[filmscanners] Re: 8 bit versus 16

["Bob Frost" <bob@frost.name>]

Austin,

With mixed feelings so far! My unit had something loose inside the case when
I unwrapped it, and eventually I got the offending object out - a very small
black screw. Not knowing what damage this might have done to the optics
whilst rattling around during transit, or what part it might play in holding
something together, I am returning it for a replacement.

However, before repacking it, I did two or three scans of a slide on Provia
100F of a country garden full of different coloured flowers and shrubs with
some people in the far distance. Side-by-side comparison of the Minolta 5400
scan with the Nikon 4000 scan were like chalk and cheese as far as
resolution is concerned. Even my wife could see that the Minolta scan had
far higher resolution of the fine detail, and the colors were more natural.

But, when I sharpened the scan, I noticed some very fine vertical striations
appearing in contrasty areas of the image. On enlarging these areas to
200-400% it was clear that there was a problem. The whole image consisted of
vertical bands 4 pixels wide. Across each band the image seemed to move
upwards one or two pixels in each pixel column. So if you looked at a white
horizontal line, it sloped upwards within each band, and then dropped back
down again in the first column of the next band, giving a zig-zag
appearance. Sharpening emphasized the difference between the fourth and
first columns.

You might have a better idea than me as to what might be causing this,
although I hope it has something to do with the missing screw throwing the
innards out of alignment? I'll report back when I get the replacement.

Bob Frost.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Austin Franklin" <austin@darkroom.com>

I, for one, would love to hear how you like the Minolta 5400!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe by mail to listserver@halftone.co.uk, with 'unsubscribe 
filmscanners'
or 'unsubscribe filmscanners_digest' (as appropriate) in the message title or 
body