LS4000ED - Cannot measure exposure fault

[Panosphere]

I'm using a Nikon LS4000ED via firewire on a PC running Windows XP Pro with fully up to date patches. In the middle of a scanning session today after a dozen or so successful scans I got the message "Error in Scan Start, Cannot measure exposure value", whilst scanning a colour neg with the SA-21 feeder. The scanner will do strip preview, but will not preview an individual frame, failing every time with the above message.

The scanner will scan negs using the MR-20 and film strip adaptor and Silverfast. Nikon Scan V3.1 will scan neg strips successfully using the SA-21, only Silverfast fails.

I'm using Silverfast Ai v6.1.0r7, any ideas?

[LSI_Noack]

Dear panosphere

I suggest you try if an update to 6.2.0r2 doesn't remedy this situation.

[Gregory C]

I emailed one possible diagnosis of this problem to Lasersoft back in August 2003. here my bug report:

to reproduce the bug:
1. quit SF App.
2. rename the preference file for film strips "SFprefs (FS-Nikon LS-4000)" to deactivate it.
3. load the Nikon scanner with a roll of film.
4. launch SF App and chose the Nikon plugin.
--> SF launched with all the default windows open in their default positions.

5. turn off the ScanPilot and Show Help Texts options, close the windows you don't want and reposition the other windows to your liking.
6. click the Prescan button.
--> SF will prescan the frame selected during your last session.
note that SF successfully measures the exposure and prescans the image.

7. move the selection marquee so that it touches the left edge of the preview window.
8. click the Prescan button again.
--> a progress dialog appears for a short time stating "focusing..." and then an error dialog appears.

9. move the selection 1 pixel away from the left edge and click Prescan again.
--> the error re-occurs.

10. move the selection 2 pixels away from the left edge and click Prescan again.
--> the prescan works.

11. move the selection back to just 1 pixel away from the left edge and click Prescan again.
--> the error re-occurs.


would this apply to your situation?

[Panosphere]

In reply to Gregory C - No, my problem was persistent no matter what I did re negative number or ROI selection. The "cannot measure exposure" fault was cured by deleting the Silverfast prefs file, but this left the labourious film winding before every preview and every actual scan. This was only cured by installation of SF V6.2.03r (ten minutes ago).

The weird thing about this fault is that it occurred halfway through a scanning session. I could understand it happening after installing new software or patching the OS, but I had scanned ten or so negs successfully and then - POP!

Anyway, I'm all back to normal again (crosses fingers).