ICE4 // KM Scan Dual IV Film Scanner

[mike goldberg]

Hi... This is a follow on to recent Thread in General Discussion [SCANNER: NIKON or MINOLTA?], but it is a NEW Thread.

NOTE: I use CAPS [upper case] to highlight stuff, and it's easier on my age 60+ eyes

I've copy-pasted one reply to the earlier Nikon/Minolta thread; it's not clear to me whose it is:

>>An important note about ICE is that it does not work on conventional
silver-halide b&w negatives. >>(The ICE technology distinguishes between
dust and image details by looking at the infrared transmittance of the film,
and b&w film blocks most of the infrared, preventing the ICE from working.)

>>It does do a good job on chromogenic (C-41 process) b&w negatives.

AND THIS FROM K-M'S PROMO ON THE NEWER 5400 & 5400 II:
>>Konica Minolta suggests scanning Kodak T-400CN and Ilford XP2 Super
black and white film, both processed in C-41 chemistry, as color negative
film to enable Digital ICE processing.

Mike WRITING again:
Eighty plus percent of the reason I'm going for a dedicated scanner is for conventional B & W negs, old & new.

LOGICAL QUESTION:
Sure, needs do change, but why pay extra?...
I've heard good things about the KM Scan Dual IV, cheaper now that Konica-Minolta went out of biz.

SEEKING INFO:
- Owners of the Minolta Scan Dual IV... let's hear from you.
- Who has used ICE4 with conventional B & W negs?
Gracias & cheers,
Mike
Zzz... I was up half the nigt doing research on this.

__________________

[Kris]

Hiya Mike

I'm a Minolta SDIV owner and quite happy with it. Never have any problem in two years of use. My previous scanner was a flatbed Canon 5000F and FARE (Canon's version of ICE) didn't work but I think because it is software based rather than infra red employed in ICE.

Dust spotting is a real PITA. For silver halide b&w negs, we just have to accept it. Really wish for ICE though for transparencies which I do shoot a lot as well.

Sharpness, SDIV is sufficient for me but the only other dedicated film scanner I've used is Polaroid Sprintscan 120 for my 6x6 shots - the scanner isn't mine. Attached is an XPan scan of TMax 100 - take a look at that small dot indicated by yellow arrow.

[mike goldberg]

Hi Kris,

I'm delighted that you are noticing my posts and replying.
Have I found an RFF buddy? I love the shot of the bike with the telltale arrow to the dot. Great resolution.

A more expensive Nikon V ED with ICE4 could be in the offing; we'll see.
Now, how did you get the bike thumbnail into the end of your reply
QUESTIONS Re: The Scan Dual IV...

- How DO you handle the problem of dust, scratches?
- Is there built in corrective technology for grain, sharpness & the tendancy of processed fillm to curl?

Thanks,
Mike

[rover]

Dust and scratches, I just do everything I can to remove all/as much as I can from the negative and scanner before I scan an image then clean up the rest with photoshop. Actually, I think photoshop is the answer to you two last questions, you manipulate the image during post processing to make what you want.

Oh, film curl, I put my negs in sleeves and press them under books to flatten them out.

[Socke]

Like Rover I sleeve my negs and try hard to avoid dust from drying to scanning.
From time to time I fail and get more dust than I want to repair in postprocessing, then Polaroid Dust and Scratch Removal is a valuable helper. I use it as a standalone program but it can be used as a photoshop plugin.

Search for "Dust" on www.polaroid.com, it is a free download and worth a try.

[bmattock]

I use the Scan Dual IV, which has no ICE.

I avoid scratches to the extent I can by having my C41 film processed only, no prints, no scans. This also lowers the cost to $2 USD. They process, cut, and sleeve the negs for me at the local Walgreens, and I go home and scan them. This avoids a lot of scratches - my theory is that they are usually scratched when they are dragged through the mechanical innards of the printer/scanner, and my experience seems to bear this out.

As to B&W film, I process it myself. Very little dust unless I screw up somehow (dropped it in the cat box once, ugh) and no scratches at all unless my camera is malfunctioning.

I have not usually found myself wishing I had ICE. There have been a few times when the lab has screwed up my C41 even though I said no prints - I know they printed anyway even though they didn't give me any prints (probably forgot) and I can tell because the negs are scratched to hell and gone.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

[RicardoD]

I have the KM Scan Dual IV. I have only developed a few rolls of B&W myself so far but now that I am using photo flo and refining my process my latest negatives are very, very clean. Don't miss ICE. I do have an archive project of old Kodachromes and Ektachromes where I would love to have ICE but it wasn't worth the $300 differential in price for the Nikon scanner I was looking at. For the old slides its more about sharing with family. Polaroids Dust and Scratch removal tool is working fine for what I am doing. For the really special slides that I plan to print large I will take the time to clean up by hand.

But if your scanner is for new B&W film then ICE is should not be the reason you buy a more expensive scanner.

[Todd.Hanz]

A trick I learned to reduce negative curl and dust is to dry your negatives in the shower. I will run my shower on hot for 3-4 min, build up some steam which helps to trap any dust in the air. I hang the negatives from a magnetic clip off the metalic shower curtain and dry 2-3 hrs or overnight.

todd