Re: filmscanners: Q60 scanner gray scale tests

[Mike Duncan <mgduncan@esper.com>]

>Mike Duncan wrote:
>> Does anyone know of a target with lower gray level steps (eg. 5% and 3%)
>> since the Polaroid & Nikon scanners can't be fully tested with the Q60?
>
>You can get Stouffer step tablets from www.darkroom-innovations.com. I just
>got the 35mm step tablet with 21 steps, .15 density/step (uncalibrated), for
>$25.95 with ground shipping (only took a couple of days). This will give
>your scanner a good workout. My SS4000 bottoms-out around the 19th step.
>
>The Stouffer tablets are photographic silver, so they are pretty neutral.
>The Q60 gray scales are not truly gray - just look at the L*A*B* values in
>the data file to see how much your Q60 deviates.
>
>You can get Kodak brand step tablets from www.tiffen.com. Look in their
>Kodak Professional Accessories catalog. They have calibrated, but they're a
>lot more money.
>

Thanks Cliff.

Sounds like just what I need.  I've been trying to create my own gray step
scale that matches the Q60, but I ran into a snafu that Photoshop reports
different L* values depending on the ambient light setting.  Argh!  Just
what I need, a variable standard!

Mike Duncan