Highlight / Shadow Tool

[steevie_wanders]

Hi, I'm trying to get to grips with the highlight/shadow tool, on my SE version. In the silverfast manual, it mentions a highlight offset, and shadow offset in the options / Auto dialogue - this isn't available - not in the SE version?

I have a slide I want to scan which has some strong highlights (areas so bright they appear as white patches) I'd like to dim these down to a similar brightness as other parts of the slide. Can this be done with the highlight tool? Following the manual instructions just seems to lead to even more highlighted points..

Thanks,

Steve

[LSI_Noack]

Dear Steve

indeed the SE version unfortunately misses the option to configure the automatic image adjustment tool in detail.

The histogramme actually is better suited to this task than the highlight/shadow tool, but there seems to be a more fundamental problem here if the image seems completely overexposed.
If present in your version, try > Options > Special > Limit Gamma Slope to counter this.

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

[steevie_wanders]

ok, thanks, will give it a try,
steve

[RAG]

Sonny,

Where may I find more information on the "Limit Gamma" setting? I had not seen that option before and I don't find any information about it in "SilverFast : The Official Guide"

Thanks in advance!

[JustRight]

Hi there RAG,

I recently went looking for this myself, and found the following in the SilverFast FAQ.

Q: What function is behind the "limit gamma slope" checkbox?

A: this checkbox is yet another way to limit thermal noise of the hardware. The function behind this checkbox will slightly distort the ascending of the gamma curve just enough to prevent the lighter pixels of dark areas to be brightened too much, and will then return to the normal ascending slope of the gamma curve. The result is that the slightly brighter pixel values of dark areas will not be enforced and thus appear as noise.


Cheers.