Digitally copying old images

[gentle lemur]

Over the past few years I have posted scanned versions of my old colour transparencies in our Gallery. However the process of using a scanner is difficult and tine-consuming, and the results are of mixed quality - I found it impossible to make good scans from some of my old images, probably for a variety of reasons. I haven't done any scanning for some time and I have now decided to stop completely.
I think that the application of AI to photographic images is going to make a tremendous change to the quality of our photographs in the near future. There are programs available now that promise to make better images from photographs old and new, but only from the starting point of raw digital images.In effect, they will allow a photographer to control a raw image like a skilled darkroom worker could control the appearance of a paper print made from an original negative - far in advance of the 'traditional' use of programs like Adobe's Lightroom and Photoshop. Some upmarket scanners claim to produce 'raw' files, but they are not like the camera raw files that these programs handle. So I have now started to copy my slides with my digital camera (using a macro lens and a neat rig I have just purchased), so that my copies will be proper raw files (.NEF from my Nikon) which I can eventually process with the new AI software - I will write more about that eventually.
This method of copying is very easy and very quick, moreover it seems to produce very good results, provided that the original is good enough. I have just posted these 2 images, which were produced in camera, but then edited with the software I have used for years. At the size allowed in our Gallery, I don't think anyone will notice much difference, but I will be interested in any comments.

Great-billed parrot, 1983

• gentle lemur
• 23 Dec 2023

Elephant house, Blackpool, 22nd July 1983

St Lucia Amazon, 1983

• gentle lemur
• 23 Dec 2023
• 2

Parrot range, Jersey, 4th August 1983

 

[Simon Hampel]

I know a few people who have digitised their old slides by simply projecting the images (using a slide projector) onto a large screen and then simply photographing the image using a digital camera.

Crude, but quite effective - especially if you have a decent quality screen.

Personally, I bought a Nikon slide scanner specifically for this purpose - can do both slides and negative strips at something like 4000dpi.

Post-processing is quite important and it will be interesting to see how AI tools develop (see what I did there?) in this regard. The main concern would be for the AI engine to adjust colours to something unnatural for a particular species - especially with birds where colour matters a great deal.

 

[Lafone]

That’s a clever solution - the application of AI tools is great for a starting point to work from. I guess the only thing about some older pictures is they can be a bit noisy when reproduced but AI is pretty good with noise reduction now too. The second picture works particularly well with the new solution you have as there is a good amount of contrast.

 

[gentle lemur]

That’s a clever solution - the application of AI tools is great for a starting point to work from. I guess the only thing about some older pictures is they can be a bit noisy when reproduced but AI is pretty good with noise reduction now too. The second picture works particularly well with the new solution you have as there is a good amount of contrast.

Yes, I have seen some remarkable results from use of the AI software for noise reduction and sharpening. I am particularly interested because I have so many images that are noisy or unsharp or both.

 

[Lafone]

Yes, I have seen some remarkable results from use of the AI software for noise reduction and sharpening. I am particularly interested because I have so many images that are noisy or unsharp or both.

I had Topaz denoise and now Topaz Photo AI (along with DXO for RAW processing) and with some manual fiddling about between them and Lightroom, would recommend either one. I don't batch process as they always produce some slightly weird results but one off / per picture they really work. I also tried LR's new AI noise reduction and it's also pretty good, had I not already got another add on I'd have probably just used that.

 

[gentle lemur]

I had Topaz denoise and now Topaz Photo AI (along with DXO for RAW processing) and with some manual fiddling about between them and Lightroom, would recommend either one. I don't batch process as they always produce some slightly weird results but one off / per picture they really work. I also tried LR's new AI noise reduction and it's also pretty good, had I not already got another add on I'd have probably just used that.

I did a bit with Topaz, but I 'attended' a Zoom session from the Royal Photographic Society's Nature Group (I am an inactive member) and the recommendation there was clearly DxO - for reasons that I think I understand (and which I will be able to explain here soon, I hope). What immediately became clear was that my current PC was not up to the task, as it is over 10 years old. So I have bitten the bullet and bought a new one with an extra fast graphics card, which I hope to have up and running in the New Year. Wish me luck

 

[Lafone]

I did a bit with Topaz, but I 'attended' a Zoom session from the Royal Photographic Society's Nature Group (I am an inactive member) and the recommendation there was clearly DxO - for reasons that I think I understand (and which I will be able to explain here soon, I hope). What immediately became clear was that my current PC was not up to the task, as it is over 10 years old. So I have bitten the bullet and bought a new one with an extra fast graphics card, which I hope to have up and running in the New Year. Wish me luck

Sounds great! DXO is good fun I am sure you'll be good with it