Scanning Kodachrome on the Nikon LS-9000

Five-and-a-half years or two generations of scanners later it's worthwhile to update this subject with scans done on an LS-9000, a medium format scanner, with regard to features introduced in the interim.

Kodachrome "Mode"

NikonScan 3 introduced a Kodachrome mode.  Here is a raw scan done on an LS-9000 in positive mode:

Raw scan in positive mode of KR slide

NikonScan 4 and the LS-9000 perpetuate the underexposed, blue cast resulting from scans of Kodachrome slides.

A raw scan performed with Kodachrome mode lessens the blue cast but our problem slide is still underexposed:

Raw scan in Kodachrome mode of KR slide

This image should not be difficult to correct for someone experienced with an image editor. 

Note: The batch of Kodachromes that this image came from was exceptional, and most Kodachromes now require far less correction.

Effect of DEE

Since the original was underexposed by about a quarter-stop, I decided to enhance the image's brightness to compensate.  The next scan was performed using DEE to emphasize the shadows:

LS-9000 scan using DEE

Analog gain and curves were used as adjustments to exposure and tonal correction.  (No sharpening was applied.)

As a basis of comparison, an image from one of the previous pages, which were done with an LS-2000, was adjusted to match the color of the LS-9000 image as closely as possible:

LS-2000 scan color matched to LS-9000 scan

The LS-9000 clearly shows better sharpness and shadow detail even at this relatively low resolution.

Correcting the Kodachrome blue cast on the LS-9000

Return to LS-2000 notes