Scanning question

[Ed_L]

Hi Tim,

Welcome to the site. It seems as though you have a good handle on scanners, and you have a lot to share. One thing I would like to mention concerns the scanning software. As you probably know, many flatbed scanners (and film scanners) are supported by the software Vuescan, and possibly others. I opted for Vuescan, and I'm a happy camper with it. A trial version is available which is fully functional except for saving the files. You have the opportunity to see what the program will do with your scanner, and if you like it you pay for it. This will get you a code number to enter which makes saving files available.

Ed

[Tim_S]

Alan,

I'll happily answer any questions I can.

Ed,
Thank you. I've never tried Vuescan. I have tried SilverFast on a previous flatbed scanner. I thought SilverFast was a tremendous improvement over the Umax consumer software I had been using. Now I have ScanWizard Pro to go with my Microtek scanner. The software is good and allows for rapid batch scanning and extensive photo correction options. I can do about 90% of the exposure and color correction in the prescan, rather than waiting to open the picture in Photoshop.

The inversion of color negatives works reasonably well too, since they allow a calibration to be made for each roll of film.

Tom mentioned grain reduction software. I would just like to mention that using GEM (Applied Science Fiction's grain reduction) on my Minolta Dimage Multi makes scan times much longer. Worse, before you can set the slider for how strong the effect is you have to do the full scan (it just does it when you do the GEM preview). And it WILL soften photographic details if used too strongly. Don't get me wrong. I use it when I need to, but not always.

--tks

[thomasgeorge]

Good point about the GEM/ROC software modules, Tim. They do slow the process considerably even with fast computers and unless the negative or slide is in bad shape, I dont use them as many times it will actually degrade the image. But, as you pointed out, on very faded or grain "clumped" items, they can do wonders...at the price of slowing things down though. Tom