MULTIEXPOSURE PROBLE

[JO TO]

I AM ON MAC AND OPERATING PHOTOSHOP 7. I WANT TO USE THE MULTI EXPOSURE FEATURE AND BASED ON WHAT I'VE READ FROM THE SILVERFAST TUTORIALS, I CANNOT USE THIS FEATURE UNLESS I SELECT EITHER 48 BIT HDR COLOR OR 48 BIT COLOR. THIS SELECTION IS MADE BY CLICKING ON "FRAME" AND THEN CLICKING ON "SCAN TYPE".

WITH MY SE PLUS, UNFORTUNATELY I CAN ONLY SELECT 48 BIT HDR. 48 BIT COLOR IS GREYED OUT! ANYONE KNOW HOW TO UN-GREY IT?

I CAN SELECT
48-24 BIT COLOR BUT THEIR TUTORIAL SAYS YOU CAN'T USE THE MULTIEXPOSURE FEATURE WITH THIS SCAN TYPE. IS THIS TRUE?


AS A SECOND ANCILLARY QUESTION...I'VE ATTEMPTED (ALL DAY TODAY) TO SCAN VARIOUS OLD 120 NEGATIVES WITH THE MULTI EXPOSURE FEATURE. I'VE BEEN SELECTING 48
BIT HDR AS SILVERFAST WEBSITE INSTRUCTS, AND BECAUSE, AS I STATED ABOVE, THE SELECTION FOR 48 BIT IS GREYED OUT.

THIS DELIVERS A NEGATIVE IMAGE RATHER THAN A POSITIVE INTO PHOTOSHOP. THE ONLY WAY I CAN GET A POSITIVE IS BY SELECTING
THE DEFAULT SCAN TYPE OF 48-24 BIT.

HOW DO YOU SCAN NEGATIVES USING MULTI EXPOSURE WITH SE PLUS AND GET A POSITIVE IMAGE DELIVERED TO YOUR DESKTOP IN PHOTOSHOP ??

[LSI_Noack]

Dear YO TO

are you aware that typing everything in capitals means you're "screaming/shooting" on the internet?

Multi-Exposure can be used in combination with 16 bits (per colour channel) of colour depth, meaning that the scan modes "48 bits color", "48 bits color HDR", "16 bits greyscale HDR" can be used in connection with Multi-Exposure scanning.

SilverFast SE and SE Plus don't offer a full-featured "48 bits colour" mode, "only" the HDR modi are present.
HDR scans, on the other hand, are raw scan files and while HDR scanning modifications / optimisation to an image are not taken into account (thus: no conversion from positive to negative will take place). These are intended to be processed with SilverFast HDR (or DCPro).

Thus the options are:
- SE, no Multi-Exposure at all
- Ai, no Multi-Exposure at all
- SE Plus, scanning uncorrected scans in 48 bit HDR mode, processing them with SilverFast HDR in a second step
- Ai Studio ME, full range of possibilities

Best regards
Sonny Noack
- Manager Technical Support, LaserSoft Imaging AG -

[JO TO]

Hi Sonny.

Thanks for your reply

I think you meant "shouting" not "shooting" ...also ...you probably intended to respond to Jo To not Yo To. Sorry about the caps...

Your response was very helpful. I believe I was correct in noting that the information you gave me is not spelled out in clarity either in the LaserSoft tutorials or in the manual. If this isn't the case, I'd appreciate it if you could direct me to where it is. I haven't seen anything pecifically where it says you can't use this to scan negatives in SE Plus. Or that the use of Multi Exposure in SE Plus requires that a raw file open in PhotoShop.

When I purchased SE Plus Multi Exposure I was assuming I would be able to use the Multi Exposure feature on negatives without any additional software purchases.

Once again thanks for your assistance.

Jo To

[LSI_Noack]

Dear Jo To

> I think you meant "shouting" not "shooting" ...also ...you probably
> intended to respond to Jo To not Yo To. Sorry about the caps...

You're right in both aspects. Reason behind the not really mentioning it (I stand corrected, as I haven't run through the documentary stuff for this answer) probably might be that we want to include a 48>24 option at a later time.

