[filmscanners] Re: Scan "Glow"

["Arthur Entlich" <artistic-1@shaw.ca>]

Hi Robert,

Maybe the peregrines got nuked? ;-)

More seriously, most of the halo effect I have heard about was resolved
through a good cleaning of the scanner's optical path or CCD surface, or
wherever the pollutants tended to deposit.

I have not seen this problem with a SS/4000+ or other scanners I have
used, but you are correct that it has been reported with numerous models
and brands.  The people I have followed up on who had this problem got
it resolved through cleaning.  How long have you owned the scanner in
question (assuming it was bought new) and have you made any changes in
your technique or films, etc, that might seem to explain this?  Is it
only with certain films (it is usually most obvious in higher contrast
slides if it is due to dirt)?

  Has the humidity been very high lately or has the temperature in the
room where you keep the scanner been very high?  High humidity might
cause condensation, and there are plasticizers and lubricants that
sometimes will vaporize with heat and redeposit in the wrong places.
As mentioned earlier, the biggest culprit is smoking, kitchen fumes or,
I'd imagine, even things like incense (basically, anything that creates
smoke).  I've opened many electronic devices and I can nearly always
know the environment it was kept in from the deposits on the internal
surfaces.  A lot of electronic devices work like ionizing cleaners,
attracting particulate matter into them.

Although the SS4000+ might use a slightly different CCD, I know of a lot
of people using SS4000 models and they don't report this halo effect,
which leads me to believe it is likely an environmental issue with your
unit.

Art


Robert DeCandido, PhD wrote:

> Hello All,
>
> My apologies for the delay in responding but I receive the
> Filmscanners info in Digest form (once per day).
>
> To answer some questions: I do have a cover for the scanner (since Day
> 1), so dust is not an issue.  Also, the "glow" around white objects in
> the scan of the slide surrounds the object itself.  (That means the
> glow is seen in the horizontal and the vertical.)  So, I think the
> response about the different layers of the slide film being the
> culprit is accurate.  And, that this effect is being seen with
> different scanners by different manufacturers (Nikon, Minolta,
> Polaroid) seems to indicate that it is a CCD/Design effect/flaw.
>
> By the way, at Baboo on West 20th Street in Manhattan, NYC, E-6
> processing (for 35mm Provia/36 exposure) is $5.20 USD if one pays in
> cash (three hour processing).  Tax is 8.25% on top of that.  Push
> processing is $1/roll extra.  Processing may be a few cents cheaper at
> FlatIron nearby on West 17th street ($8 for three hour processing and
> $4.62 for 24 hour processing).  The girlfriend/photographer prefers
> Baboo, while I prefer the latter.  We just wish there was a better way
> to reduce the glow surrounding fledgling Peregrine Falcons
> photographed in June at 55 Water Street and then Riverside Church.
>
> Thanks All,
>
> Robert DeCandido, PhD
>
>
>


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