LaserSoft Imaging

I'm going to buy Aperture when it's released. I'm even going to buy a faster Macintosh to use it on. I'm taking a lot of photographs and my current workflow is too slow and too complicated. For me personally, Aperture will solve 99% of my problems.

As far as scanning goes, SilverFast will continue to be my choice of tools, and there are times when I'll still use SF HDR because of its powerful tools, but I'd still like to keep everything catalogued in one place; ie, Aperture; and ideally, I'd like to keep the 48-bit scan data from SilverFast in Aperture.

I have already requested via http://www.apple.com/macosx/feedback/ that Apple include support for SilverFast's 48-bit HDR format. I'd suggest that anyone else interested in using both SilverFast and Aperture do the same thing. The more people that make the request, the more likely it is that Apple will follow up on this request. It would be the best of both worlds; Aperture and SilverFast.

comments and rebuttals welcome ;-)

regards,
Gregory

Dear Gregory

SilverFast "HDR format" isn't so special as some might tend to think. However, it seems to be a very rare thing for scanning software programmes, not to influence a scan, when you try something else then SilverFast. Of course this is to make scans "look better", however, the user very often lacks control over the scanning results.

When using an "HDR scan mode" in SilverFast, you basically get delivered the data from the scanner's CCD into a standard TIFF file without any compression.
Two specific settings of SilverFast however, will tend it to appear different, and both can be influenced, too:

(1) SilverFast SE/Ai scans per default at the standard gamma of 1.0. While SilverFast HDR/DCPro are able to display the image correctly in your working environment, others programmes let these images come out pretty darkish.
You can remedy this be enabling the "for HDR output" checkbox next to the gamma value set in the SilverFast > Options on the > General tab.

(2) SilverFast HDR/DCPro offers to display even large images very fast with its HiRePP feature.
In other applications you will find that the TIFF images come up as two in the respective image browsers.
To make SilverFast's behaviour more compatible (if you are annoyed by this and do not use HDR or DCPro), simply de-check the HiRePP feature checkbox in the SilverFast > Options on the > Special tab.

Et voila, there you go with HDR scanning and directly using the images in applications like Photoshop or Aperture.
However, be aware that you forfeit all the corrections possibilities that SilverFast gives you to produce optimised images easily.

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

thank you for the reply. it was very useful.

when scanning with my flatbed, I'm sure I'll continue to use many of SF's wonderful scanning features.

when scanning with my Nikon 4000ED (after it's FireWire control circuit has been repaired), I'll probably use hardware ICE at maximum dpi and save as 48-bit HDR for use in Aperture. however, this is only conjecture. I have no idea how efficient or doable this will be in the 'real world' until Aperture actually becomes available.

thank you again for the reply.

regards,
Gregory

Dear Gregory

ICE can be activated even when using the HDR scanning modes.

Fine regards
Sonny Noack
- tech support, LSI AG -