My first day with my Nikon Coolscan V

arnulf · 02-20-2008

So, I bought a Coolscan V and I was very excited about it until I realized that the stupid thing SCRATCHES MY NEGS!!!. Or at least so it seems. I'm getting very clear horizontal lines on some of the scans (see attachment). Is this normal??

Tuolumne · 02-20-2008

Are you sure the scratches weren't put there by the developer before you scanned them? They may not have been visible to your naked eye.

/T

arnulf · 02-20-2008

Not a 100%, but I had this developed at a lab and the print looks fine. Also, this happened with some other negs that were developed at a different lab at a different time. Of course there's a chance they were there before I sent them through the scanner, but I don't think so.

totifoto · 02-20-2008

Could be from the camera. Best thing to do is to scan a neg. that you have not scanned in the coolscan yet on another scanner and see if it comes out like that. If so it is most likely the camera I think.

arnulf · 02-20-2008

Well, it certainly can't be the camera, can it? As I said: the prints from the shop are fine. So the scratch must have appeared some time between the print and the scan.

Robert Lai · 02-20-2008

Coolscans advance film by rollers which touch only the film edges. Nothing touches the image surface of the film in the scanner. Those scratches were there before you stuck film into the scanner. Don't blame the messenger (scanner).

Clean your camera's pressure plate.

Try another film developing lab, or develop your own film to check about the scratch locations. If they are always on the same spot, feel the camera's pressure plate for any foreign matter or metal burrs that may be present.

Robert Lai · 02-20-2008

Another thought - how dirty are the negative sleeves?

Mackinaw · 02-20-2008

This scanner (I have one) tends to show any physical flaw in a negative. Something to do with the light source Nikon uses. For the same reason, it can exaggerate B&W film grain. It's made me exercise more care in the darkroom but, on occasion, I still have to use the healing brush in CS3 on some of my negatives.

Jim B.

arnulf · 02-20-2008

Thanks Robert. I guess that was the kind of answer I was hoping for: that the scanner really does touch the edges. It seemed a bit odd if it were otherwise...

arnulf · 02-20-2008

The sleeves seem fine. Very clean.

aad · 02-20-2008

The prints may have the scratches editied out, or the negatives got scratched after the lab scan.

Rhoyle · 02-20-2008

I agree that the prints probably have the scratches edited out. Also, if someone will help me out with this... Do film scanners usually show some very fine flaws that a darkroom print will not? My guess is that they will.

Monte920 · 02-20-2008

Arnulf:

It is almost not possible to avoid some scratches on the films, even before you scan it. The scratches can be generated by the camera itself, by film developing, or by photofinishing to the prints. That is why Digital ICE is such an important feature on a scanner. If you suspect a scanner will scratch the films, which rarely is the case, you should examine the films themselves before and after the scans, but not the prints. Modern photo-printing machines have the function similar to Digital ICE, so they can edit out the scratches. By the same token, when you scan the films, since the scratches are most likely already be there, you should always turn on Digital ICE to edit out the scratches for your scanned images.

Gradskater · 02-20-2008

I used to get all of my negatives printed at Longs, and I never ever had a scratched print. I recently got a plustek 7300 and went back and scanned a bunch of old negatives, and many were scratched. I use silverfast (just software based, no ICE) to fix the scratches and it does an acceptable job. This one here is a worst case scenario.

and here it is fixed. not perfect, but a whole lot better.

GrimRicho · 02-20-2008

I've had these sort of scratches myself, both from lab developing and my own. I've cleaned the rollers in the coolscan, which is pretty easy, but it didn't seem to make any difference. Now I develop B&W myself and scan before putting in the sleeves and I don't seem to have any problems. I assume it's a handling issue, maybe from scraping dust when pushing them in the sleeves, possibly before they've dried enough (should this make a difference?). The scratches are always in the non-emulsion side, in my case.

PMorenus · 02-20-2008

I have a Coolscan V at home as well as a Coolscan 5000 at the office. I've never had a scratching problem with either - I'd blame the processing first. If you are concerned about scratches from the SA-21 autoloader, try an FH-3 film strip holder. I use one all the time.

I've noticed in recent years - particularly since the advent of digitlal minilabs - that the technicians are quite rough with the negatives. At several nearby drug stores, negatives are literally dragged across the floor while being transported though the scanner. Since the minilab scanners have ASF digital ICE or some other scratch removal system, prints don't show scratches but the negs sure do afterwards.

Even my local favorite drugstore that doesn't mess up my negs while scanning them does tend to leave a few scratches while using the sleeving machine. I've since started to drop off a length of printfile sleeve (see link below) so that I can pick up my negs uncut.

http://www.printfile.com/index.asp?P...PROD&ProdID=22

MikeL · 02-20-2008

Prints can be more forgiving of imperfections than a scanner. I'd put my money on the lab scratching your negatives. You can always cut off six images worth of negative off a fresh roll, check for scratches, then run it through the scanner. I'll be you a roll the scanner doesn't scratch the negative.

amateriat · 02-20-2008

Unless there's something really wrong with that Nikon scanner, I can't believe that it's scratching up negs like that. I'm thinking that it's rough handling by the minilab, followed by possible mishandling afterward (it's really easy to abuse film unless it's properly stored from the start).

- Barrett

arnulf · 02-21-2008

Thanks a lot to all of you for your help.

Monte920: Thanks a lot. Turned out it was just to turn on the Digital ICE and that pretty much solved the problem. I had no idea these things were so good at removing dust and scratches. I'm deeply impressed.

I guess the marks were there before I ran them trough the scanner. Nikon: Sorry I doubted you! ;-)

Now, another thing, while I have people's attention: How do I make the Coolscan communicate with PS CS3. In the manual I only see it mentioned, but not explained.