Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/10/14

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Nikon 4000 dpi scanner?
From: "Robert G. Stevens" <robsteve@hfx.andara.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 18:25:46 -0300

Pascal:

I was given a good demonstration as to why the Nikon Scanners need this ice
option.  I was in a photo store and the owner was demonstrating a laser
light pointer.  He took his plastic lensed glasses off and pointed the
laser at them to show a feature of the highly directional laser light
source.  Every fine scratch was visible.  Although we were not discussing
scanners at the time, I said " That was a good demonstration why the Nikon
scanners with their very directional light source ( LEDs) pick up more
defects in film than those that illuminate using diffuse light sources such
as florescent tubes".

Nikon needs the ICE because it picks up all the backing scratches on most
films.  My Polaroid that uses a florescent tube only picks up deep
scratched or emulsion scratches.  For scratches on the backing and those on
the emulsion that do not penetrate the dye layers, a touch of nose grease
fixes them up for scanning, just like you would do for printing.

In my opinion, the most important feature of a SLIDE scanner, is its Dmax
range.  The scanners with a DMAX of 3 or so will not scan slides and give
sufficient shadow detail, particularily slightly dark slides.  At 3,5 or
more, the Nikon is better than the 3.4 of the Polaroid.  Nikon scanner
owners always quote the ice feature, but they should be quoting the high
Dmax of the LS2000.  I guess the ICE is always quoted because the Nikon
approach to scanning makes scratches more evident to the user.  Another
thing never quoted is with the use of ICE, sharpness is reduced.

Remember, Dmax is the sign of a great scanner, not ICE.  Nikon is the king
of good Dmax in the consumer level scanners.

Regards,

Robert


At 10:39 PM 10/14/99 +0200, Pascal wrote:
 And up to now, 
>nobody but Nikon has come up with the digital ICE mechanism that removes 
>dust and scratches.
>
>Pascal
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