LaserSoft Imaging

I am getting an error message during prescan operations, and am unable to scan negatives with a Nikon SA-21 strip film adapter. THe message reads "Error in scan start. Cannot measure the exposure values."

Below is the information in my log file (Though my OS is really XP):

Date and time: 25.8.2003 16:47:7

Platform : PC
Plugin : PhotoShop
Host : 0x3842494d (Adobe PhotoShop)
Host Serial : 287222

Path : E:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop 7.0\Plug-Ins\Import-Export\SilverFast(NikonM).8ba

Locking : <SilverFast(NikonM).8ba>: unlocked
Locking : <Import-Export>: unlocked
Locking : <Plug-Ins>: unlocked
Locking : <Photoshop 7.0>: unlocked
Locking : <Adobe>: unlocked
Locking : <Program Files>: unlocked
Locking : <E:>: unlocked

Version : SilverFast Nikon M v6.0.1r28

System : Microsoft Windows 2000 (Version 5.1 Service Pack 1, Build 2600)
Memory : 512 MB RAM


Found device: 0 <Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 4000 ED>

Info : module : FS-Nikon LS-4000
Info : name : Doug Plummer
Info : company : Doug Plummer, Photographer
Info : serial no.: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Info : limited : ADF, IT8, Job


*** END ***

Dear Doug,

your version is quite old. Therefore, please check our development history:

http://www.silverfast.com/show/history/en.html

You can automatically check for newer versions by using the auto-update tool (click on the button "i" on the left hand side of the preview window, and then choose "Web Update").

Thomas

I have seen similar errors.

try (separately):

1. in Options/General, make sure that High Resolution Prescan is 1x. there once was a bug where anything other than 1x caused SF to error when it began checking the focus on a batch scan.

2. in the Preview window, turn off Auto Exposure.
I have some film that either SF or the Nikon scanner did not like because the Red spectrum was extremely low (film shot underwater). I'm not sure if this was the actual cause of the problem but turning off Auto-Exposure did help. a few days later, I tried to reproduce the problem but could not!

I have downloaded the latest software version, but on luck. It still hangs when I try and do a film strip.

I cannot find the dialog in the software to turn off the auto-expose, as Gregory suggests.

Doug

there's a button in the toolbar on the left edge of the Preview window. it's icon is similar to the sun icon; a yellow circle with lines extending from it in all directions. click this to toggle Auto Exposure. if the button is greyed out, auto exposure is turned off.

did you check your high-resolution prescan settings? are they set to 1x?

Update Win 2K Service Pack 1 to Service Pack 4 that is available for free from Microsoft's Updates site.

Was XP applied over an older version of the OS ?

Frank

Gregory C seems right, I also get the impression that the problem has to do with the color cast of the image. It seems it can be worked around by deactivating auto exposure, doing a prescan, then reactivating auto exposure again (if needed).
Probably deleting the preference file would also help, but I didn't try. The appearance of the problem is not exactly reproducible...

regards

Bernhard Barkow