Question on multiple scanning with v6.02r35

All the problems with Kodak film scanners

slbertrand
SilverFast Beginner
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 4:10 pm

Question on multiple scanning with v6.02r35

Postby slbertrand » Tue Jul 01, 2003 8:06 pm

I was having a problem with Silverfast always freezing on the third roll of 36 frames in scanning (always on frame 17 or 18), so I downloaded the newest version. Now, I've noticed a difference in the new version that I don't know if it's a bug in the program or done intentionally by the programmers.

After updating the thumbnails, and adding the thumbnails that I want to scan into the job manager, I click on the thumbnail and click the edit parameters button. In the previous versions, it used to automatically prescan the image so that I could make the changes. Now, I have to hit the prescan button to get the thumbnail to prescan.

Is this a change in the program? I found it much easier to have the image auto prescan as soon as I clicked the edit button.

Thanks,
Sherie

User avatar
LSI_Magnussen
LSI Staff
LSI Staff
Posts: 184
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2002 1:00 am

Postby LSI_Magnussen » Wed Jul 02, 2003 6:57 am

It's a new feature, not a bug. Some changes (e.g. changing the resolution) don't require a prescan, and as the prescan can take a significant amount of time, it's no longer done automatically. So for simple changes it's much faster to edit the job entries now. For changes where you need a prescan, you just have to press Prescan - not that big deal I think.

Ralf

slbertrand
SilverFast Beginner
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 4:10 pm

Postby slbertrand » Wed Jul 02, 2003 8:55 am

Thanks for the answer. As the border encompassing the image needs to be adjusted with every image (to include the full image and cropping out the black portion of the neg), not to mention any other changes I do to an image, I have to do a prescan every time. It was much easier (especially since I always scan full rolls of film) to just leave the edit button activated and change from image to image, with Silverfast automatically prescanning the image. Now, I have to finish the edit, click on the next image and go to the menu and click prescan. Takes more time for me. Also, instead of one pass final scanning, it now does two - the image adjust, then the final scan. That takes much more time than before.

I also have encountered the following problems with the program:

In trying to scan in a 36 exposure roll of film:
In trying to import using Photoshop 6 (unders WinXP), I can no longer use Silverfast. Both times in trying, Photoshop has crashed, with Silverfast giving the message "Could not complete the import command because of a problem with the acquisition interface". This happened after doing the prescan with image correction and then unclicking the edit button and saying "yes" to save changes. This was not a problem with the previous version.

In trying to scan using Photoimpact 6, it freezes towards the end of the 36 exposures, necessitating a reboot of the system. This is after doing prescans on all 36 exposures, correcting the thumbnails, and doing final scans at a rate of 10 at a time. It has done this twice. This, also has never happened in the previous version.

Since I can't use the newer version because of the above issues, I have to uninstall it and reinstall the previous version. I guess it's a case of what do I have to deal with: a newer version that I can't use on one program and have problems with it freezing with another or going with an older version that freezes on both programs if I scan in more than two rolls at a time. Since, I usually scan in between six and 20 rolls at a time, this all is a hassle. And, since my husband owns a computer firm, and I have the latest and greatest, and they're well maintained, I do know that it is not either of my computers.

Sherie

jackbechtel
Visitor
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 6:21 am

Freeze ups during multiple scan

Postby jackbechtel » Thu Oct 07, 2004 7:04 am

My Kodak RFS3600 did the same glitch bit even before I got SilverFast Ai. It's simply a design issue. The circuit boards have some semiconductors inside near the back of the unit that get pretty hot under continuous filmstrip scanning. (Hot enough to cause a painful burn, don't touch them!) The unit will just shut down under self-protection when these get too hot. The unit should have had better heat sinking to the outside world and maybe a thermal sensor to initiate a cool-down pause like my Epson dot matrix printer has. One work-around is to remove the cover screws (underneath), lift the upper cover up and move it forward about 3/8 of an inch and then lay it back down on the base, loose. It will stay there if you don't toss it around, and will not impair functionality. The unit runs on 12 volts and there is little risk of getting a shock. Use a few gobs of silicone or something to hold it in place if you must. (Think "curious kids.") This creates a gap across the back that will allow convection cooling to work, but it will also allow much more dust to get inside than otherwise would, (and children might mistake it for a piggy bank). I can hear all your gasps, and I concede this trick is only intended for the electronically savvy. I admonish you to try it strictly at your own risk. For the fearful and prudent, the proper solution would be to shorten your batches until it runs reliably and allow some cooling time between runs. A cool room and a fan blowing air over the outside of the case would probably help just enough but it would also blow dust on dangling film strips. I have not experimented further after finding the first solution, which has been a complete success for me. A small muffin fan might help but again, would probably deposit dust on the film. That's my theory why Kodak skipped a fan in the original design. Good luck. Smile when you scan!

slbertrand
SilverFast Beginner
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 4:10 pm

Re: Freeze ups during multiple scan

Postby slbertrand » Mon Oct 11, 2004 12:54 pm

jackbechtel wrote:My Kodak RFS3600 did the same glitch bit even before I got SilverFast Ai. It's simply a design issue.


Thanks for the suggestion but it was the software that was the problem. As long as I used the previous version, I could scan in a 36 exposure roll with no problem. Installing what was the latest version at the time (and subsequent versions) caused the scanner to freeze up when trying to scan in a full roll.

I finally ended up going with a different software, rather than selling the scanner because of the silverfast software. Was too bad as it used to be a really good software...

Sherie

jackbechtel
Visitor
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 6:21 am

kodak rfs 3600 & win xp

Postby jackbechtel » Tue Oct 12, 2004 8:03 pm

In days before I learned of SilverFast, I went through the grind with the Kodak application. I found very specific info somewhere (possibly it was a Kodak page) that said that the Kodak application was not designed for Win XP and would not work, and that there was no update forthcoming at that time. In fact, they said to stick with Win 95. Because of that I kept a K-6 450mhz clunker with a SCSI card around to drive the scanner and did quite a few slides and some occasional negative rolls until I got SilverFast. The point: perhaps there is a lingering Win 95 driver from the original Kodak application that is interfering.


Return to “Kodak”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests