Favourite software for improving film scans

[SS]

I'd like to ask the newsgroup what is your favourite/best/most effective
piece of software for impriving your film scans - I nominate NeatImage which
does a fantastic job on film grain with hardly any loss of detail (some may
disagree and say the final result looks 'plasticky'). I have however never
got on well with Focus Magic - I can never replicate the results on their
site. One piece I have never tried is Genuine Fractals. I'm always looking
for new stuff that can bring out more detail, improve (apparent) focus and
reduce noise and grain, both for prints and on screen viewing. Nothing new
seems to have appeared recently and with improved computer power and more
interest in digital photography and scanning I do hope for that quantum leap
in film scanning/processing enhancement.

 

[Maris V. Lidaka Sr.]

Neither Genuine Fractals nor any other software will (or can) bring about
more detail. What detail you have scanned is the detail you have to work
with. Genuine Fractals will only increase the printing size of an image
using interpolation, but will not add missing detail.

First piece of advice - get/use a scanner with an infrared channel which
uses Digital ICE and VueScan's dust and scratch removal features. As you
have found, NEAT Image deals well with film grain - I use it myself, though
Noise Ninja is recommended equally.

Beyond that, you just need to learn color correction using the software of
your choice, and your software will do a fine job of sharpening.

Maris V. Lidaka Sr.