Poor Quality with Microtek M1

[danbaumbach]

I'm using the latest photoshop plugin version of Silverfast AI with a new Microtek M1 Pro scanner. I am posting links to a Scanwizard Pro scan and a Silverfast scan of the same transparancy. All scanner controls were at neutral. I have calibrated the M1 in Silverfast with the target that came with the software.

Both scans have a blue cast but the Scanwizard pro one isn't so pronounced and when the cast is removed, the image has decent saturation and neutral shadows. When the cast is removed from the Silverfast AI scan, the green of the tree has very little color and the shadows have an identical green cast.

I can send you other comparisons that are even worse.

There must be a setting I am missing. I would really rather use your more powerful, much better designed software.

http://www.timelesslight.com/ScanWizardPro.jpg

http://www.timelesslight.com/Silverfast.jpg

I am running Vista Business with a calibrated monitor.

Thanks in advance for your help.

- Dan.

[danbaumbach]

I posted this too quickly this morning before leaving to work.

The correct links are:


http://www.timelesslight.com/photos/ScanWizardPro.jpg

http://www.timelesslight.com/photos/Silverfast.jpg

[LSI_Muenier]

Dear Dan,

for a comparison, could you try to scan without using your scanner ICC profile?
To that end, please open the Options dialog and in the CMS panel there,
please set Input->Internal to None (instead of ICM) and under the profiles set the scanner profiles to None.

Best regards,
Martin

[danbaumbach]

That seems to make things a lot better. Should I profile the scanner again?

- Dan.

[danbaumbach]

I re-profiled the scanner and it's a lot better. I tried doing a 4 pass scan but kept getting a black screen but a one pass scan worked fine.

I'll keep experimenting.

Thanks for your help.

- Dan.

[LSI_Muenier]

Dear Dan,

there must be some other problem hidden in your configuration.
It is astonishing that single scans work, but multi-scans come out black.
Maybe a too long connector cable?

Best regards
Martin

[danbaumbach]

I'm working with version 6 which I downloaded from your site on Saturday. I can do a 2 pass scan in 48bit mode but not in 48->24bit mode.

I tried a 4 pas scan in 48bit mode but that failed.

The dialog box first says initializing scanner and then scanning. When scanning fails, it says scanning for just a second or two and then immediately goes to rotating image.

I have 4 gigs of ram installed and most of it is alloted to photoshop.

Any ideas?

- Dan.

[degrub]

try using the SF launcher instead of PS. THat will give you an idea if it is a PS-SF issue or a SF-OS/hardware issue

[danbaumbach]

Thank you for the suggestion. SF launcher worked every time, 48-24bit and straight 48 bit. It must be a problem with PS. I'm running CS maybe there and additions to the interface scanner in CS3 that don't work with CS.

I can live with SF Launcher.

- Dan.