Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400. Does ICE work?

[a._...]

Scanned films look like ICE does not work at all, am I right?<br>

Some problem with my scanner? Can I fix it by myself, or it need to some service repair?<br><br>

 

Test film is Kodak Supra 400, scanned by last version of DiMAGE Scan Utility installed on Macbook and

Mac OS 10.4.11.<br><br>

 

<a href="http://pics.livejournal.com/hapchu/pic/0007kxhc.jpg">Plain scan Grain Dissolver and ICE are

OFF</a> and same scan

<a href="http://pics.livejournal.com/hapchu/pic/0007py5t.jpg">100% crop</a><br><br>

 

<a href="http://pics.livejournal.com/hapchu/pic/0007qh32.jpg">Scan with Grain Dissolver is ON, ICE is

OFF</a> and same scan

<a href="http://pics.livejournal.com/hapchu/pic/0007r8wr.jpg">100% crop</a><br><br>

 

<a href="http://pics.livejournal.com/hapchu/pic/0007syxk.jpg">Scan with Grain Dissolver and ICE are

ON</a> and same scan

<a href="http://pics.livejournal.com/hapchu/pic/0007tcr8.jpg">100% crop</a><br><br>

 

All photos:<br>

<a

href="http://pics.livejournal.com/hapchu/gallery/0000ph58">http://pics.livejournal.com/hapchu/gallery

/0000ph5</a>

[jtk]

Play with the Ice settings. Even if it's "on" you may not be using a high enough setting for the amount of damage.

[a._...]

<i>> john kelly , Dec 02, 2007; 04:35 p.m.

> Play with the Ice settings. Even if it's "on" you may not be using a high enough setting

for the amount of damage.</i><br><br>

 

There are no ICE setting in "DiMAGE Scan Utility", just ON and OFF. And when ICE is ON,

Grain Dissolver is ON too.<br><br>

 

And same results with other C41 negatives I tested, not only Kodak Supra 400.<br><br>

 

I'll make some test scans with Vuescan "Infrared clean" (3 options: Light, Medium and

Heavy).

[mag_miksch]

IMO there is a noticable difference, maybe ther slides are to much damaged, ICE cannot manufact miracles. Regards Martin

[mendel_leisk]

Well, ICE is helping, but it does look to have done a poor job in your examples. I wouldn't say it's done nothing. It looks like the cuts go right through the emulsion, and that is a tough case, compared to surface scratches or dirt/dust.

 

I have the same same scanner. I find ICE to be fairly effective on average condition film. It gets maybe 80%, some follow-up cleaning is almost always needed. The Grain Dissolver alone really takes the edge off problems, particularly pepper grain in slides.

 

If you do some Vuescan cleaning tests I'd be really interested in posted examples. I use to try new versions of Vuescan periodically to compare cleaning to ICE. The last time I tested was about a year back. At that time the cleaning was inferior to ICE, both in percent cleaned, and the seamlessness of the results.

[a._...]

<i>

> Mendel Leisk , Dec 02, 2007; 07:28 p.m.<br>

> ...

> If you do some Vuescan cleaning tests I'd be really interested in posted examples. I use to try new versions of Vuescan periodically to compare cleaning to ICE. The last time I tested was about a year back. At that time the cleaning was inferior to ICE, both in percent cleaned, and the seamlessness of the results.<br><br></i>

 

I have done some vuescan 8.4.47 "Infrared clean" tests, options: None, Light, Medium and Heavy. It looks like no any difference between None, Light, Medium or None. I think scanner is out of order.

[adityatw]

I have had Dimage Scan Elite 5400 for 3 years now, and ICE does work.

[jtk]

Mendel, for a couple of years (with Nikon) I've found Vuescan's infared equal or arguably better than ICE. Lowest setting is plenty for almost everything and all settings maintain grain sharpness (though the heavy setting softens grain).

 

I thought the grain dissolver could be turned off... Maybe it has a simple mechanical/optical problem...Maybe it can be unstuck (it comes into the optical path for scanning, moves out for focusing doesn't it?) or disconnected by opening the case.

 

With negatives as heavily damaged as A's, no setting would likely be adequate...that's one reason I avoid minilab processing: handling scratches sometimes beyond Ice/Infared.

 

Photoshop/Element's dust/scratch utility would help. Polaroid's seemed better.

 

Scans of film this bad need Photoshop/Elements retouching.

[a._...]

The problem was a little broken connector in the scanner, now scans look like this (compare

to first post examples):<br><br>

http://pics.livejournal.com/hapchu/pic/0007xd0y.jpg<br>

http://pics.livejournal.com/hapchu/pic/0007yqxr.jpg (100% crop)

[mendel_leisk]

A.: fantastic! What connector, the usb/firewire at the back, or? BTW, the firewire connection, if you have it on your computer, is worth trying, if you haven't. While it's slightly slower, it's impervious to multi-tasking: the scans will take the same amount of time, even if you're running something like Photoshop in the background.

 

John, with the 5400 using the OEM software you can use nothing, GD alone or ICE/GD. ICE without GD is not an option with OEM software, short of opening it up and monkeying, which I never resorted to. It is possible with Vuescan, but to date I've not found VS cleaning to work very well with my setup.

 

Like a lot of things that are foisted on you, I figure before you protest, check it out, you might find it worthwhile anyway ;) This was the case with GD/ICE: while it slows scans down, it's not to the point that I was waiting on the scanner. And, it is a hardware level intervention that really helps in the overall cleaning. Remember these examples:

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=006Uxf

[a._...]

<i>> Mendel Leisk , Dec 04, 2007; 10:57 p.m.</i><br><br>

 

There was some small connector inside the scanner with two cables (red and white) connected with. Red line was just cutted off. I have fixed it by soldering-iron. :) And viola! ICE is here again.

[mendel_leisk]

Used purchase?

[a._...]

<i>> Mendel Leisk , Dec 05, 2007; 03:25 p.m.</i><br><br>

 

Yes, but two years ago. About half a year ago the scanner had stopped with permanent "error 50", then I opened it and made some clean. I think at the same time I break off the cable.