Coolscan - how do you deal with noise reduction?

[RaymondC]

<p>Hi, the scanner produces beautiful scans. Re: 100 speed slide film. Do you use noise reduction and if so do you do it in Nikon Scan or in Adobe (Lightroom)? </p>

<p>Cheers.</p>

[Hector Javkin]

<p>I have a Coolscan V and have used it mostly for slides, primarily Kodachrome 64 shot as early as 1977. Some of the slides have been shown a fair number of times over the years and thus exposed to some dust. After cleaning the slides (important part of the noise reduction) I scan them using ICE on Nikon Scan. I clean any spots I notice by hand with Photoshop and then use the Noise Ninja plug-in within Photoshop. I am sure what I do is not the best way, it's all personal preferences: (1) I don't like how slow Nikon Scan becomes with noise reduction which you can do afterwards, (2) I like Photoshop and Noise Ninja and (3) I don't like Lightroom, I use Capture NX2 for digital.</p>

<p>(Note that the Coolscan V, LS-5000 and LS-9000 can scan Kodochrome using ICE, while some earlier Coolscan scanners cannot, according to <a href="https://nikoneurope-en.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2121/~/using-digital-ice-with-black-and-white-or-kodachrome-film.">this document</a>.)</p>

<p>My preferred way may not apply to you and your slides. In particular, hand-spotting makes a time-consuming process even more time-consuming.</p>

[eric friedemann]

No, I don't use noise reduction on low-ISO films. If noise is objectionable in a higher-ISO image, I'll use Neat Image as a Photoshop plug-in.

[don_gallagher]

<p>I don't use noise reduction when scanning. When I am scanning negatives I also use the Noise Ninja plugin, as Lightroom doesn't seem to be as effective on negative film grain (or at least the settings I have tried). Sometimes I can get away with Lightroom noise reduction on slides, but I usually use Noise Ninja.</p>

[Stock-Photos]

<p>From my experience with Nikonscan, the noise reduction can be helpful when grain aliasing becomes a problem.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.photoscientia.co.uk/Grain.htm">http://www.photoscientia.co.uk/Grain.htm</a></p>

<p>However, the grain reduction (GEM) creates its own artifacts (swirls) especially visible in blue sky.</p>

<p>I rarely if ever use it.</p>

[roger_smith4]

<p>I use ICE in Nikonscan which as the effect of reducing pepper grain. If there is objectionable grain I've used Noise Ninja, sometimes with a mask to limit the effect to problem areas.</p>

[joe_perry]

<p>Hi I have a Coolscan 9000 and as Hector said cleaning slide’s [if necessary] is a important part<br>

Of noise reduction. I start with a Zerostat anti-static gun then a blast from metro ED-500<br>

Duster. [Hay Jim love those Cain’s donuts.]</p>

[x]

<p>If a scan needs the grain reduced (and most of them do) I do it in one of two places. Either in Adobe Camera Raw when first processing the scan (in TIFF format) using the Luminance Noise reduction control. Or using Topaz DeNoise as one of the last stages in the workflow. Excellent results from this PS plugin, much better than Noise Ninja.</p>