Horizontal line but preview is fine?

[peteforde]

Hi all! This is my first post so be kind. So glad you're here for me.

I'm the new owner of an Imacon 96C, which is an upgrade from my Phase One H20. I shoot on a CW-503, so this is a great low cost entry unit for me.

After my first batch of shots, I connected everything to my iMac running 10.6.4 and FlexColor 4.8.10. I loaded the images in and saw that there is a line across the top of each image I take, and it seems to be interpolated from the surrounding pixels. It shows up in the final output as well as an exported DNG.

The weird thing is that when I look at the image on the 96C itself, there is no line there. Even if I zoom in to maximum detail, there's no sign of it.

Here is an example file, if you're curious. It is large (about 20mb) because it's what came out of FlexColor.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/65987/B0097P0041.dng

Now, based on my own research, it seems I am suffering from the issue described in "Image qualtiy will be improved if you connect the Ixpress back before making this transfer" on the Hasselblad.com FAQ. The first time I plugged it in, it asked me to connect and I did. I haven't been able to get it to ask me that again.

1. How do I make this line go away in my image files?
2. Is the CCD on my 96C fubar? And if so, what are my options?
3. Where is the Devices folder on a Mac? I wanted to inspect the XML file referred to in the FAQ, but I cannot locate it. http://hasselblad.com/service--support/faq/camera-backs/ixpress-96c.aspx?Group=Ixpress%2096C

Any tips or suggestions would be hugely appreciated!

[grandguru]

I think it would be a good idea to delete any possibly corrupted calibration files.
To do the job thoroughly delete the calibration file stored in the imagebank, with Flexcolor running and the imagebank alone connected select any file in the import window and then while holding down Alt and Shift click on Delete. You should then get a window saying 'This will delete all images etc'. This clears out the calibration files in the imagebank and when the back is reconnected to the imagebank the calibration file will be re-written.
Then go to the devices folder in User/Library/Application Support/Flexcolor, after you have done that a fresh new folder will be re-written by Flexcolor.

If this fails you may have a column error

[peteforde]

I did as you suggested, and it seems as though the image is persistent - even after a full delete. I watched the data bank get data written and I verified that the xml in the Devices folder was re-generated.

It probably sounds like I'm in denial, but the part that just doesn't make sense to me is that this line doesn't show up in the preview on the back itself. It also doesn't show up while it's loading (when the image is jagged and pixelated). It defies logic that a dead column wouldn't show up on full zoom on the back. There's no magic there.

At any rate, what are my options? Does Hasselblad fix these things? I emailed the closest dealer but I admit it's kind of freaky considering I just bought this thing. Trying to stay positive.

[Monty Rakusen]

This really does sound like a column error although I only have experience of these with the 132C and they are vertical on that back, but its a while ago now and I might be wrong.
I've taken the trouble to have a look and if that's full frame then its really nasty! I'd say it was a whole load of dead pixels which I'm sad to say looks very un fixable.
I dare say the back was not too expensive and it must be quite old by now..I wonder if the seller knew about this. Fortunately its near the top so you could just apply a little crop.
Hasselblad will know what it is.

Monty

[peteforde]

Well, that's a total drag. I quite literally *just* got this back. It seemed to be performing fine when I got it, which strongly suggests that whatever might have happened, happened in my care. "Not too expensive" is a very relative term, consider that I could have just as easily picked up a Canon 5D Mk II or Leica M8 for the same price. Sigh!

Anyhow, what I still don't understand is how come the line doesn't show up on the preview LCD? Further, the line doesn't show up in FlexColor during the initial load-in of a photo, when it's pixelated. It's once present once the final, clear image is rendered. I could be totally missing something, but wouldn't this imply that my preview LCD is *magical*?

Dead pixels are dead pixels... how can the preview not see them at full zoom?