Canon 9950F... Terrible Shadow Detail, Bad Colors

[Scott Rosenberg]

hey fellas...

i have been playing with my 9950F for two days now and i am on the verge of sending it back. before i do so, i was hoping some of you could tell me if my issues are operator-based, or if this scanner is simply not what it was cracked up to be.

i have two main issues with this unit:
1. the colors are off. i've tried adobe RGB as well as sRGB, but the scans just don't look right. i can get them close spending some time with the channel mixer in photoshop, but i'd rather the scanner did this unaided.
2. the shadow detail is awful. the $150 microtek scanner this unit replaced had better shadow detail.

would switching to another scanner, like the epson 4870 or microtek 6100pro, both which use silerfast, be a better option? is there some setting on the scanner i'm missing?

any help would be appreciated,
scott

[Gem Singer]

Hi Scott,

Scroll down on the list of Recent Topics. Take a look at Kirk Gittings remarks about that particular model scanner.

[Scott Rosenberg]

hi eugene...

i've been following all the 9950 threads pretty closely. in this thread:


http://www.largeformatphotography.info/lfforum/topic/500043.html#530943

kirk states that...
"the batch scanning interface, the auto exposure, frame recognition and color balance is superior in the Canon"

it seems like he's having better luck with his, particularily in the color balance. the scanner is pretty sharp, it just falls apart in the shadows. i really hope that it's user error and there's a simple fix.

scott

[Rainer]

Scott,

I´m afraid NO < 1000,- $ Scanner will do, what you expect from it.

If you´re looking for high end quality you´ll have to go for a high-end unit (IMACON 646 at least ... $ 10.000).

The 9950F gives me nice quality on prints up to 20x25". Shadow detail is more likely a printing than a scanning problem.

That´s my limited experience.

I´m quite lucky I guess, as i pay only about $ 9 for a full 250MB Imacon 949 Scan at a local retailer...

Regards,

[Scott Rosenberg]

rainer...

i've yet to try printing any scan from the 9950f. so far i've spent the last two days going through a pile of 'reference' trannies. it's taking me considerable time in photoshop to get the colors back to where they should be, but there's nothing i can do to recover lost shadow detail in the scans.

i'll keep playing around to see if i can get acceptable scans off this unit, if not, i guess i'll try the 4870 or the microtek 6100pro.

sigh.

[RO345]

I'm scanning Velvia 6x4.5s and I'm getting very accurate color rendition. I'm using Vuescan and I've profiled with a Velvia IT8 target. I cant comment about the shadow detail, since I havent scanned many slides that have shadow detail. You didnt mention the type of film you use or the software you are using.

[Scott Rosenberg]

i'm using velvia and e100vs. i'm scanning with the included scangear cs application and editing in photoshop.

[Kirk Gittings]

I have had no problems with the color balance, exposure or shadow detail with the 9950f. As a matter of fact, with the Canon software, I think it is superior in that respect to the Epson 4870 and Epson software. Don't allow the Canon software maybe to clip your shadows, do that manually.

My problem with the 9950F has been subtile streaking along the direction of the scan
in broad areas of middle tone like clear blue skies. I have returned three 9950f scanners so far. Each one has been worse. They just sent me another. After this one I will give up go back to my Epson 4870 and wait for the next generation Epson so I batch scan more and quicker.

[Scott Rosenberg]

kirk...

"Don't allow the Canon software maybe to clip your shadows, do that manually."

what you you mean byt this? are you referring to the 'auto tune' feature?

scott

[Kirk Gittings]

If you use auto exposure, in the histogram window, you will see that the highlights and shadows are "clipped". That is to say that the end point settings clip the highlight and shadow detail so that everything past the points on either end are either pure black or pure white. This is necessary to get a full range of tones but oftentimes the auto setting clips way too much. Either reset these points closer to the ends of the histogram maually and adjust overall exposure with the midpoint or do'nt do the auto exposure at all (shut it off) and do your own histogram settings in photoshop. For my large volume color commercial work I do the former. For my b&w art work I do the later. I need full control for a truly expressive fine art print.