Lockup and Banding in SF 6

[lodaniel]

I recently upgraded from SF5.5 to SF6 for a newly acquired Sprintscan 4000 Plus. (I also have a purchased copy of 5.5 for an older SS4000.) I have noticed 2 problems. The less serious problem is that SF6 hangs on the scan dialog at 100% scanning. I can press cancel and get the image into Photoshop. I believe this happened only under firewire.

The MAJOR problem is that I have noticed white line banding in the center portion of scans, rendering them unusable! This occurs with the scanner connected by either USB or firewire. I don't think the problem occured using v5.5 on this scanner from reviewing scans, but I'm not 100% sure which scans were done with 5.5. I can revert to 5.5 and rescan to confim if necessary. I DO know that the banding DOES NOT occur with this scanner when using either Insight or v**s**n. So, it seems this is a software rather than hardware problem.

I'd love to attach 2 jpg's showing the banding with SF6 and showing its absence with Insight, but apparently neither this forum nor the Lasersoft problem report form supports file attachments. I have no web page to post a url.


Lloyd

[ilyons]

Lloyd,

your images are posted on the following web page:

http://www.computer-darkroom.com/lloyd.htm

[lodaniel]

Ian,

Thank you so much for posting the images!

Although the banding is more prominent in the green on the slide I picked, it is not limited to that or even to light colors. I actually first noticed the bands when scanning an IT8 slide. The bands are visible through the cross section of the IT8 matrix.

The banding is more pronounced on my monitor in the original tif's than shows on the web page.

Still no contact from tech support.

Lloyd

[LSI_Belli]

Dear Daniel,

we'll check where the problem comes from.

Thomas

[lodaniel]

Thomas,

First of all, I apologize for not catching your first name in our private correspondence.

I sent the logfile.txt and zipped prefs to your attention, as you requested.

I guess I should catch the forum up with what's going on. I solved the lockup problem by deleting and rebuilding the prefs folder. Coincidentally, I had removed my copy of HDR 5.5 and had installed the HDR 6 demo to try out the new features. I then upgraded to Polaroid Ai v6. That's when I noticed the banded scans and the locking. At the same time I removed and rebuilt the Prefs folder, I also removed the HDR6 demo and returned to HDR 5.5. Not only did the lockup vanish, but so did the banding. I mistakenly thought rebuilding the prefs had solved both problems, and was about to report so here. Fortunately, I decided to bite the bullet and upgrade HDR to v6 (only because of the outrageously high cost of buying Ai for my Powerlook III that I don't know how long I'll keep). After upgrading to HDR6, the banding returned in scans done in Ai (Polaroid) 6. Apparently Ai6 for the Polaroid does not like to coexist with HDR6.

Lloyd

[doncunningham]

I am having the same sort of problems. I have not recieved an answer yet. I will let you know if I get one, please let me know if you do. This is my orginal post;

When I purchased SilverFast 6Ai last month I installed it under Windows 2000 SP3, using PhotoShop 7 and it worked well. After formatting the HDD, installing Windows XP and SP1a and Photoshop CE a severe problem developed which made SilverFast Ai unusable. All of the hardware remains the same. After this new instillation I can scan with Microtek?s ScanWizard Pro 6.15 in Photoshop CE and in TWAIN, but SilverFast Ai 6 initializes the SCSI based ArtixScan 1100 and the bed moves forward about 3 inched, stops, and locks up the scanner. At that point I have to cold boot the scanner, and reboot the computer for the scanner to be seen again. I updated my SFAi to 6.2.0r3 with no improvement. This happens in both Photoshop CE and in TWAIN. Can anyone help with this issue?

[LSI_Noack]

Dear doncunningham

i cannot find a mail that was received here. Could you please send your email request again to http://www.silverfast.com/problemreport/en.html? We also would need the SF_Logfile attached to that email.
In order to make sure for a swift response, use "to Noack" in the subject.
Thanks for your co-operation.

Sonny

P.S. Please note that cross-posting isn't regarded as a friendly thing to do in internet forums. Thanks your understanding.

[LSI_Belli]

This problem could be related to the interpolation of noisy images. The following <a href="/img/forum/noiseandsubsample.jpg" target=_blank>image</a> is a very good example of what can happen when the "Standard" interpolation is used. Images 1 and 4 show the banding effect: horiz./vert. for image 1 and only horiz. for image 4. Images 2 and 3 do not have any problem: no interpolation is used in image 2 and the "Anti-aliasing" interpolation is applied in image 3.

Thomas

[Grunt]

I am also having the problem of crashes and then banding.

I was using sf6 fine after purchase and then on start up it crashed. Then it got as far as starting to make a scan and froze 10 seconds into it.

Once I had solved all this the scan and subsequent scans were showing the banding which seems to consist of blurred/stretched pixels. I have noticed with interest the response stating about interpolation but do not know how to turn this feature off.

Can someone please tell me how.

[LSI_Belli]

The interpolation method can be selected in the "General" tab of the "Options" dialogue.

Thomas

[Grunt]

Thankyou for replying Thomas.

I have made changes in that dialogue, trying both standard and anti aliased. I was wondering how I could remove interpolation completely. The images you posted stated one example that had no interpolation. My guess is that there was no filtration such as sharpening.

I have tried all combinations of interpolation and sharpening - on and off. I have also tried scanning as a positive, negative, HDR and am still getting the bands.

My final attempt tonight resulted in the final scan freezing approx one third of the way through which is the problem which caused me to start seeing the banding.

Yesterday I re-installed the software, today I deleted the prefs files - still the same result. I used to get this with Version 5 when scanning in 8 bit. I am trying to scan in 16 bit now.

The film stock I am scanning is TRI-X 6x7cm, rated at 400 iso.

I am now going to review what software I have installed since my previous session with Silverfast to see if there could be a conflict and am compiling an email for support with examples of the problem and screenshots of the moments when the freezes occured.

Is it ok to email these to you also?

Many thanks for your help.

[LSI_Belli]

You can mention my name in your e-mail. The support team will try to solve the problem with you (there might be solution ). If not, they will forward your correspondence to me and our test department.

Please note that there are some known banding problems with some scanners (hardware or software related), e.g. one should use the "Super Fine Scan" mode with the LS8000 to prevent such banding problems.

I was wondering how I could remove interpolation completely. The images you posted stated one example that had no interpolation.

When the selected resolution is not a hardware resolution, one needs an interpolation method (in any case the interpolation is not applied, if it is not needed). You can try to make a scan at a hardware resolution to discard the interpolation as the problem source (<CTRL>: show scan res., <CTRL>+<SHIFT>: show interpolated res.).

Thomas