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 820
    • vicky slater
Re: Awful scan.
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2010, 10:56:25 PM »
I don't think i ever installed it......or if it has it even......funny, it's not doing it now either.....and it's the skin and faces that always get by far the worst of it for some reason.

Francois

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 15,841
Re: Awful scan.
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2010, 04:23:47 PM »
There always could be a host of things going wrong with a scanner. Digital ICE is built-in the scanner and gets turned on by the software (on Canon, it's called FARE). Check to see the cables are in good shape... it often is part of the problem when junk starts appearing in the image. The USB cable to the scanner must have a ferrite filter on it (the little plastic looking can)....

My usual trick is to compare with a scan done using Vuescan (even the demo will be good enough). Since it uses a minimal set of drivers (and none in many cases), it will give you a good comparison to help identify the problem.
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

LT

  • Global Moderator
  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 5,030
Re: Awful scan.
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2010, 10:55:00 AM »
flatbed?  My flatbed scans sometimes come out like this when I have accidentally covered the "do not cover" area at the top of the platen where the scanner sensor takes it's light readings ...maybe you've done that?
L.

LT

  • Global Moderator
  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 5,030
Re: Awful scan.
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2010, 10:56:07 AM »
actually, I didnt even notice the phenomenal jaggies ... sorry, cant explain those!
L.

Francois

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 15,841
Re: Awful scan.
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2010, 01:52:33 PM »
actually, I didnt even notice the phenomenal jaggies ... sorry, cant explain those!
I can't either... The only thing related to this I can think of is either too long a USB cable or one without ferrite on...

Or maybe the cable is sitting nest to some transmitter ot power line which induces current down the usb (???)
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

Karl

  • Sheet Film
  • ****
  • Posts: 613
    • Photographic Works
Re: Awful scan.
« Reply #7 on: February 07, 2010, 09:27:49 PM »
Can't help here. I've been having scanner issues too. I am coming to the conclusion that, in a 3 hour darkroom session, I can run off a number of contact sheets quicker than I can scan a load of negs and still have time to do a couple of proof prints of ones that I like the look of.
"Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils." Louis Hector Berlioz

http://www.adayindecember.wordpress.com

Ed Wenn

  • Global Moderator
  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 4,300
  • Slowly getting back into it. Sometimes.
Re: Awful scan.
« Reply #8 on: February 07, 2010, 10:40:46 PM »
Vicky, if you could bottle that and bang some copyright on it I'm sure you'd have a bunch of Photoshop-heads salivating over what a fantastic new filter you'd created.

 :D

It IS crazy though. Ain't seen anything like it in my many years doing the 'digital darkroom' thing.

vicky slater

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 820
    • vicky slater
Re: Awful scan.
« Reply #9 on: February 08, 2010, 09:21:55 AM »
Thanks for all your thoughts, chaps.
I'm just going to put it down to freakishness (that is a technical term, y'know ;)  as it can happen on one strip and not the next.

ed, it could be called the zombie ap!

original_ann

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,276
Re: Awful scan.
« Reply #10 on: February 09, 2010, 08:48:46 PM »
That is absolutely mysterious and WOW!  Have you ever emailed a scan to your scanner's tech support to see what their thoughts are?

vicky slater

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 820
    • vicky slater
Re: Awful scan.
« Reply #11 on: February 10, 2010, 10:41:05 AM »
No, i haven't ann, i guess because it's so infrequent it hasn't had too much effect, especially as i'm 95% colour, but it's a good idea, i might do!