scanning slides with epson 3200

[Mark Modrall]

Hi...

I'll say up front I'm having trouble both with SilverFast and Epson Scan in pretty much the same way, but I've never had any success scanning 35mm slides with my Epson 3200. I've updated to Silverfast 6.4.4 with the update downloads.

When I put a slide in the slide adapter and do a regular scan (at 3200 dpi) the scan always comes out very dark with bad color read. When I remove the white insert and set the scan to Transperancy, the prescan always comes out *very* over exposed (the empty slots look like the sun, and the slots with slides in them can be vaguely discerned as having something there but no detail is apparent). When I select the area where the slide picture would/should be and click scan, it usually comes out black (though one time with epson scan it came up with what looked like a multicolored test pattern).

I've seen references on the web where people say they've successfully used the epson 3200 flatbed to scan slides but I haven't found the magic combination yet. Does anyone recognize my error from the description or am I still being too vague?

Thanks
Mark

[LSI_Heidorn]

Dear Mark,
your problem sounds strange enough, but please clarify first:
Are you talking about the F3200 Film Scanner or about the Perfection 3200 Flatbed scanner ?

Thanks and greetings:

Nils Heidorn, R & D, LaserSoft Imaging AG

[Mark Modrall]

Sorry for not being more specific... I've got the 3200 flatbed scanner...

Thanks
Mark

[LSI_Heidorn]

Dear Mark,

i do think that i understand the problem:

-1- If you use the white insert you are basically blocking out the transparency lamp, this leads to the amplifiers boosting amplification to the maximum.
( If you are talking about the plastic/foam sandwich ).

This is unwanted, so please don't do this, leave out the white insert whenever scanning transparencies as it is only meant for applying pressure on photos / newspaper reflective material...

-2- If you scan the "way its meant to be" your images look dark on the preview, right ??
Please try the following, put a frame exactly around your desired picture and then press the auto-correct button ( the second button from left looking like a camera shutter, right to the loupe icon ).

This should detect the image to be too dark and automatically lighten it up.
If things are too small and to undetailled on the preview, may press the loupe button first to zoom into your image.

This should do the "magic" that you are missing, please give feedback, will you ?


Greetings:

Nils Heidorn, R & D, LaserSoft Imaging AG

[Mark Modrall]

Hi...

I actually got a response from Epson on the same subject; their suggestion was to unplug and replug the transparency lamp and try again. It took a few unplug/replug tries but oddly it ended up working. It stopped over exposing after a few tries.

Thanks
Mark

[LSI_Heidorn]

Dear Mark,

this is great but nevertheless strange !

Thanks for sharing this with us, i will forward it to our support !

Greetings:

Nils Heidorn, R & D, LaserSoft Imaging AG