In addition to spatial and brightness resolution, other factors influencing the quality of a scanned image are dynamic range , noise and artifacts .
Dynamic range indicates how well the scanner can differentiate between light levels.
Film excels at distinguishing small changes in light level, while digital capture systems have limited brightness range. To accurately render highlights and shadows, scanner exposure must be controlled precisely. With low dynamic range, shadows lose detail and saturated areas are washed out. Noise is another factor. The information captured by a sensor contains both image data and noise.