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Thread: Problems Scanning B&W

  1. #1

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    Problems Scanning B&W

    I am scanning B&W negatives with an Epson 750. For the last few nights, I have been experimenting with various negatives and using both Epson Scan and Silverfast AI.

    Using Epson, I am getting decent scans with either B&W negative or B&W positive, but with Silverfast, I am getting very strange results. Whenever I set up to scan with Silverfast as a negative, whether B&W or color, both ends of my histogram slam against the wall and clip. It doesn't matter what film I select in Negafix, I get the same result. When I switch to a positive, then the histogram behaves normally. This happens with various negatives, so it is not the negative.

    There has to be some setting I have set up wrong, but heck if I can figure out what it might be. Any suggestions?

  2. #2
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    Re: Problems Scanning B&W

    Quote Originally Posted by Harley Goldman View Post
    I am scanning B&W negatives with an Epson 750. For the last few nights, I have been experimenting with various negatives and using both Epson Scan and Silverfast AI.

    Using Epson, I am getting decent scans with either B&W negative or B&W positive, but with Silverfast, I am getting very strange results. Whenever I set up to scan with Silverfast as a negative, whether B&W or color, both ends of my histogram slam against the wall and clip. It doesn't matter what film I select in Negafix, I get the same result. When I switch to a positive, then the histogram behaves normally. This happens with various negatives, so it is not the negative.

    There has to be some setting I have set up wrong, but heck if I can figure out what it might be. Any suggestions?
    I have not gotten strange results when using my 750 with Vuescan, or with Silverfast. But I did at first--including strange highlight clipping on a very small scale. Then, I realized I'd checked the box to invoke digital ICE. ICE cannot be used when scanning black-and-white negatives--the silver grains look like dust to the IR channel. When I turned it off, the problem went away, and the scan times were dramatically shorter, too.

    Oh, and another thing--make sure you are scanning 16-bit grayscale rather than 2-bit binary black and white. Or scan in color and convert to grayscale later (which for me occasionally works better for a particular negative).

    Rick "offering a data point in case it applies" Denney

  3. #3

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    Re: Problems Scanning B&W

    Rick,

    Thanks for the suggestion. However, I never use Digital Ice, so it won't be that setting and it is unchecked. I also am scanning as 16 bit grayscale in B&W.

    I have also scanned as color and then converted. If the source is set as a negative, I have the issue, whether color or B&W. The software works fine if I choose to scan a positive, but it badly clips in negative mode.

    I have the input and output sliders all the way to the outside (0 and 255) and clips in the worst way. As soon as I change the scan source to positive, the histogram data narrows and moves to center as it should and works fine, no clipping. I can't figure it out, but I certainly appreciate the input!!!!

    If I can't figure it out, I will try to download the software again and reinstall.

  4. #4

    Re: Problems Scanning B&W

    what OS are you using? I have found Silverfast to not play nice with my Vista System

  5. #5
    Gary Beasley's Avatar
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    Re: Problems Scanning B&W

    Nothing says you can't scan as a positive and invert it afterwards. That's all the scanner software is doing anyway.

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    Re: Problems Scanning B&W

    I decided that life is too short to mess with Silverfast, so I gave up it up and scan with Vuescan. It gives you more control and you can tell exactly what it is doing. It is also cheap and one version runs all your scanners.

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    Re: Problems Scanning B&W

    I am using a Mac with the latest OS and updates, etc., running it on a MacPro.

  8. #8

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    Re: Problems Scanning B&W

    I scanned 4x5 b&w film using Silverfast in a 4990 many times without a problem. My guess is you have some setting wrong but I have no idea what it is. I'd suggest calling or emailing Silverfast in Sarasota, I had pretty good service from their tech support people. Silverfast isn't a simple program to use, I ended up buying a book titled "Silverfast: The Complete Guide" by Taz Talley and found it much more useful than the owner's manual. To me it and Vuescan were nix nox in terms of ease of use, Vuescan wasn't by any means intuitive and when I contacted Ed Whateverhisnameis - the guy who wrote it - for help I got a response about half the time, the rest of the time my questions were just ignored.
    Brian Ellis
    Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
    a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

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    Re: Problems Scanning B&W

    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Ellis View Post
    Ed Whateverhisnameis - the guy who wrote it -
    Ed Hamrick. I've always gotten good service from him when needed, which has been about twice in the six or seven years I've been using it.

    Rick "agreeing that both Vuescan and Silverfast require some learning" Denney

  10. #10

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    Re: Problems Scanning B&W

    Harley

    I've never had the problem you describe, however I suspect it is because the Negafix settings have been loaded incorrectly. At the bottom of the Negafix window you should see the "Expert" switch (a head with a mortarboard). Click on that and a new window will open showing the settings being used. Given your description of the problem you will probably see that the endpoints are clipping the histograms at this point - which comes before the setting of the endpoints in the main screen. Adjust them so they don't clip anymore and you should be good to go. These settings should be retained when you close them down so it should be a once only adjustment for each film.

    David Whistance

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