Digital BW, The Print

Simon, you wrote:

> All in all this is a tool that works but it can take a long time to get
the best end result possible.  Long, but certainly less time than doing the
whole process manually.  However, it is not the same as having dICE in the
scanner software, which is definitely the best approach for dust and scratch
removal.  The upside with the dust & scratches utility is that, by avoiding
using dICE, you do not get any softening of the image at scan time.<


The consensus is that ICE should give a softening of the image. The strange
thing is that with the Nikon 8000 and NikonScan's latest version when I scan
at 4000 ppi, which will resolve grain of 160 ASA colour negative and almost
that of a 100 ASA reversal film (Agfa RSX 100, the older type), the grain
gets sharper, more pronounced. Both in a glassless 35 mm carrier and with
the wet mount glass carrier that I made.
Probably because ICE is compensating the usuall softening a bit too much. It
must be a software issue so it should be visible with the other Nikon
scanners when the latest NikonScan version is used.

Ernst