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Jenelle Centeno
Hans Kerensky:
Yes, you're right, sorry, I didn't intend to hijack your thread, I was just surpised that they hadn't added it in one of their updates yet :)
For all my important scans I scan as a positive and invert manually via curves, that way I have more control. I find that most of the Negafix profiles clip in either highlights or shadows, and that silverfast won't allow me to adjust the curves properly as long as I use one of the profiles, but that is indeed for another topic.
Originally posted ages ago. (permalink)
Kasper Kamph edited this topic ages ago.
My first 120 had to be returned to the factory for rework. I was given a replacement. Both machines would sometimes reject the film tray at pre-scan but unplugging solved it most of the time. The first machine finally quite working totally, while the second still hangs in there. This film tray rejection at pre-scan seems to get worse as one scans more and more slides. A software reset in the Service Dialog section of the SilverFast program is helpful when the machine refuses to pre-scan.
ages ago(permalink)
I try install that latest version of Plustek Opticfilm 120 drivers and it has never ever finish installation it just hang in there for several minutes nothing happened. It had stuff it up. Anyway I task manager it and closed it. And I try scan and the frame alignment is way off the scale. It is stuffed up. :( So much of Plustek.
118 months ago(permalink)
I have clean up Windows 8 by format and reinstall. And I tested install that latest Plustek Driver version, it still same hang again. I think there is something wrong with file structure in that installation. I might have to write report to Plustek. Please do not install that latest version until they are properly investigated. It is dangerous to install as it may corrupt your Windows 8/8.1 cos it make uninstallation rendering useless that you won't be able to uninstall latest version. Only you can do is go to safe mode and do a system restore to reverse it.
Plustek driver : OpticFilm120-V5010_12L < This is the one Im talking about.
118 months ago(permalink)
Yeah probably good idea I have a good look into it see what I can do. I guess maybe Microsoft Windows software somehow is preventing it which is not normal to be honest yes. Thanks for the idea you have given me I should have thought of it. Oh well! I will let you know in update when I find the other way around.
118 months ago(permalink)
Aha, very funny though why? I had idea, safe mode yes. I did restore point back to where I was before installing plustek. Then I restarted, back in safe mode, install the software and viola it works! So I figured out something is interfering with installation which is very unusual when using normal Windows mode instead of safe mode. I installed Silverfast software on normal windows, everything is sorted out and working fine. There are lots of factor may have interfere with are: Bitdefender Total Security, Epson Scan software, maybe other devices or softwares too many to list. Anyway all good for now.
118 months ago(permalink)
Silverfast update 8.2.0r3 is crashing consistently when trying to preview scan for the second frame in any given job, the first frame prescan + adjustment is fine but then everytime i select another frame (doesnt have to be second in line in job manager) Silverfast crashes again,
Could also be an issue connected to a yosemite update too as other things seem to be crashing at random too. is it likely there is a solution or continue working reverted to an older update?
Cheers
116 months ago(permalink)
The number of glitches I've come across is hard to enumerate. Another example is that using ME appears to screw up the color profile in direct output from AI Studio. I have found some improvements by applying Software Reset in both Ai and HDR, and managed to coax the two together to produce successful output. But there is clearly something wrong with the setup of SDRi. God knows how bad 8.6 & 8.7 must have been for this to get past QA! Being a Silverfast unpaid Beta Tester (again) was not how I imagined spending these few days off work.
104 months ago(permalink)
I am brand new to archiving film and will be scanning a collection of approx. late 1970s transparency slides for a book project. I have a Nikon Super CoolScan 9000 ED on a PowerMac G5 running 10.4. (Note: I would need to use Silverfast 6, as this is the last version that supports PowerMac/10.4).
I have found many resources comparing VueScan to Silverfast, but between wading through opinions and trying to figure out which features need prioritizing, my brain is about to liquify out of my ears. The priority is capturing as much crisp information from these older transparencies as possible and saving time with a good built-in color correction/dust and scratch removal, as I will be scanning a large collection and won't have the time to do major edits in PS.
