Scanned negative has distortion

[Robert Kalman]

The accompanying image comes from a 4x5 Tri-x negative scanned on an Epson Perfection 4870 Photo scanner. (I've blown the full negative up to 30 x24 and cropped out the rest so that the problem can be easily seen.)

As you can see, there is some sort of distortion/blockage on the subject's right nostril. The negative itself shows no such distortion. I have scanned it several different ways: emulsion side up, emulsion side down, upside down in the negative carrier. I have cleaned the glass. The distortion remains.

At the moment: plenty frustrated. Can anyone help me figure this out?

[darr]

I would be interested in seeing what the negative looks like. It does not make sense if you have scanned the negative in different areas of the glass for starters. What is the software program?

[Asher Kelman]

The accompanying image comes from a 4x5 Tri-x negative scanned on an Epson Perfection 4870 Photo scanner. (I've blown the full negative up to 30 x24 and cropped out the rest so that the problem can be easily seen.)

As you can see, there is some sort of distortion/blockage on the subject's right nostril. The negative itself shows no such distortion. I have scanned it several different ways: emulsion side up, emulsion side down, upside down in the negative carrier. I have cleaned the glass. The distortion remains.

At the moment: plenty frustrated. Can anyone help me figure this out?

Hello Robert,

Essentially this looks like a stitching problem/stepping motor problem. After so many slices the software or the stepping motor might be making a mistake. Try the following tests:

1. Scan it sideways.
   
2. Also put a piece of glass on it to flatten it.
   
3. When you select the area to scan make it larger. The distortion should move.
   
4. If you haven't done so already, Use Vuescan from Hamrick.com (trial version)

Asher

[Robert Kalman]

Many thanks to both of you. Both of your suggestions jogged my memory; it's a software problem with the original Epson product, which acts up very occasionally. I rescanned the negative using Silverfast and the problem went away.

[engl]

What a bizarre software bug. I could understand an error appearing in a scans made in the same way. I'm *very* surprised to see the same artifact appear with emulsion side down as well as up, which means the image data is mirrored and the artifact has to manifest in another part of frame, itself mirrored as well.

Glad to hear it got sorted out