The key to excellent color reproduction is the illumination system. For a light source the ARRISCAN uses an array of LEDs, which are characterized by low power consumption, high efficiency, excellent color separation and great durability. LEDs guarantee perfect image quality and place the lowest possible strain on the film by minimizing thermal dissipation.
The illumination is digitally adjusted and optimized to suit different film stocks via a closed loop regulation system. In addition LEDs will not change their spectral characteristics; there is no drift and no ageing.
A database keeps track of the illumination parameters used with a given film stock and the results achieved by an ARRISCAN will be repeatable over time with different machines
Besides the RGB illumination unit, the ARRISCAN uses an additional infrared illumination channel to identify film defects. Since film color dyes are transparent for infrared light, the ARRISCAN sees only film defects (such as dust, lint and scratches) in the infrared image, which means such defects can quickly be isolated and corrected.
Kodak’s DIGITAL ICE Technology uses the infrared channel of the ARRISCAN to automatically remove dust, scratches and blemishes from a scanned image. First, DIGITAL ICE identifies all defects in the image and then reconstructs the true color information wherever possible; the number of blemishes is thereby reduced significantly. Remaining defects that are too severe to be reconstructed perfectly are marked in an additional defect map, which can either be stored as a matte or embedded into the scanned image. Downstream workflow productivity both in terms of labor and time is significantly improved.
Optimized for the ARRISCAN image processing chain, DIGITAL ICE is seamlessly embedded into the data path and is applied to the images on-the-fly while scanning.
The DIGITAL ICE package is available as an additional option for the ARRISCAN.
For more information please download the Kodak Digital ICE Technology - Dust busting and scratch removal - Data Sheet
For capturing the image a custom-designed CMOS area sensor is utilized. CMOS technology presents several advantages: high speed performance by parallel data outputs, flexible output modes through active-pixel-technology and film protection through short exposure times.
The ARRI-designed CMOS chip sensor is optimized for speed and for quality. It is a robust 35 mm area sensor with low power consumption and can be operated at much higher speeds than traditional sensors. Combined with the LED light source it represents an ideal method of capturing high quality images.
When utilizing the 'double exposure' method, each frame of film is exposed twice at different light levels. Both of these images are digitized and composited into one output image. This method is used mainly for film stocks with a high density range; it ensures excellent signal quality (signal-to-noise ratio), even in the most demanding situations.
The fast and pin-registered film transport of the ARRISCAN is another innovation in itself.
Designed and manufactured by ARRI, the transport mechanism is a precision system that ensures film safety at all times and guarantees maximum image steadiness. The exchangeable film gate makes it very easy to switch from 35 mm to 16 mm or to switch to future ARRISCAN film gate options.
The transportation unit is constantly monitored to maximize the safety of potentially irreplaceable film negatives. Benefiting from ARRI's 90 years of experience in camera design, the ARRISCAN film transport is robust and reliable; even shrunken film can be put through the mechanism and will be transported with the necessary caution.
