[filmscanners] Re: Focus problem on Minolta Scan Multi Pro

["Simon Lamb" <simon@sclamb.com>]

On 17/3/02 7:10 am, "M. Denis Hill" <denis@area360.com> wrote:

>> The preferences are Auto Expose for Slides, Autofocus at Scan and use
> monitor colour space.
>
> I've been using Auto Focus in prescan, then I check and do final focus with
> the manual focus tool. I keep Autofocus at Scan turned off. You might try
> this to see if your prescan looks in focus. If that fails, try manual focus
> for some prescans, but bracket focus out toward the extremes. That might
> reveal something broken.
>
> By manually setting the focus in different positions, you'll see if focus
> changes. It's possible that the depth-of-field is sufficient for 35mm film
> even with focus not working right, but there is enough difference in the
> "height" of the film in the MF carrier to throw it out of focus. Why don't
> you try my manual focus experiment with a slide and 35mm strip, as well? It
> may reveal something.
>
> BTW, the autofocus uses the center of the frame. If you have low contrast
> material in that area, the scanner may fail to see any change in contrast as
> it tries to focus.
>
> Have you tried both the glassless and glass insert in the MF carrier? I
> wonder if there is a problem with the carrier or insert.
>
>> I have successfully scanned 35mm Provia slides, Scala slides and Delta 100
> film (although the quality of the black and white negative scan was not very
> good, it looked grainy and the Provia was too red - any tips here?).
>
> You may have no choice but to use VueScan to solve the red problem ... until
> Minolta attacks the blue cast I mentioned and your red problem. BTW, I tried
> some Kodachrome 25 scans using the Minolta software. Ghastly!
>
> I did find this in the readme file:
>
> Color Reproduction of Negative Film
> When using 35mm and medium format films, make sure that the film is aligned
> correctly
> with the film holder frame and the film masks, respectively.
> This is necessary to ensure that the AE (Automatic Exposure) can be
> performed correctly.
> Misaligned film may produce unexpected color casts in the scanned image.
>
>> I am now trying to scan 6X6 Delta 100 negatives and Kodak Portra 400NC and
> 160VC
> negatives.
>
> I've scanned Portra 24x65mm in the MF holder with no focus problem. I had no
> color problem with it in VueScan.
>
>> There are very few instructions with the scanner.  I am placing all negs in
> the carrier with the image right side up (or the matt side at the bottom.  I
> assume this is correct but shouldn't affect focussing anyway.
>
> I agree that the manual is skimpy. The online help description of manual
> focus is a study in circular logic! If I can find time to really attack the
> beast, I may try writing a book. I think it has the potential to be a real
> winner once it has been doped out.
>
> Emulsion down is what the manual indicates (under instructions for scanning
> slides), so you're on the right track in that respect.
>
>> I hope you can help as this is spoiling my view of the scanner.  What is
> worrying me is that Vuescan is having the same problems - 35mm is fine,
> medium format is out of focus.
>
> Have you contacted Minolta support about this? I'm running the 1.0.1 version
> of Minolta software, but it seems unlikely to be the problem since VueScan
> is also unable to focus.
>
Denis

I have tried manual focus and the previews and scans are still out of focus.
I hope I am not doing something stupid here.  I put the 6X6 neg into the
glassless holder with the bars adjusted to the 6X6 size.  I then clip the
holder into the carrier and insert the carrier into the scanner.

Neither Vuescan nor the Minolta software can focus on the medium format
film, but both can focus fine on 35mm negs and slides.

If I am not doing anything stupid in mounting the film then I guess the
scanner will need to be returned.  Given the cost, and the poor quality if
it is a scanner fault, I may try the LS8000 instead, even though with a
glass carrier it would be about 50% more expensive than the Minolta.

I really want the Minolta to work and this is very frustrating.

Thanks Denis, and any further ideas would be gratefully received.

Simon

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe by mail to listserver@halftone.co.uk, with 'unsubscribe 
filmscanners'
or 'unsubscribe filmscanners_digest' (as appropriate) in the message title or 
body