LaserSoft Imaging

Hello

Could forum members please help me to select the appropriate SF scanner software?

Tomorrow I will have a new PC arriving, a Dell XPS 420, Quad core, 4Gb Ram, Nvidia 8600GT, 24" Ultrasharp LCD, Window Vista 32bit. I also have a Canon 9900F flat bed scanner. I use Lightroom and PS CS2 although wish to upgrade soon to CS3

I am only interested in scanning 35mm transparencies. I have struggled for years with a Dell Dimension 8100 P1.3Ghz/1gb ram/Xp Pro and the original scangear software. A full 48bit scan takes over 5 minutes per slide to complete.

I am hopeful that the combination of the new PC and SF software can turn my 9900F into a viable solution for a large number of slides.

I am interested in the multiscanning feature and see that the 9900F is accommodated but only under Windows XP as the software currently does not support Vista 32bit. Perhaps SF will support 9900F/Vista in the near future?

I would also like to calibrate the scanner (I use a Colorvision Spyder2Pro for my current LaCie CRT) as it has always scanned with a strong magenta cast.

Given the above what would you recommend I purchase?

Kind Regards

Michael

Anyway.

Well firstly you'd take a look here: canon-flatbed-scanner-f36.html.

It may answer some questions and since SF, under the hood, makes use of vendor supplied drivers and libraries Vista could become an issue. Not using it myself and planning not to touch it with a ten feet pole as long as I can -- have read somewhere that it is, in case of problems, possible to install the vendor supplied software in compatibility mode should it not work as expected.

Regarding which SF version you need you may download a trial version to see how things are going.

For a feature comparison see here: http://www.silverfast.com/comparison.ph ... er/en.html.

IMHO SE Plus may do but if you haven't got software and (a) target(s) to calibrate your scanner already you'd go for AI plus a target and esp. with a flatbed I'd not want to miss multisampling.

Having had a quick look at a German site regarding scanners it seems like the 9900F simply is slow, though and 5 minutes for one slide and up to 10 minutes with FARE seems to be normal for 35mm slides 8-/

Since SF AI others batch processing that may not be that much of an issue in so far that you can just leave your scanner/computer alone for a few hours, still it also seems like you'd not expect much of a speed-up from SF, either.

Thank you

Canon have released drivers for Vista and having used Vista on my laptop for the past 6 months I find it a big improvement on XP ( I think I'm in a minority)

I don't have a colour target so will need to get one supplied with the scanner. Does it matter what type of film I'm scvanning as I use 94% Fuji Sensia 100, 5% Fuji provia 400f and 1% Kodak 100VS.

I'm dissapointed to hear that you don't feel I sill see a speed improvement. This makes me think I should purchase a Nikon 5000ED scanner which claims a scan time of 20 seconds!

Regards

Michael

Well glad to hear Vista works for you for Nikon, as much as I'm a Nikon fan, is unfortunately one of the examples where one can run into problems with their SW and Vista big time and you may understand my reluctance regarding Vista given I've got a nice LS9000ED I'd hate to ditch (not to mention some other pieces of hard- and software, that is.)

As far as the target is concerned - so far I cannot complain and while I prefer colour positive film, esp. Fuji Velvia, Astia and the new PROVIA 400X, I also use, now and again, negative film and esp. Kodak Portra.

I don't doubt though that the quality of target makes a difference but then I haven't got a really expensive monitor but just some, calibrated, run-of-the-mill model and so there certainly is no point in putting too much effort into calibrating my scanners.

Regarding the time required for a scan - well that site is pretty reliable and sort of a standard reference when it comes to questions regarding scanners and the perfect match of your experience regarding how long a scan takes with theirs is hard to ignore. I mean you may certainly double-check of course, though.

On the other hand I don't consider that too much of a problem, really. For instance here I use my flatbed, an Epson, for not so importand stuff (a good film scanner blows my V750 Pro out of the water before breakfast) but use to use 2x multisampling at, nominal, 3600ppi. Takes some time but with batch processing that isn't much of an issue. You just press the button and the software does the rest.

Sort of even beats my Nikon as it "only" allows me to scan up to 12 pictures at a time and is too fast so I really need to be around to change film holders when the next run is due.