Silverfast vs Nikon Scan in scanning negatives

[jbouma]

What is wrong with Silverfast 5.5.2r10. I am using Agfa XRG 200 colornegative film and don't succeed in obtaining good scans from my Nikon LS2000 scanner using the highly rated and expensive Silverfast Ai software.
When using Nikon scan 2.5.1 the resulting scans, also from many other brands of negative film, only need minor adjustments in the host application, whereas in Silverfast I have to fumble around with negative profiles, curves, orange mask removal adjustments.
Typically the overview of thumbnails in Silverfast look very good, but the pre-scan of any of these thumbnails spoils my mood.
Has this anything to do with the hardware mediated orange mask removal by the LS-2000 as I have read somewhere, causing Nikon scan 2.5.1 to succeed and Silverfast leaving me struggling.
My settings & stuff:
-Nikon LS-2000 newest firmware
-OS: W2k SP-2 hotfixed Pre-SP3
-Silverfast Ai 5.5.2r10 Twain version, for XRG200 film I use Agfa Optima II Pr200 or HDC 200 profile but they are no comparison to Nikon scan 2.5.1.
-CMS: internal->monitor ICM, profiles for ICM Internal ->"monitor profile", no embedded profile.
-colorcast removal 0% (difference to 100% not very noticeable)
-Q factor 1,0., dpi 2700 (prints on A4 size paper).
-Monitor: Iiyama Vision Master pro 411

Silverfast is doing just fine when scanning positive transparancies

Please some advise
(also posted under support: general hirepp negafix profiles)

[President_LSI]

SilverFast NegaFix for Nikon Film Scanners

We are currently checking and revising all Nikon SilverFast versions with regard to NegaFix profiles. In the meantime we will release a version of SilverFast with both Nikon Negative mode and NegaFix negative mode until all Negafix profiles are better than the Nikon negative mode.

[LSI_Support]

Dear Jbouma,
very soon we have SilverFast for Nikon film scanner updates for download available. Please read about the change in our FAQ section: functionality problems > NegaFix.

[jbouma]

Hello,

Thank you LSI for addressing this issue promptly. Some quick tests show me that difficult negatives scanned with negative direct setting look much better and equal the results I had before with Nikon Scan.
In contrast to scanning using negafix the IT8 calibration is now active. Should I be scanning negatives with negative direct having CMS setting calibrated switched on.

Thanks for your help