[filmscanners] Re: My Public Apology

["Anthony Atkielski" <anthony@atkielski.com>]

Arthur writes:

> A blue sky is indeed the ultimate test
> of most filmscanners.

Yes.  I'm happy to say that the LS-8000ED seems to perform exceedingly well
on this test.  The interference rings and dust aren't really scanner
problems, but film problems.  The original scan shows fine grain in the sky,
but so does direct examination of the slide--it looks essentially the same
on the scan as on the slide.

> You just need something that creates enough
> of a space between the glass and the film
> surfaces to remove the Newton ring interference
> patterns.

But doesn't that leave more space for the film to flex, thereby negating the
utility of the glass to keep it flat in the first place?

> Canned "air" creates dampness especially
> when used in large volumes as it condenses
> moisture out of the air and creates ice crystals
> due to the change of state it goes through,
> which is an endothermic action.

I don't know what gas specifically is used in Dust-Off, but it isn't cold
when it leaves the can.  I tried some other stuff from Hama and it was
scary--sometimes it comes out as a liquid, which is frightening when it is
aimed at a $125 UV filter!

> Also, Canned "air: is actually a propellant
> and not particularly good for either one's
> health of the environment.  Not my favorite
> method.

I can't afford a clean-room-grade compressor and filtration system.

> A cheaper and maybe better alternative is just a
> rubber ball syringe.

I'd have to suck air into it, and the air would almost certainly contain
dust.

> I'm not sure what that gray smudge is,
> It might be an emulsion defect or maybe
> even a large enough piece of crud that
> that was the best dICE could do to repair it.

I looked at the slide.  It's in the emulsion; that's probably why dICE
didn't remove it (there's really no way for it to know in a case like that).

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