[filmscanners] RE: Polaroid SS4000 shadow detail

["S Schwartz" <snsok@swbell.net>]

What type of film are you using?

I previously used mostly Fujichrome Velvia. With the  SS4000, it was
difficult to pull any detail from deep shadows with this high contrast film.
I don't know whether that was due to the range of the scanner or whether it
was just a characteristic of Velvia. I don't have access to another scanner
for comparison.

I use mostly Provia now and the problem is not as bad. I don't like the
palette and the saturation of the Provia as much as the Velvia. However, you
can alway add color and saturation to an image but you can't add information
that isn't there.

I have used the technique described in earlier posts in which I make two
scans, one for shadow detail and one for highlight detail and combine them
into a single image.

I am using Insight 5.5. It isn't better for this problem in my experience.

Stan

-----Original Message-----
From: filmscanners_owner@halftone.co.uk
[mailto:filmscanners_owner@halftone.co.uk]On Behalf Of
Al@greenspace.freeserve.co.uk
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 5:07 AM
To: snsok@swbell.net
Subject: [filmscanners] Polaroid SS4000 shadow detail


Hi folks,


I recently managed to get one of the last SS4000 units at a reasonable price
(reasonable by UK standards that is!).

As I expected, scans are sharp and noise is very well controlled.  However,
trying to bring up the shadow detail in dense slides, the  shadows get very
blocked up and start looking weak and posterised.  I got much better shadow
definition from my old Elite but that was only after months of finding the
best workflow to do this (raw scan from Elite software processed with
Vuescan).  Since my initial attemps with the Elite we no better, I suspect
I'm simply not getting the best from the SS4000 yet.  After all, they are
both 12 bit scanners with probably a similar OD.

I've tried the "underexposed slide" option in Insight (it shipped with 5.0.3
by the way is 5.5 any better?) and, although the colours and general balance
is good, the shadow definition is poor.  Scanning as a normal slide and
using the other tools improves it but not amazingly so.  I've tried
Silverfast (briefly!), tried exporting a raw file from Insight and
processing it in Vuescan and also tried doing everything in Vuescan.  I get
different results but still not as good as the Elite yet.

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