Epson Easy Photo Fix

[Doug Nelson]

The drivers for most current Epson scanners have been updated and now includes "Easy Photo Fix Technology featuring one-touch color restoration and dust removal".

I have no idea if this is a good or bad thing

[Noko]

well just got my new scanner today (Epson 3170) played around with it for just a little while. I did get to try the dust removal. I think it only is an option when you are scanning negatives but Im not sure. Anyway it worked GREAT!!

Scanned a neg without it and sure enough even though I blew the neg off with compressed air I had some dust show up. I then scanned it again with dust removal check and all the dust was gone and the image was identical to the other one without dust removal. I was shocked, I was expecting it to be softer.

I will play with the photo restoration part of this tomorrow and let you know what I think.

[KevinBE]

I'm dissappointed they haven't updated the 2450 driver to include that new software. Guess they only did the very newest scanners.

[Eric Polsinelli]

Hmmm, that's strange Kevin, because they have it available for the 2400PH... I downloaded it, but I haven't tried the negative scans w/ dust removal...

[KevinBE]

That is kind of strange. The latest driver for the 2450 is 12/2002.

[Eric Polsinelli]

Ok, I've finally had a chance to use the Epson Scan software on 35mm negatives.

First off, let me say that the automatic color restoration is amazing. It gives you a very nice neutral print with no color cast... very cool.

Attached you will find the before picture I've scanned WITHOUT the Epson softwares help (only auto levels were used).

[Eric Polsinelli]

Now, this is using the Epson 'color correction' within it's own drivers.

[Eric Polsinelli]

The only thing I didn't like was the dust removal... unlike Noko, I had terrible luck and often found that it over-processed the image and 'removed' spots that aren't dust!

For me, unless it's a hardware dust removal or detection (ie. infrared), humans will do a better job, because the software isn't smart enough to know that one white spot is dust and the other is just a white spot

Anyway, I've included an example of what I mean by over-processed... remember, the setting I used was 'low' so, I would imaging the image would look worse at the higher dust removal setting.

[KevinBE]

That's too bad about the overprocessing. I'm very satisfied with the Silverfast AI that I use with my 2450. It has a very advanced dust and scratches remover but it will overprocess if you allow it to. I've had a problem with the developing that Walgreens has done lately. They are too rough with the negatives sometimes and the result is a lot of knicks on the negaties. That's one of the reasons I have gotten out of film again. It's just too much trouble.

Silverfast AI also has a very good color cast correction with slides. It has a problem with negatives and I have resorted to the twain driver for negatives.

[westsidemaurice]

My maiden voyage with my 3200 involved a 35mm wedding whose negatives had been damaged by a one-hr lab...scratches, contrast etc.

The Silverfast software is miraculous but the dust/scratch control seems an active negative. A can of air and a camelshair brush do far better, with a little retouching afterward. I find that the very least effort to electronically control dust/scratches shows up in loss of sharpness.

I've not tried slides yet but am optimistic. Negatives were easy and satisfactory with the exception of contrast control.

I think I'll get a Wacom tablet shortly because I want local masking, dodging, burning...without these controls the technology would be inherently inferior to traditional darkroom work. I do understand that the Lasso in Photoshop may serve these purposes but I've not gotten used to it...seems fussy.

That's too bad about the overprocessing. I'm very satisfied with the Silverfast AI that I use with my 2450. It has a very advanced dust and scratches remover but it will overprocess if you allow it to. I've had a problem with the developing that Walgreens has done lately. They are too rough with the negatives sometimes and the result is a lot of knicks on the negaties. That's one of the reasons I have gotten out of film again. It's just too much trouble.

Silverfast AI also has a very good color cast correction with slides. It has a problem with negatives and I have resorted to the twain driver for negatives.