Photographic film image reading apparatus with film density detection

A method for controlling an image reading apparatus that includes a plurality of LED arrays, each of which comprises a plurality of LED elements and emits light having a wavelength different from wavelengths of light emitted by another one of the LED arrays, to read an image recorded on a photographic film, said method comprising:

• irradiating lights emitted from said plurality of LED arrays onto said photographic film;
• reading said image by detecting light which is one of transmitted and reflected by said photographic film;
• detecting density information representing a base density of said photographic film;
• and
• independently adjusting an amount of said lights emitted by said plurality of LED arrays based on said density information, when reading said image.

An apparatus for reading an image, said apparatus comprising:

• a light-emitting section to irradiate light onto a photographic film on which said image is recorded, said irradiated light being one of reflected and transmitted by said photographic film;
• an image-reading section to read said image by detecting the light which is one of transmitted and reflected by said photographic film;
• and
• a density information detecting section to detect density information corresponding to a base density of said photographic film;
• wherein said light-emitting section comprises:
• a plurality of LED arrays;
• a light-mixing device to mix lights emitted from said plurality of LED arrays, so as to form an emitting light including said mixed lights traveling in substantially a same direction;
• and
• a light-converging element to converge said emitting light into said light that is irradiated onto said photographic film;
• and
• wherein an amount of each of said lights emitted by said plurality of LED arrays is independently adjusted based on said density information, when the image-reading section reads said image.

An apparatus for reading an image, said apparatus comprising:

• a light-emitting section to irradiate light onto a photographic film on which said image is recorded, said irradiated light being one of reflected and transmitted by said photographic film;
• an image-reading section to read said image by detecting the light which is one of transmitted and reflected by said photographic film;
• a density information detecting section to detect density information corresponding to a base density of said photographic film;
• and
• a light-amount adjusting section to adjust an amount of said light irradiated by said light-emitting section, when said image-reading section reads said image of said photographic film;
• wherein said light-emitting section includes:
• a plurality of LED arrays, each of which comprises a plurality of LED elements and emits light having a wavelength different from wavelengths of light emitted by another one of the LED arrays;
• a light-mixing device to mix said lights emitted from said plurality of LED arrays, so as to form an emitting light including said mixed lights traveling in substantially a same direction;
• and
• a light-converging element to converge said emitting light into said light that is irradiated onto said photographic film;
• and
• wherein said light-amount adjusting section independently adjusts an amount of each of said lights emitted by said plurality of LED arrays based on said density information.