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Contents Understanding Image Histograms and Curves Histograms Histograms and Pixel Structure Using Histograms as a Scanner Tool Image Exposure and Tone Curves Changing Brightness and Contrast Interactive Demos Appendices The Photoshop Levels Function and Curves |
High-Performance Scanners Are Not Immune from Grain
Since grain visibility is a characteristic of the film type and not the scanner, even high-end scanners exhibit grain. In fact grain is even more pronounced because of the higher true resolution and dynamic range of professional scanners.
This sailboat image was produced on a $55,000 flatbed scanner. The next image is a full-size detail from the scan which has been color balanced but not sharpened.
Although the scan was performed at a relatively low resolution, the grain is clearly visible because of the crispness of detail that this scanner is capable of delivering.
The next image was scanned on a popular medium-format film scanner at the same resolution:
This image, also, was color balanced but not sharpened.
