[filmscanners] Re: Cleaning slides and negs prior to scanning

["Mario Teixeira" <mjteixeira@yahoo.com>]

"Thomas Maugham" <TMaugham@yahoo.com> wrote:

Can anyone suggest a good way to clean slides and negs prior to scanning?  I
clean the best I can with a soft brush and light puffs of air but still wind
up with dust on my scans.  I verified that the dust is not in my scanner.
I'd like to get as much off the originals as possible as I don't like to use
dust spotting tools as I feel that they degrade the image.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hi Tom,

I also use your technic to clean slides and I always have some in the run
that need a new scan or heavier retouch. However, my results improved with
the following measures:

- keeping the room the cleaner that I can
- avoiding air currents that rise settled dust (better a little dirt room
that a very recently cleaned one)

- after the cleaning (slides already in the scanner holder):

1.  inspect both sides of the film with my magnifying glass against the
lighting box (be aware that some dust may be on the box and not on the film,
a little displacement of the holder makes the diagnosis);

2. quickly inspect the slides or negs in the holder (naked eye) under an
ordinary lamp, changing the angle -- that's a war, dust literally rushes
again to your film as soon as it can;

3. immediately put the holder in the scanner and begin the scan

In my case, this became an automatic routine with a little of practice and
now I never think that I do this. Results became substantially better (in
fact, I don't spend more time -- I gain time).

Another point: as soon as my scanner gets cold after use, I cover it with a
vulgar thin plastic bag -- not very aesthetic, but very efficient.

I hope this helps.

Merry Christmas to all list fellows,

Mario Teixeira
mjteixeira@yahoo.com





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