[filmscanners] Re: 8 bit versus 16

["Bob Frost" <bob@frost.name>]

Henk,

I think you are probably right here. We all have slightly different
workflows, for a variety of reasons, some good, some not so good perhaps.

My own workflow differs from that recommended by Austin, in that most of the
advice I have read says that one should get the raw data from the scanner,
and then process it in tried and tested software such as PS. Scanner
software is usually said not to be as good as the hardware, and the color
management (CM) parts are often the weakest.

So I scan in my Nikon LS4000 (which outputs 16-bit scans) using either
Vuescan or NikonScan (as the mood takes me) with CM off. I manually focus,
but do usually use autoexposure which is often not recommended.

Then in PS I assign the LS4000 scanner profile that Nikon supplies, and
convert the image to whatever large working space I currently favour.

I then stay in 16-bit until I need to use a filter/plugin/layer/etc that
only works in 8-bit. I just feel happier keeping the data in its original
state as long as possible; once you have thrown data away by converting to
8-bit, you can't get it back! I usually finally convert to Adobe98 before
printing (this makes life easier if using custom profiles).

I do agree with Austin that if your scanner only outputs in 8-bit, then it
might be preferable to do as much manipulation in the scanner software
before the conversion to 8-bit (depending on the quality of the software),
but most higher-end scanners output in 16-bit.

So, I read everyone else's ways of working, try some of them, and adopt the
ones that are useful to me.

Bob Frost.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Henk de Jong" <henk@hsdejong.nl>

The purpose of this discussion is not to proof that your religion is the
only true one, but to let you re-think about your own favourite workflow
which could maybe enhanced or changed by the ideas and workflow of others.
It's not a case of wrong or right in my opinion, but a different workflow
which has a need for different tools.

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