First, Drew, you make a good point about sharpening during scanning. I never used to do that, but since starting to use Vuescan I have been leaving it at the "moderate" sharpening default setting. Perhaps I should review that. My major sharpening is done when I finish screwing around with the TIF file, and then again when I convert to JPG for posting.

Bit, there was definitely some sharpening going on. I view sharpening as one of the real arts of digital imaging....it can both enhance and ruin an image depending on how well it is done. I blow hot and cold on how much sharpening to do. I hate over sharpened images, but when you get it right it really sings.

With regard to grain reduction, I use "Noise Ninja" with occasional success. I have also tried the Photoshop noise reduction stuff....again with occasional success. But I also find that grain reduction usually comes at a price. I did not try grain reduction on the 844 image because I didn't think it needed it (at least when posting on the web at 72 dpi)...an 8x10 300 dpi print probably would have raised the issue.

Freericks mades another good point. The original slide was in fact dark, and the lightening process accentuates grain in the shadows. But there is "noise" in the sky as well.

What really surprised me was how much grain there was in the original slide. Most of my old Kodachrome II slides are virtually grainless, but I seem to have a few roles that are noticeably grainy. I'm wondering if in the early days of KRII Kodak had some quality control problems.

Thanks for all the feedback.

JBWX