Improving underexposed slides

"il barbi" wrote in message

I use to scan my slides with a flatbed scanner having a slide adapter – I know this is not the best way because a dedicated scanner for slides would be better, but in general I get acceptable results when scanning at 2400 dpi, except with underexposed slides, for instance with a slide of a group of friends I’m able anyway to see the details even in the shadowed areas of their faces by my slide viewer – instead in the scanned file I only see dark…
Is it possible that the details actually exist in the scanned file and can be seen by some trick with Photoshop? I have tried many ways by modifying contrast and lightening but I’m not so clever with Photoshop and I get no improving

The detail is there, but your scanner (and mine) are not able to access it because of the density of the slide. Of all photographs, underexposed slides are the hardest to scan. For consumer scanners, it is simply not possible to get a clean scan of a dark slide.

But there are things to try. If your scanner software has a control for exposure time, see if that improves things. Or try using an demo version of Vuescan and see if you can increase the exposure. I’ve tried using Photoshop to average several scans together. This got rid of the random noise, but not the systematic streaking, so the results were poor.

Your best bet is probably to scan the easy slides, and use a service for the rest. Our local drug store will scan slides for about 40 cents each. —
Mike Russell – www.curvemeister.com

"Mike Russell" ha scritto nel
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Your best bet is probably to scan the easy slides, and use a service for the rest. Our local drug store will scan slides for about 40 cents each.

If you are speaking of US cents = 30 eurocents this is indeed interesting what scanner do they use and how many dpi’s?
il barbi

"il barbi" wrote in message

"Mike Russell" ha scritto nel
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Your best bet is probably to scan the easy slides, and use a service for the rest. Our local drug store will scan slides for about 40 cents each.

If you are speaking of US cents = 30 eurocents this is indeed interesting what scanner do they use and how many dpi’s?

No specifics, as I only noticed the price in passing one day, and have had no actual scans done. Some Longs Drug stores can indeed scan 6 megapixel images, other stores are limtied to relatively low rez jpeg’s. Whatever the price may be, they are a good way to address a few difficult to scan slides as the OP suggested.
—
Mike Russell – www.curvemeister.com

"il barbi" wrote in message

I use to scan my slides with a flatbed scanner having a slide adapter – I know this is not the best way because a dedicated scanner for slides would be better, but in general I get acceptable results when scanning at 2400 dpi, except with underexposed slides, for instance with a slide of a group of friends I’m able anyway to see the details even in the shadowed areas of their faces by my slide viewer – instead in the scanned file I only see dark…
Is it possible that the details actually exist in the scanned file and can be seen by some trick with Photoshop? I have tried many ways by modifying contrast and lightening but I’m not so clever with Photoshop and I get no improving
il barbi

I have recovered a lot of underexposed slides to make them look better – in some cases, they look great. Curves is your friend.

Remember, underexposure is a vague term. Black slides – no way. Two stops under with K25 (a hard case) come out pretty well. The worst case is overexposure so that detail is perfectly destroyed.

"il barbi" wrote:

I use to scan my slides with a flatbed scanner having a slide adapter – I know this is not the best way because a dedicated scanner for slides would be better, but in general I get acceptable results when scanning at 2400 dpi, except with underexposed slides, for instance with a slide of a group of friends I’m able anyway to see the details even in the shadowed areas of their faces by my slide viewer – instead in the scanned file I only see dark…
Is it possible that the details actually exist in the scanned file and can be seen by some trick with Photoshop? I have tried many ways by modifying contrast and lightening but I’m not so clever with Photoshop and I get no improving
il barbi

It sounds like you are dealing with hi-lite and shadow which have nothing to do with detail or not detail which you can control by your scanner and software.

Shadow and Hi-lite is a different story, and it will depend on you retouching (repairing) skill. There are many different techniques depending on different situation, but in general it’s pretty simple.

– You increase or decrease the brightness (can be Level, Curve, or even blending depending on your post processing skill), but basically you adjust the brightness of one to show detail of the shadow area, and opposite to the overexposed area

– Then you just blend 2 layers together. You can use blending mode’s, quick mark, erase tool whatever tool you are good at and work out for you.

If I were to purchase a dedicated slide scanner, which one would be the best value (quality for the price)?

Any particular brand? model?

thanks,
dot

"Mike Russell" wrote in message

"il barbi" wrote in message

I use to scan my slides with a flatbed scanner having a slide adapter – I know this is not the best way because a dedicated scanner for slides would be better, but in general I get acceptable results when scanning at 2400 dpi, except with underexposed slides, for instance with a slide of a group of friends I’m able anyway to see the details even in the shadowed areas of their faces by my slide viewer – instead in the scanned file I only see dark…
Is it possible that the details actually exist in the scanned file and can be seen by some trick with Photoshop? I have tried many ways by modifying contrast and lightening but I’m not so clever with Photoshop and I get no improving

The detail is there, but your scanner (and mine) are not able to access it because of the density of the slide. Of all photographs, underexposed slides are the hardest to scan. For consumer scanners, it is simply not possible to get a clean scan of a dark slide.

But there are things to try. If your scanner software has a control for exposure time, see if that improves things. Or try using an demo version of Vuescan and see if you can increase the exposure. I’ve tried using Photoshop to average several scans together. This got rid of the random noise, but not the systematic streaking, so the results were poor.
Your best bet is probably to scan the easy slides, and use a service for the rest. Our local drug store will scan slides for about 40 cents each. —
Mike Russell – www.curvemeister.com

Personally, I would get a later model Nikon CoolScan with Digital ICE. If money is not in short supply (right!), something like the Super Coolscan 4000. Otherwise cruise eBay for a used one – many people buy slide scanners and then discover that they do not use them.

Canon also makes good film scanners, so look around.
—
Mike Russell – www.curvemeister.com

"dot" wrote in message

If I were to purchase a dedicated slide scanner, which one would be the best value (quality for the price)?

Any particular brand? model?

thanks,
dot

"Mike Russell" wrote in message

"il barbi" wrote in message

I use to scan my slides with a flatbed scanner having a slide adapter – I know this is not the best way because a dedicated scanner for slides would be better, but in general I get acceptable results when scanning at 2400 dpi, except with underexposed slides, for instance with a slide of a group of friends I’m able anyway to see the details even in the shadowed areas of their faces by my slide viewer – instead in the scanned file I only see dark…
Is it possible that the details actually exist in the scanned file and can be seen by some trick with Photoshop? I have tried many ways by modifying contrast and lightening but I’m not so clever with Photoshop and I get no improving

The detail is there, but your scanner (and mine) are not able to access it because of the density of the slide. Of all photographs, underexposed slides are the hardest to scan. For consumer scanners, it is simply not possible to get a clean scan of a dark slide.

But there are things to try. If your scanner software has a control for exposure time, see if that improves things. Or try using an demo version of Vuescan and see if you can increase the exposure. I’ve tried using Photoshop to average several scans together. This got rid of the random noise, but not the systematic streaking, so the results were poor.
Your best bet is probably to scan the easy slides, and use a service for the rest. Our local drug store will scan slides for about 40 cents each. —
Mike Russell – www.curvemeister.com