RE: filmscanners: On dust

["Frank Nichols" <frank@theNichols.net>]

I am using PEC-12 with PEC PADS on "dirty" negs as a first step.

I found an anti-static brush (StaticMaster) which is plutonium charged. It
seems to work well on my neg strips. But, I was wondering if anyone had any
comments on if it is a gimmick (any soft brush would work) I assume the
plutonium qty is low enough not to think about, it is there just to create a
slight charge on the bristles.

I also use a Leland CO2 "The CO2 Power Source" instead of canned air - since
I read so many warning about the propellents in canned air. I am looking for
a good/cheap/small air compressor with oil and water traps. But in the
meantime the CO2 seems to work well and using the brush first I find I need
very little CO2 to finish.

Using these I have found that I have almost completely eliminated dust in my
scans. And I found that many cases that I thought previously were scratches
were in fact dirt - the PEC-12 wiping does wonders.

(Oh yeah, I moved a small - 16x12x6 - HEPA air filter onto my desk next to
my scanwit!)

Any comments?

/fn

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
[mailto:owner-filmscanners@halftone.co.uk]On Behalf Of tflash
Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2001 3:35 PM
To: filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
Subject: filmscanners: On dust


on 6/28/01 4:26 PM, Steve Greenbank wrote:

> I have also found that if you scan slides the moment you open the
> box for the first time, it takes less than 5 minutes to despot them and
you
> don't lose any overall sharpness compared to ICE. Usually you can despot
> whilst scanning the next slide.


There is much discussion of dust, with little on removal. I mean physically
removing it, not digitally.

I use Ilford Antistaticum cloths (about $5 - $6 each, at your finer photo
stores - ant photo store really) to gently rub both sides of the film. Then
a spray on both sides with canned air, and I get very few dust marks. I scan
with a Leaf, which Austin claims keeps dust from settling on the film (you
judge the impatiality of that one. ;-)) but I used the same technique in the
wet darkroom with similarly good results. I was also a custom printer
(silver BW) in two labs which also used these cloths. They're an industry
standard.

HTH,
Todd