48 bit HDR files?

[JohnS]

I have Silverfast SE. When I scan in 48 bit HDR the resulting file is a negative. I am scanning normal colour print film. If I scan in 48 to 24 bit colour mode the resulting file is a colour positive - which I know how to play with in Photoshop Elements 4.
How can I change the HDR files that start as negatives into positives? Does Silverfast do it or does Photoshop have to do it and how? Thanks. :D :D

[degrub]

HDR output is raw output - no conversions, no adjustments to pixels with the exception of a gamma curve that can be applied for viewing in HDR or DC. Edits can then be done in HDR or DC.

If you scan a negative and output to HDR, that is what you will get- a negative. You will have to do the conversion to a positive in PS.

[JohnS]

To convert to a positive in the Photoshop Elements 4 that I have is problematic. There is no one button convert, you have to tweak around and know what you are doing, which I don't yet. Would a Silverfast upgrade help me here? I am trying all this raw stuff to see if it will eliminate scanner noise in my dark shadows. Instead of filtering it out I am trying to minimize the introduction of noise. It seems as though raw files should help this. :) :)

[RAG]

JohnS,

I don't know what type of scanner you are using, but I can tell you that it might be worth your while to download a trial version of SilverFast that supports the multi-scan feature, which was introduced by LaserSoft to help reduce noise in the shadows.

[degrub]

Rag is correct, multiscan can provide up to 2 bits extra information (16X multiscan) 1/2 bit per 2x passes and thus noise reduction from averaging out random sensor and electronics noise. To use 48 bit HDR however, you will need to purchase HDR or DC ( i would go for DC assuming you will have a digital camera one day ;-)) ). Download the demos for your equipment and try it out.

[RAG]

For clarity sake, HDR only provides RAW and virtually un-processed data from the scanner. The quality of the data received depends on the scanner being used.

[Alton]

First, apologies for what perhaps might be a redundant question.
I've been looking all over this forum trying to answer a question.
Can I edit an HDR file I scanned and saved from SilverFast in Photoshop (open Camera RAW) or Aperture, or Adobe Lightroom? If I understand how this works correctly, I can save a TIFF image with the HDR data. Is this data proprietary to LSI, or is there a way to convert to open in other apps? Isn't the HDR data conceptually the same is the data saved in a camera RAW file?

I'm sure I'm not alone in my quest. I have thousands of negatives I've shot over the past decades. I'm keen to move them to a digital format that has some semblance of the notion of 'future proofing'. Scanning images as HDR (digital negatives) seems to finally reach the threshold of flexibility, quality and longevity of usefulness for the next while. I want to make sure I can open my HDR scans in future apps.

Thanks.


OSX 1.4.6
Epson V700
Photoshop CS2
Aperture

[RAG]

Alton,

Yes you can edit the file in Photoshop. In fact if you are using the Photoshop plug-in you can scan directly into Photoshop.

It is my understanding that SilverFast HDR (the product not scanning mode) will open and edit files that you have scanned as HDR and saved as TIFF's much faster than with Photoshop and in addition you get the same tools available in SilverFast.

Scanning an image to HDR is not the same as Camera RAW because the file is not saved in a proprietary format.