Digitizing
 

I have been digitizing (to PC) old family slides and trying to sharpen them with software such as Gimp and digiKam (Linux). Disappointingly, I am not impressed with the results and only very slight improvements are noticeable to the naked eye. Am I wasting my time? Mammoth task, I have thousands!

If original photos are out of focus, is refocusing possible using software? I've tried with digiKam but makes no difference that I can see.

Any suggestions will be much appreciated.

It depends on how bad we are talking but one of the best packages I've seen is http://www.focusmagic.com there could be others as well that are designed for this sort of thing.

Thanks Mark. Here is an example (one of the worst ones). I don't suppose you can wash off the marks on the boy's face?

At this resolution it's a bit hard to play with as there isn't too much detail. I would go to the http://forums.steves-digicams.com/xtreme-makeover-82/ section where the guys there are proficient in photo fixes and improvements.

Thanks Mark, I'll try that.

Another freeware program which has deconvolution abilities, is Image Analyzer, available from http://meesoft.logicnet.dk/ . It has some very good color capabilities as well. The drawback I have found, is that it is very processor and memory intensive, and on my older PC, can take quite a while to process a 6MP photo.
You might also want to look for a program called Sharp Control, which does a good job of controlling haloes when sharpening.

brian

Thanks Brian. I'll try the software and compare it to Gimp which is the one I have been using for the last year or so. I am now with Linux and hardly ever use MS.

How are you digitizing your slides? That could be the first problem to think about.

Projected on screen and photographed with a Sony W350 and transferred to PC. I will probably end up investing in a slide scanner.

Ordo's right, the method of digitalizing is probably the first problem. Projecting on a screen then photographing is means a huge amount of photo data will be missing, and it can produce a irreversible flat, drab effect (like grabbing clips from a movie in a theater with a camcorder). You will likely find most or all of your problems a lot easier to solve if you use a different method of capturing them. I would suggest a high-res flatbed scanner - you'll get fairly pleasing results, and with a decent comp, you can scan several at once at a high resolution.