Hi guys, just a couple of questions you're probably fed up getting.

I've a Minolta Dualscan and using Ifranview software (it's a free download).

If you scan a neg at full resolution how does an option of changing the DPI later while keeping the same dimensions affect what you see in the scan? Improve/worsen viewing or printing?

What size plots should I be able to print without seeing the grain of a 400 speed film at full resolution? I am getting worse results than a cheap digital at A3. Kodachrome slides are better but I was expecting the scans to be better than a 2mp digital shot.

Lastly, has anyone tried the Ifranview and Photoshop 5.0? I have a chance to get a cheap "copy" of Photoshop but don't know if I'll gain anything.

Thanks

Always look on the bright side of life de dum de dum...........
Dave C
Scottish Nikonian
My Gallery

For the best quality most people do the following. First, scan at the highest setting. Once it is scanned or during scanning, size it to whatever dimensions give you 300 dpi. It is usually assumed that the final image should be about 300 dpi. Most likely it will not come out to be exactly 8x10 or 8x12 or anything else we are used to in photography. If you want it to be this dimension either crop or resize it slightly to make the 8x10 or whatever.

As a rule of thumb, if you are increasing the file size, by resizing an image, you are causing the computer to interpolate(it guesses what needs to be between pixels). This will cause image degradation that may or may not be visible depending on how much you change it.

You should be able to get about an 8x10 with your scanner. It may not really help with the problem, but you need close to 4000dpi to pick up the individual grains/dye clouds. I think you are really seeing groups. Are you sharpening the image? If you sharpen an area that is basically a smooth color, like the sky, you will make it look "chunky". This will happen before other areas will look sharp. Maybe you need to selectively sharpen areas.

Another possibility is you are seeing "noise". Make sure that when you scan you are setting the levels to pick up the most information.

Finally, you could try a different driver. Vuescan software can be downloaded and tested from the Internet for free. I have a Minolta Dimage Scan Speed and it helps with mine.


I am kind of guessing with your problem as I cannot see an image. If you could upload an area of a 300 dpi image that has some detail and solid color, I might be able to tell more.

Finally, Photoshop. No other program does more then Photoshop other then an expensive upgrade to the newest verson of it. It does have what most consider a high learning curve. If you are satisfied with the features in whatever you are using it is probably good enough. If you need to do more or if you think you want to learn more I would go for Photoshop.


l8r,
Guy

l8r,
Guy

Guy, I have a CoolScan IV ED and scanning at max resloution (2900) I can tell (or thought I could tell) a huge difference in grain quality between Tmax 400 and Tmax 100. If I'm not seeing grain, what am I seeing? I'm talking about an unsharpened image with no modifications in levels or curves, before or after scanning. What I'm calling grain is evident in the monitor image at 100% or higher ( a speckled appearance especially in sky areas) and in the subsequent prints. Whereas scan of Tmax 100 yield very smooth sky areas. This occurs consistently.

George Barron

My Nikonians Gallery is here:
http://images.nikonians.org/galleries/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/1091

Thanks,
The software I'm using seems to have all the basics I need at the moment, maybe I'll progress further as I develop my digital skills.

Here is the scan in question for my work. I must say in advance though that the shot was taken on my Pentax P&S before I got my F80.
It has been scanned at full resolution and then sized and compressed to suit this web site (won't you lose resolution doing this?)
Hope this can help you help me.

Always look on the bright side of life de dum de dum...........
Dave C
Scottish Nikonian
My Gallery

Attachment #1, (jpg file)

Here goes!

Always look on the bright side of life de dum de dum...........
Dave C
Scottish Nikonian
My Gallery

Attachment #1, (jpg file)

I think that I may have answered my own question!

Is it that I am compressing the file to fit on a floppy to take to work and losing resolution?
Believe it or not I don't have a printer at home! I will try taking my laptop to work and print from the original scan.

Sorry for wasting your time, I'm on a steep learning curve!

Always look on the bright side of life de dum de dum...........
Dave C
Scottish Nikonian
My Gallery

Dave,

The Photoshop Image Size dialog can do two different things: if you have the Resample Image box unchecked then you are simply setting the DPI of the image and the actual image data does not change. If you have the box checked then the image will get resampled when you change the dimensions or DPI, so only do this once to change the image to its final size.

If you're resizing an image and compressing it to fit on a floppy or to post to this site then you're loosing data in two ways: firstly by decreasing the size and secondly by using JPEG compression which throws away progressively more data as the file gets smaller. So yes, to get the best possible results take your laptop along and print from your original, uncompressed scans.

Alan.