Raw data from drum scanner

[alexcong]

I am using Trident 4 scan software and a Howtek scanner. Trident get some correction functions such as histogram, color, and curve adjustments. Does these adjustment affect how the scanner acquire row data? Is there any difference than do it in Photoshop? If I lose nothing by not doing correction in Trident, but work in Photoshop, that is an advantage to me.

Thanks.

[Lenny Eiger]

I am using Trident 4 scan software and a Howtek scanner. Trident get some correction functions such as histogram, color, and curve adjustments. Does these adjustment affect how the scanner acquire row data? Is there any difference than do it in Photoshop? If I lose nothing by not doing correction in Trident, but work in Photoshop, that is an advantage to me.

Thanks.

I'll start by saying there is a lot of disagreement about this. It's clear that sharpening is best left out of scanner adjustments. However, as far as the others, some say Photoshop does better, some say the scanner does it better. I am generally in the latter group but I won't say absolutely as this is one of those areas where I think I am right but can't say definitively, I don't have enough data.

Digital PhotoLab Pro has a function that allows you to create a "CMS" which is basically a set of the corrections you have made. It then passes this along to the internals of the scanner, and the scanners adjusts its input so that it scans with the changes in mind, returning a full histogram. It's one of the major reasons to get DPL, IMO. When things are done before the scan in this way, it presumes that the quality is intact vs doing it after the scan like all the other software, including Trident, and Photoshop.

Lenny

[alexcong]

I'll start by saying there is a lot of disagreement about this. It's clear that sharpening is best left out of scanner adjustments. However, as far as the others, some say Photoshop does better, some say the scanner does it better. I am generally in the latter group but I won't say absolutely as this is one of those areas where I think I am right but can't say definitively, I don't have enough data.

Digital PhotoLab Pro has a function that allows you to create a "CMS" which is basically a set of the corrections you have made. It then passes this along to the internals of the scanner, and the scanners adjusts its input so that it scans with the changes in mind, returning a full histogram. It's one of the major reasons to get DPL, IMO. When things are done before the scan in this way, it presumes that the quality is intact vs doing it after the scan like all the other software, including Trident, and Photoshop.

Lenny

Thanks Lenny. I think you are right about DPL. DPL can program the gain of PMTs to get hardware adjusted scan. I am not sure about the old Trident software. Don't know if scanner's hardware setting is changed when doing corrections in Trident 4.

[adam satushek]

So if I am reading this correctly....

Will DPL only let you adjust the scanners hardware by creating a CMS file? I ask because I recently got the Standard version of DPL, which does not allow me create custom CMS files. So, when I make adjustments with DPL's curves, or brightness/contrast sliders, is it actually adjusting the scanners hardware? Does the Pro version just allow you to save these settings...or do I need the Pro version to adjust the scanner hardware period?

Any clarification would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Adam

[Lenny Eiger]

So, when I make adjustments with DPL's curves, or brightness/contrast sliders, is it actually adjusting the scanners hardware? Does the Pro version just allow you to save these settings...or do I need the Pro version to adjust the scanner hardware period?

The standard profiles for Ektachrome, etc., that Aztek supplies, are CMS files. They get you very close. When you adjust on top of that , it is done in the standard way, and just like every other software, will adjust after the scan. However, because their CMS is really good, the adjustments are minimal, often imperceptible changes to the histogram.

If you scan using Wide Gamut Uncorrected you will get a raw scan. Anything you do to that will not be done with a CMS file unless you have the Pro version.

If you have the Pro version, you can make your adjustments with the wide gamut setting and save them as your own CMS. I make one for every b&w image, almost every color neg. I do this for chromes only on occasion.

So it depends on what you scan...

Lenny