Scanning software

[Siriunson]

Just out of interest really...

I've been playing around with the bundled software that I got with my Epson scanner, 3200 Photo to test scanning results & ease of use etc. This got me looking at the SilverFast SE software that came with it too. Whilst this seems to have more power it is a lot less intuitive than Epson Scan & does not have the handy thumbnails for negatives option. Now, I've also had a play with VueScan's demo & found this to be my preferred software.

What does everyone else use?

[sPECtre]

For silverfast, check out Ian Lyon's site for more insight : http://computer-darkroom.com/sf5_contents.htm

[Siriunson]

Thanx for the link sPECtre. I am still at the 'playing' stage so this was very helpful.

[Aeneas]

I use Silverfast AI on an Epson 2450 scanner. I find it far superior to Epson's soft, most certainly when it comes to getting rid of moiré patterns. It also has a large list of negative film that can be automatically cleansed from their orangey hue.

I start with a prescan, set levels etc in it, but never sharpen. The final scan is done in LAB mode at 48 bit. Photoshop7 is limited when it comes to 48 bit, but it can do levels etc.
When I'm happy with the result, I save it as a master copy.
Then I make working copies in Adobe RGB, and evt in sRGB

[sPECtre]

Aeneas, I guess that you're waiting for PS CS, then...

Working in Lab is not for the faint hearted, but it has the advantage of getting rid of the profile dilemma for master files, good idea!

[Aeneas]

Hi Pierre. Thanks for the compliment. Yes: my heart still beats. Luckily I'd say...

But for the moment I think I'll stay with Photoshop 7 for a while.

No crits meant of course, but I see no real reason to upgrade. I scan, as said in LAB, and also in 16 bit. Photoshop allows me to use curves and unsharp mask, and I don't need more to get excellent printed photographs.

One day, real 16 bit will come, probably sooner than our bank-account has wished for, and then we will all have to stay behind, or spend much money. Therefore I wait...

I know Brussels a bit. I was there long ago. Mort Subit, beautiful Art Nouveau in Ixelles, and lots of bonvivants.

hmmm...

[Sirius]

Aeneas

Thanx for your comments.

As for PS CS, for photographers there are HUGE improvements; RAW files, colour replacement, healing on all layers, lens blurs, lens filters, match color, shadow & highlight correction... the list goes on! Granted if you are happy with what you have in PS7 why upgrade but as a photo retoucher myself I see this upgrade as well worth the money.

[sPECtre]

Aeneas, of course, as a film photographer, the adobe camea raw has little interest to you... and 16 bit files without 16bit output has very little "raison d'être" besides the safety net for huge color movements... but still CS might allow sharpening on a layer, and keep the raw intact on the BG...

Don't get me started on Art Nouveau, and the Brusselisation :)
A little mort subite on a terrasse, good choice ;)

[Aeneas]

Yes...how will my printer handle the 16 bit files? Will it visibly be better than the 16bit I have now in PS7? More handy: yes, undoubtably. I wait untill some magazine comes with a trial version, and then I will decide whether I see better results here, on my printer. For the web, I see no real use as browsers are still 8 bit.

As for sharpening: I like the technique Deke McLelland describes in his PSBible, the one with the edge mask, but I usually sharpen the Lightness channel in LAB mode as that way I avoid influencing colour and hue.

Yes: I fell in love with LAB. Just because most of it can never be seen perhaps?

[Aeneas]

As for digital camera's: I browsed the Internet, asked in shops, asked people I know who own one, and most people seem to have a camera that does not have RAW support in the first place. Some people I know do have the option on their camera's but don't use it as the investment in memory is huge.

This said, a scanner also produces noise in the quarter darks, and as scanner soft can output to PS in 16 bit mode, but PS7 cannot use layers (there is a trick) in 16 bit, a dual scan, one for the lights and one for the shadows, with a luminance mask is not possible.

And this is why PS CS may come in handy.

[sPECtre]

For the noise in your scans, in 16 bits, the workaround of layers is to use history/the history brush instead, as explained in You can't do this to high-bit files in Photoshop7 (or can you?) (http://www.creativepro.com/printerfriendly/story/16097.html)by Bruce Fraser
P.s. where are you from?

[Aeneas]

Saint-Léonard, Haute-Vienne, but my mother's family is from Betagne and my father was from Vaucluse. I've been working in London some years ago. I have friends in your country.

merci!
trugarez!
thanks for the link!