Some very basic questions about using an Epson V700 Photo please.

[newmoon2night]

Thank you everyone, and particularly Richard for the complete numbered guide, which is fantastically helpful and I will work through it this evening.
I'll do a search on how to get Lightroom to search for TIF files - it will be one of those easy things that's there somewhere, and the main problem is finding it!
Thanks again everyone.

[sparq]

.. I did not even install the SilverFast SE - it does not provide option for scanning 48bit color/16bit greyscale files...

SFSE supports 16bpc scans in an "HDR mode" (raw 16bpc TIFFs straight out of the scanner), that's my preferred output format anyway.

[Kirk Gittings]

I no longer own SE, but I would bet my shorts that it provides for 48 bit color and 16 bit greyscale. I have never owned any Silverfast product that didn't and I have owned quite a few. No scanner software could be competitive these days without it.

[Jiri Vasina]

Yes, I could set the HDR mode, but I did not try it. The 48bit color/16bit greyscale options are greyed out, though. I assumed that the HDR mode is somewhat crippled - to force you to buy the more expensive versions which let you do the "extended" scans - even on the company's website information about the version differences, it shows the Ai is the one to go with 16bit per channel scanning. Therefore I uninstalled the SilverFast SE and use only the Epson software.

I have just checked the SilverFast website, and if I understand it correctly, the SE version does not allow for corrections to scanning parameters in the HDR setting, Ai version lets you view the effect of any changes on 16bits/channel scan prior to the scan just on the preview? I don't want to spread misinformation, but this is what I understand from their site.

Sorry for the misinformation in my earlier post.

[Kirk Gittings]

Sorry, You appear to be right-SE does not support 16 bit per channel scans except as a raw HDR scan. For sure Ai and Ai Studio do 16 bit because I own them and all adjustments can be done in and written to 16 bit. Personally I do everything on these machines and in PS in 16 bit (48 bit color/16 bit greyscale).

[Jiri Vasina]

Yes, precisely, I also do everything in 16bit per channel.

I bought Ai version for my previous Epson 3170 scanner, but did not grow very fond of it (though used it for more than 1.5 years) and went back to Epson scan soft. With V700, in SE I could not bring it to do what I wanted - select 16bits p/c and do corrections and alterations of the curves,... . I deleted it after 2 days of wain trying. Since then I managed to learn to get even more from the Epson scan software.

[sparq]

We all have our preferred workflows. All I need from the scanning software is a 16bpc scan. Curves, sharpness, resizing, cloning, burning&dodging, cropping, etc. - all that happens later in my favorite editor. With 16bpc, there's no advantage in adjusting curves in the scanning software before a tiff is saved (but let's not open that old can of worms again).

[bwaysteve]

I am trying to get some first hand info on scanning 8x10 tri-x on a V700.I have not purchased at this point but wanted to find out some pro and cons of this.Epson (pre sale tech support is worthless)They hire people to read along with you online from the website.
Is anti Newton glass required or does the 8x10 fit in a holder.It sounds like the Epson software w/CS3 or Vue Scan is the way to go.Anyone with this experience out there?

[Kirk Gittings]

Steve, there is no holder per se, you can scan on the glass wet or dry or some people use a piece of anti Newton glass (or I have heard of using non glare framing glass). I don't do 8x10 myself, but have played around with it some to show students. Others will have more experience with it.

Allot of people love Vuescan or are satisfied with the Epson software. I'm not one of those. Once you get used to how SF operates, I think it is a superior tool. To each his own.

[Jiri Vasina]

There is no holder for any film larger than 4x5 supplied with the V700. I just place the film on the glass with the included film guide - sometimes I get newton rings no matter what I try, sometimes I don't have any at all. There are aftermarket holders (www.betterscanning.com) for some film sizes, but I'm not certain about 8x10 - on the website they speak only about 5x7 holder.

Antinewton glass might be helpful but I have not tried it.