[filmscanners] Re: Silverfast challenge

["Alan Eckert" <alan@aeckertphoto.com>]

I had exactly the same experience.  I found that using the target
transparency that came with my copy of 5.5 (included with my SS4000) to
generate an ICC profile gave 8-bit scans that were very close to the
original.  When I tried high-bit scans I was entirely unable to wrench them
to quality as good as the profiled 8-bit scans.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bard Martin" <bardmartin@earthlink.net>
To: <alan@aeckertphoto.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2003 11:44 AM
Subject: [filmscanners] Silverfast challenge


To this point I've been using Silverfast v. 5.5 with my Polaroid 120 scanner
to make 8 bit scans and am generally satisfied.  I want to do 16 bit scans,
however, and find the product's PDF "manual" to be totally inadequate when
it comes to providing useful information.

Apparently, to scan in other than 8 bits one has to use the program's "HDR"
setting.  The problem with this is that the resultant scans are horribly off
as to hue and value.  One cannot correct them, or so it seems, prior to
scanning, because all the controls available to make corrections prior to
scanning in 8 bit are unavailable (grayed out) in the HDR mode.  Wrestling
the post-scan images into acceptability in PhotoShop requires heavy-duty
Curves and/or Levels manipulation, and I am not yet sure the results will be
acceptable for my purposes.

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