If you want to use the "48 bits of color HDR" mode, still, check -> options -> general -> "for HDR output" (after the gamma value setting). Else, SF will deliver a scan to Photoshop will unmodified gamma of 1.0 value.

[khenke]

Well, it was news to me that SE Plus could not use the ME feature except for 48 HDR. I don't think you web site clearly indicates that. Since I had upgraded based on the ability to use the ME feature using 48-24 bits, I assume I would be due a refund? Also, the ME feature does not work using the 48HDR bit setting either. I had requested technical assistance but no help has been forthcoming.
Ken

[JO TO]

Since this software is pitched as SE Plus Multi Exposure, I would agree with Ken that those who are buying this product with expectations of using this feature seem to be entitled to a refund.

The Multi Exposure capability is essentially the reason I bought it in the first place.

The lack of proper information about the limitations of this feature at the website is somewhat astonishing.

[LSI_Noack]

Dear users

I can only refer the technical information. The design questions of how products are offered aren't up to me. Therefore I will ask product management for a statement to be placed here.

Best regards
Sonny Noack
- Manager Technical Support, LaserSoft Imaging AG -

[khenke]

Well, it has been a few weeks that I had requested information on how to get the multi exposure to work on my Plustek... with no success.
Additionally, you indicate "product management" was supposed to address this issue, but they have not communicated with me either.

Ok...let's get some honestly in this conversation...is Silverfast going out of business? Because, CLEARLY this type of non-response to a simple issue usually reflects a company who simply is looking at other opportunities.
Ken

[LSI_Noack]

Dear Jo To

> When I purchased SE Plus Multi Exposure I was assuming I would be
> able to use the Multi Exposure feature on negatives without any
> additional software purchases.

Dear khenke

> Well, it was news to me that SE Plus could not use the ME feature
> except for 48 HDR. I don't think you web site clearly indicates that.
> Since I had upgraded based on the ability to use the ME feature using
> 48-24 bits, I assume I would be due a refund?

I am sorry for my misinformative statements I made before.

It _is_ possible. You can use SilverFast SE Plus Multi-Exposure directly to scan negative to positives directly by using the "48>24 bits color" mode.

I need to stress something else here, the purpose of this purpose of the imaging forum is not to provide personal support. It is intended to serve as a platform for imaging professionals for exchange of experience and communicating ideas [ viewtopic.php?p=9763&highlight=9763 ].
Therefore LSI staff will only provide limited support in the forum.
Thank you in anticipation of your kind co-operation.

Best regards
Sonny Noack
- Manager Technical Support, LaserSoft Imaging AG -

[LSI_Rossee]

Well, it has been a few weeks that I had requested information on how to get the multi exposure to work on my Plustek... with no success.
Additionally, you indicate "product management" was supposed to address this issue, but they have not communicated with me either.

Ok...let's get some honestly in this conversation...is SilverFast going out of business? Because, CLEARLY this type of non-response to a simple issue usually reflects a company who simply is looking at other opportunities.
Ken

Dear khenke,
I think you need to relax here. Implying dishonesty is not exactly a positive input but a rather agressive approach. You are going to have to bear with LSI in the future. Sorry.
As Sonny said, we would very much like this forum to have a user-2-user forum character, but we are happy to monitor and moderate. And we do as you can see.


Jolly X-mas :-)
JAN

[khenke]

As indicated, I had contacted your tech support, but no resolution to the problem was forthcoming. I don't always expect a quick solution to every problem. However, customers should, however, anticipate "some" kind of response. If you can't identify a solution to a problem, then you need to let the customer know, so other options, like a refund, can be iniitated. Right know I have no idea if your tech support is even looking into the issue I raised. It all comes down to communication, and honestly that is where you are lacking. I really appreciate some of the features of your software, but when problems arise, I need to know you will back your product. Can you honestly say you have communicated well?

[JO TO]

I respectfully disagree with Jan's comment that Ken need to relax.

Let's just briefly recap what's been going on here. 10 days ago I posted
a comment on the forum that I was finding it impossible to use the Multi Exposure feature on my recently purchased Silverfast SE Plus. For those of you unfamiliar with Multi Exposure, Lasersoft is actively pitching SE Plus as a software that employs this highly regarded feature. This is the reason, essentially that consumers like myself and Ken purchased SE
Plus in the first place.

