Re: filmscanners: New Nikon performance

[Arthur Entlich <artistic@ampsc.com>]

EdHamrick@aol.com wrote:


> 
> My experience is that scanners with better focus show more dust
> than scanners without good focus.  For instance, take a SprintScan 4000
> and a Nikon LS-4000 and compare the raw scans.  They show exactly
> the same dust spots if you use the same slide on both, and both have
> excellent focus.  If you take the same slide and scan it on almost
> any flatbed, it won't show as much dust, since the dust spots get
> blurred.
> 
> The whole "Nikon scanners accentuate dust" thing is just FUD
> (fear, uncertainty and doubt) from vendors competing with Nikon.
> 
> Regards,
> Ed Hamrick

I find this an interesting statement.  Maybe Nikon owners are more 
particulatetophobic?  I hardly ever hear from SS4000 owners complaining 
bitterly about spotting or wishing they had purchased a Nikon for dICE. 
  In fact, several have mused publicly about Nikon's owners comments 
about the absolute need for dICE on the Nikons.  To the point that 
resolution comparisons are made between the SS4000 scan (without dICE, 
since it isn't an option) and the Nikon scan WITH dICE as a fair base point.

I have no idea how much an IR channel and light source plus the ASF 
license add to the cost, but I would think Polaroid would have been 
browbeaten into providing dICE had it been such a problem without it.

I suppose its possible Polaroid owners are unwilling to admit they spend 
their nights at home doing dust spotting, since they laid out all that 
ca$h on the SS4000, but I'd expect someone would break ranks and blow 
the whistle.

Everything part of my intuition say the Nikon must have more surface 
defect emphasis without dICE than the others.  I don't have either 
scanner to work from, but I have read thousands of postings and this is 
certainly the impression I am left with even discounting company reps 
professional bias.

I'd love to hear from others who have experience with either or (even 
better) both scanners and who doesn't have an ongoing professional 
relationship with either or both manufacturers.

Art