B&W film: NegaFix inefficiency vs Scan as Positive

[Liutas]

Hi, society

I'm specially registered there to ask you about your experience with scanning B&W negatives.
At first I must to say, what my scaner is EPSON 4870 Photo, SF version is 6.2.3r4, calibrated both for reflectives and transparency (IT8). Profiles for films are updated to last versions possible. My experience in such jobs is about 10 years.

There is a link for example of topic subject: http://www.sansas.lt/silverfast-blet.jpg
(now really corrected and working link)

So, while I scan Kodak 125px film, processed with Tmax ? 24min. with NegaFix enabled I get a right image. Auto mode enabled/disabled in this case has a non meanful difference (image you see has made with only Levels range adjusment, leaving all possible info "on board").
But at left you can see a result of scaning as a positeve and later inverting image in PS.
There are no other samples, but scan B&W as positive wins versus all imaginable combinations with NegaFix - Auto, "Diafragm", Levels, other profile, picker for light and shadow and so on. No one is accepble, so full of film's smooth info as scaned as positive.

So: have any one count such problem with his combination of scaner and SF NegaFix?

Sincerely,
Eugis.

[TG]

Eugis,

just my experience! Having played with NegaFix (also in its advanced mode) I never got results that came near the results I got when I did inverting and the fix in Photoshop. And this was with color negatives!

The main two problems I have experienced were:
1. inconsistent colors. If I scanned a strip of film, color balance just jumped around from frame to frame.

2. blocky shadows. There never were smooth hue transitions in the shadows with NegaFix. My Photoshop results were much better.

I find this very sad since I would love to do it in SilverFast (and save huge amounts of time).
My results from positive transparencies are just perfect from frame to frame (scanner is profiled).

In your special case although I think it is fixable.
I'd suppose it's a curve/Gamma problem. You should try to bend the curves in NegaFix' advanced mode so that the lighter parts don't get blown so soon.