Dealing with noise with Epson 4490

[Orio]

I have made a test of scanning a slide with Epson 4490 using three methods.

1) Noise reducer in scanning interface

2) ICE + ninja in photoshop

3) normal + ninja in photoshop

here's my results:

Full image resized:


Noise reducer in scanning interface, at lowest setting:


ICE + ninja in photoshop (to try remove ICE artifacts):


normal scanning(no tricks) + ninja in photoshop:


For me, normal scanning + ninja is clear winner.
It leaves some noise (on purpose, I reduced effect amount) but it preserve some minimum sharpness)
Noise reduction in the scanning interface is too blurring even at the lowest setting.
ICE creates some ugly artifacts, which I tried to remove with ninja but without much result (you can still see them).
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ХОРИОС-61 ( ώρεος ) : Lens sana in corpore sano
www.timelessphotography.eu
www.oriofoto.net

Read list of equipment HERE

[Orio]

Addition: I should perhaps try once more by using built-in scanner noise reducer, bu tthis time increasing the built-in sharpness also (I left it at minimum in the above test).

Perhaps lowest noise reducer + medium sharpness could work better.
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ХОРИОС-61 ( ώρεος ) : Lens sana in corpore sano
www.timelessphotography.eu
www.oriofoto.net

Read list of equipment HERE

[maddog10]

I agree with you conclusions, based on the photos you have shown.
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Michael Hill

DSLR: Nikon - D3, D80, D40 Canon- 5D
Film: Nikon - F5, F2, F, EM, FG, FE, Nikkorex Contax - G2 Mamiya - M645 Olympus - OM1 Praktika - LTL PLC3 Pentax - Spotmatic SP Yashica Electro 35 GSN Zenit - B
Nikon Mount Lens: Nikkor - 2.8/20 2.8/24 2/28 2.8/28 3.5/28 2/35 2.8/35 1.4/50 1.8/50 2/50 1.8/85 2/85 2.5/105 2.8/135 3.5/135 2.8/180 4/200 4.5/300 Micro 2.8/55 Micro 4/200 Zoom 3.5/36-72 3.5/43-86 4/70-210 Sigma - Zoom 2.8-4/35-70 Soligor - 3.5-4.5/28-80 4.5/80-200 5.6/95-310 Tamron - SP 2.8-3.8/35-80 SP 3.5/70-210 3.8-4/80-210 Vivitar - 3.8/19 2.8/28 (Series 1) 3.5-4.5/19-35 (Kiron) 3.5/70-210 Zenitar - 2.8/16
Contax Mount Lens: Carl Zeiss - Biogon 2.8/21 Biogon 2.8/28 Planar 2/45 Sonnar 2.8/90 Yashica - 4.5/70-210
M42 Screw Mount Lens: CZJ - Flek 2.8/20 Flek 2.4/35 Tessar 2.8/50 3.5/135 Focal - 2.8/28 Helios - 44-2 2/58 44M 2/58 44M-4 2/58 40 1.5/85 Industar - 50-2 3.5/50 Jupiter - 37A 3.5/135 Meyer Optik Gorlitz - Domiplan 2.8/50 MIR - 24M 2/35 1B 2.8/37 Pentacon - 2.8/29 1.8/50 2.8/135 Pentax - SMC 3.5/135 SMC 4/200 SMC 5.6/400 Rexatar - 6.3/400 Rokinon - 3.5-4.5/35-135 Sears - 2.8/28 2.8/135 4.5/90-230 Soligor - 2.8/105 3.5-4.5/28-80

[lulalake]

Orio, I mentioned this in another post but you may be having more film grain issues as opposed to scanner noise issues. My experience is that the best film to scan is the finest grain film available.

Jules
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Heisenberg may have slept here.

[Schnauzer]

What do you reccomend for film for all around use Jules?
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Ron

[lulalake]

[naplam]

Orio, maybe a test with a fine grain B/W film would be interesting in order to use it as the "base" situation and then trying with colour and more grainy films.
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Gear: Canon EOS 400D, Yashica FX-70, Contax 139Q, Canon EF-M,
Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.7, MIR-1V 37mm f/2.8, Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm f/2.4, Yashica ML 28mm f/2.8,
Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4.5 DC macro, Canon EF 100-300 f/4.5-5.6, Canon EF-S 18-55,
my flickr

[Orio]

I had to use a 400 ISO in that situation because it was January mid afternoon and cloudy waether, so nearly zero ambient light available.
Of course using a velvia 50 will give better results (I already tried), but my goal here was exactly to find the most effective way to deal with grainy film.
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_________________
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ХОРИОС-61 ( ώρεος ) : Lens sana in corpore sano
www.timelessphotography.eu
www.oriofoto.net

Read list of equipment HERE