RE: filmscanners: Tweaking images in PS6

["shAf" <michael@shaffer.net>]

Andreas writes ...

> ...
> I use an Nikon LS30 scanner to produce 48 bit tiffs with
> vuescan. Then I tweak the images in PS6.
> Is it better to do all possible tweaking in 48 bit
> mode, one after the other, which needs rendering the
> picture each time, or is it better to convert the
> image to 8 bit and use adjustment layers which
> renders the image just once.

        see below ...

> Another question about vuescan: The LS30 internally uses 10
> bit, the output is just an 8 bit file.
> Vuescan produces images in 16 bit mode by rerendering
> the file if I understood right. Has this file really more
> information than the 8 bit file the scanner itself outputs?

        Let me answer this question first because it pertains to the 1st.
Vuescan is capable and will deliver the LS-30 native 10bits/channel to
a 16bit/channel (48bit RGB) TIF file.  10bits offers 1024 individual
shades/channel rather than the 256 shades 8bits offers.  This is
indeed more information.

        Regarding editing 16bit (or highbits) versus 8bits and using
adjustment layers (available in 8bit mode only) ... it is a toss-up.
If you were editing 12bits or true 16bits, I might go with individual
highbit adjustments.  However, adjustment layers, if combined only do
one calculation, and are so darn handy and elegant, especially when
using masks.  Each image, highbits vs 8bits, and the adjustments
needed, would need individual attention ... but given only 10bits, I'd
have a hard time NOT using adjustment layers and 8bits.

my US$0.02 ... shAf  :o)