AboutScott Valentine Expertise Most anything about digital post processing (Photoshop, etc), effects, and image restoration, some technical information about digital imaging systems, light and electron microscopy, optical physics and image analysis. I can help with shooting basics, lighting setups, and getting the most out of your digital camera. I am also an 'expert' here for Photoshop (Computers/Technology > Software > Graphics Software > Photoshop).
Experience I've been an image analyst and advanced amateur photographer for over 6 years. I run an Adobe user group, focusing on digital media, and have lectured on digital image capture systems. Currently, I am an administrator for a rather large instructional Photoshop forum
Organizations Adobe User Groups, National Association of Photoshop Professionals, Advanced Imaging Specialists
Education/Credentials Bachelor of Physics, University of California, San Diego
Awards and Honors Winner: Best in Show and several category first place awards - Imaging Professionals of the Southwest Print Competition (multiple years)
Expert: Scott Valentine Date: 5/24/2007 Subject: Camera/image problem
Question Hi. I have a Casio EX-S600. It was working fine until last week. Now there are always horizontal lines in my picture which are more prominent in bright settings. Here's a link to one of my pictures so you can see what I am talking about: http://www.gigasize.com/get.php/3194701371/CIMG4594.JPG
I didn't notice I had a problem until I transfered the pictures to my computer. Now I'm stuck with dozens of pictures like this (some that are very important to me). You'll notice that if you zoom out on the pictures, the image becomes clear and the horizontal lines disappear. Zooming in would make the lines more prominent. Is there anyway I can process the image to get rid of the horizontal line noise.
Thanks for your time and help.
Answer Hi Marty,
Sorry for the delay - I wasn't notified of your question until this morning.
I can't see your image, but can take a couple of guesses. It's possible that your camera sensor is damaged in some way. The horizontal lines may be due to buffer or register errors in the way the chip reads out information. There are tiny 'wires' that connect each row of pixels (the register), and these wires may get some dust or other damage from handling.
Another possibility is that the software in your camera is not properly reading these registers. You might be able to contact a local camera dealer or repair shop to see if there is a firmware update for your model. The main support number for Casio is 800-962-2746.
To edit your existing images, you will need something like Photoshop (Elements or the standard version) or the Gimp - an open source image editor. I'll describe how to do this in Photoshop, as the Gimp should be similar.
For all of these methods, please work on a COPY of your image, not the original (until you've learned non-destructive methods). That way you can always go back if something goes wrong.
In Photoshop standard, use the rectangular marquee tool if the lines are perfectly horizontal. If they are not, use the polygonal lasso tool to make your selection. Once you have the selection, you may use a clone stamp to replace your selection with the immediate line above or below - the Help files will have more detail than I can provide here.
Alternatively, you may make your selection then 'feather' it a few pixels by modifying the selection. Then you can use the blur tool to kind-of smear the pixels on either side into the line. This will not be a very clean solution, but will work if absolutely necessary.
Finally, you can simply reduce the size of your image, then increase it again. This should get rid of the lines, but you will lose detail across your entire image. Whether you lose enough to make a difference will be up to you to decide after you try it.
Have you tried printing the images to see if the lines still appear? It may be that the prints hide these imperfections, especially if you choose a smaller size like 4x5.
If you have further questions, please feel free to follow up. I'd like to help you get your important pictures in top shape!
