Why do the new series of 9600XL scanners from Microtek drift at a higher than 0 exposure?

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We are using Microtek ScanMaker 9600XL scanners. I reinstalled Microtek's ScanWizard v2.44 and the DCR calibrator. I calibrated each scanner (old 9600 firmware v2.60 and new 9600 firmware v2.70). I then ran each of them with ScanWizard in a program called ImagePro Plus using the same image.

The results are quite significant with the images showing a clear drift problem at exposures greater than zero after 90 minutes. There is a pinkish hue to the images captured by the new 9600s (all 3 of them). With ImagePro I can get results on each RGB channel and can verify that they are drifting in the new scanners (especially the BLUE channel). Anyone seen this before or have any idea what this is?

-- Stefan Bussmann (sbussmann@maztech.com), April 05, 2000

Answers

Both CCD sensors and Fluorescent illuminator tubes are temperature sensitive. CCD noise increases dramatically with temperature, and the output changes slightly as well. Fluorescent tubes are notorious for needing an extensive warm-up time before the intensity and colour stabilises.

The effects you are seeing are probably a combination of the above.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), April 06, 2000.


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