I have used VueScan for scanning works on paper and it works great, but I don't mind spending the extra money on Silverfast 6 if the software will save appreciable time and/or produce superior scans/image correction. Could someone please help this newbie out?
Note: I have played with the stock Nikon Scan 4, but the scans aren't yielding a lot of crisp information, and using unsharp mask just seems like putting a band aid over a potentially bigger issue (not great scans). I know this is a powerhouse of a scanner, so I'm wondering if this is user error...
Using a film scanner to its full performance is a black art that (unfortunately) cannot be learned overnight or even within a couple months. It takes quite awhile to balance your result preferences vs your typical film source images vs your specific scanner's quirks vs a particular scanner software suite vs a workflow/time usage plan thats realistic for you to maintain.
Before proceeding further: the Coolscan units are notorious for developing a film of haze on their scanning mirrors. These are oldish units now: between internal outgassing and their vulnerability to dust intake, some can seem to give poor results because they need to be cleaned. Nikonscan at the very least should produce a crisp scan unless your 120/220 film is very warped and you can't quite get the manual focus depth of field to cover the field curvature. This is very common when trying to scan medium format with the glassless tray: if you don't have one of the optional Nikon glass trays for medium format, it can be much harder to obtain crisp scans. I'd recommend verifying your scanner for proper basic operation by downloading a free trial version of Vuescan, and then use it to scan a less taxing source like a 35mm Ektachrome or Velvia transparency in the CoolScan slide tray. If those test scans are crisp, and you don't have the glass MF tray, get one and it should help. If those scans are still soft, the problem isn't Nikonscan but a hardware fault (clean the mirror- see tutorial at Cleaning the mirror in Nikon Super Coolscan LS-8000 ED and LS-9000 ED).
Re choosing the "best" scanner software: its often very subjective. The closest I've seen to a consensus on the CoolScans is that every (non-pro) owner tries to "improve" on Nikon's own software by trying other premium options like SilverFast, but in the end most of them cycle back around to NikonScan. There are certain aspects of the Nikon hardware performance (including ICE if that is a big priority for you) that are best exploited by Nikon's own software, funky as it can be at times.
After Nikon ceased updating NikonScan for newer operating systems some years ago, VueScan became the default choice for many non-professional owners (partly because the price is reasonable, and partly because VueScan is constantly updated for compatibility with new computers). Vuescan is very very good, but has a bit of Jekyll & Hyde to it (in one sense its very easy to use, in another its interface can be ridiculously obtuse when it comes to features that are far more obvious or intuitive in NikonScan). As with all these software options, some users who prioritize certain workflow elements over others find Vuescan impedes them more than Nikonscan or Silverfast, and vice versa. If you parse the threads here and at other scanner-related forums, you'll find a 50/50 split of owners who stick with VueScan vs those who went back to NikonScan after the "hack" to make it work with the latest operating systems became more widely known.
Silverfast is a whole 'nother ballgame. It was and remains the professional standard, with capabilities unmatched by any other scanner software. But the learning curve can be steep just for basic operation, and getting it to better NikonScan results can be even steeper. Elements of its interface can be incredibly obtuse: some settings that should be sticky aren't, the documentation is no help, you have to search the web for workarounds from other users. Unless you received a "free" reduced-feature version bundled with your scanner that is compatible with your Mac system, it is also very expensive to purchase and very expensive to upgrade. Unlike Vuescan or Nikonscan, the Silverfast license is for one computer/scanner: if anything significant changes in your setup, the software becomes a pricey brick. To get the most from Silverfast, one usually needs to go all-out with super-calibrated monitors and more extensive profiling.
If you don't plan to go completely bonkers in pursuit of utter perfection, Nikonscan is probably the best compromise, esp if you're running an older computer as host. Vuescan is preferred by those who run multiple scanners of different brands, and want a single point of reference to operate them. It is also the only reasonable option for those who want to run less common scanners like older Polaroids and Minoltas with modern computers. Silverfast is for the pro and pre-press market, more for the person who earns a living by scanning (tho of course many advanced enthusiasts use it as well).
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