We bought it. And it doesn't work as advertised.
Plain and simple.

I had hopes of scanning my extensive inventory of 120 negs using this feature with SE Plus.

That's not going to happen.

Within the last 10 days, Sonny has very cordially responded to this issue which is greatly appreciated. As you can tell from the forum posts, he has explained in quite understandable language what the limitations are with this software if one has the intentions of using it with Multi Exposure.

Neverthless, as Ken pointed out this morning, Product Management has not responded. Product Management needs to answer the question of whether or not this Multi Exposure feature has been unfairly advertised.
That is not an agressive posture question we're asking. We're just asking for a fair look at the situation.

In the meantime, ten days have elapsed. I don't think telling a customer with a legitimate gripe to "relax" is good PR. Especially considering Lasersoft has no 800 number where custumer support issues are addressed.

I understand the purpose of the forum, just as Ken seems to. The reason we are taking this issue to the forum, is basically because we cannot call the company, and because Sonny told us Product Mgmt. will answer our concerns here in the forum. If there is a phone number in the USA for customer support issues, I would be more than happy to call.

10 days is more than a reasonable time for a response.
What we are basically asking here is whether or not we (and anyone else who purchased this software expecting to use MultiExposure, as advertised with SE PLUS) is entitled to a refund.

John

[LSI_Rossee]

Dear JO TO

reading your reply I am not sure whether you carefully read Sonny´s earlier post regarding your original problem:

I am sorry for my misinformative statements I made before.
It _is_ possible. You can use SilverFast SE Plus Multi-Exposure directly to scan negative to positives directly by using the "48>24 bits color" mode.

Please advise. Did you download the latest free update to your SilverFast version from our download area? We installed and tested SE Plus for 48>24 bit Multiexposure with the Epson V700 and IT WORKS AS ADVERTISED ! Plain and simple. If you should still experience problems with your version (after downloading and installing the update) pls send me a private message with your phone number and product management will call you personally.

When asking khenke to relax, I was referring to the implication of dishonesty and I will repeat that statement anytime. We don´t want to read any unnecessary implications of dishonesty in this forum no matter what. Especially not when we are discussing problems that don`t exist.

We are sorry but we feel you are not entitled for a refund since the software operates as advertised.

P.S:The reason why product management did not respond was in order to give Sonny a chance to correct his misinformative statement rather than objecting and making him not look good.

Merry X-mas.

JAN

[JO TO]

Jan

Thanks for highlighting Sonny's correction, it wasn't emailed to me personally, so I failed to notice the post. You have my appologies
for not noticing it.

I have a very busy 24 hours coming up, but I will get to the LS download page and make an effort to check this out within the next few days.
One thing you might be able to assist with a little further is provide a link or designation for precisely which download we're supposed to search for to update the software.

If there is no other designation other than "a free update to Silverfast SE Plus" ...maybe just let us know. There's a lot of stuff to look at on that page and I want to make sure that I have the correct download.

I appreciate you help with all this. It has taken a little while to work the issue out so I hope you understand a little of the impatience we are experiencing as consumers. Waiting until Sonny posted his correction, makes sense from your point of view, but what could have a good customer relations effort on your part would have been either a phone call or pesonal email to the various customers with a complaint just to let them know what the delay was all about.

Perhaps in the future the company might consider resolution of customer service issues would be addressed more effectively through email, rather than through a forum. I'm in business myself and would consider constructive comments like these at least worth examining.

I'm sorry once again for unnecessary negaivity that might have resulted form a little frustration with the delay. Hope you understand our point of view. I will let you know how the download works. And, as I requested above, a link to the exact download, if possible, would be excellent.

Happy Holidays, Jan

John

[JO TO]

Jan

I also would like to thank both you and Sonny for staying on top of this.
Sonny was quick to respond on the forum in the first place, and
it is entirely understandable that he would not have had the information
about this download you are referring to in his earlier responses.

Mistakes do happen.

His politeness, honesty and eagerness to solve the MultiExposre problem is all appreciated.

Merry xmas to both you guys.

John