Hi Bart,
I have just started scanning with Vuescan, however I am getting a strange grain when viewed at 100%... lines actually. Attached are three examples... the first is when I scanned in greyscale, the second in colour 48BIT and the third is the old scan I did (albeit 8BIT) a few years ago where the grain is nice. Would you know what I am doing wrong and how I can get grain like the old scan?
Any pointers would be much appreciated...
Hi Martin,
It's hard to say what is causing it without some more info, amongst others scanner make and model (is it the Minolta dImage?). In general, three possible causes are sensor calibration, electronic interference, or a mechanical scan head issue (e.g. vibration, damaged gear/sprocket, or lubrication issue). The pattern is very regular, so I suspect either electronic interference or a drive train issue.
Move the scanner away from computer housing, display, or speakers, or switch the latter two off temporarily to see if it makes a difference. Make sure you use a good quality shielded cable for the data connection, with added ferrite core(s), and try to eliminate vibrations (think of things like fans) of the surface that the scanner is placed on.
I don't know what the slow scan (mechanical) direction is for the crops. When it is vertical then time plays a role and would support my suspicions. When the scan direction is horizontal, then it is a calibration issue, but the regularity of the period (3.35 and 6.65 p/c) of the artifact makes this less likely (unless the sensor readout is disturbed by interference). I assume, since you are scanning silver based B/W film, that you don't use IR for dust removal.
Cheers,
Bart