LaserSoft Imaging

I am currently dithering between buying a Nikon 8000 and Minolta Scan Multi Pro scanner. I like the Minolta best in all respects EXCEPT that it doesn't support Silverfast software. A major downside!!! Has anyone out there any experience of using the Minolta's own software to simply scan RAW files; then going on to use HDR to do the rest of the work? Would you recommend this approach or not???

Apart from having to work in huge files sizes are their any other disadvantages to this?? Is it a lot more hassle compared to using Siverfast Ai for straight forward scanning - which I could do if I went for the Nikon?

Can I still use ICE, ROC, or GEM in the original scanning procedure to produce the RAW file using the Minolta software or does the scan have to be done without setting these? I understand that ROC and GEM (or alternative image correction systems that achieve similar results)can be used later to adjust the RAW file in HDR (is that right?).

I assume though that ICE would have to be done at the time of scanning, and that this facility would be lost if I can't scan the image with ICE turned on at the RAW scan stage. This would be quite a big disadvantage in my view - as removing dust and marks later in Photoshop is so much more time consuming.

I would appreciate any comments or advice on this issue, from Silverfast or other members of the forum. I am a professional photographer looking to produce large, high definition, prints, and scans for publication at fairly large sizes in magazines, so quality (and to a lesser extent speed) is what counts with me. I have used Silverfast software with previous scanners, love it and would hate to have to give it up - so I'm hoping HDR working with the Minolta will be the answer.

BUT if I will indeed lose the ICE facility offered by the Minolta, and if other limitations apply to the use of HDR, then this would probably be sufficient to swing me towards the Nikon scanner which also, on paper at least, seems to be a pretty good scanner - just a bit slower and more expensive(here in the UK at least).

Very interested in your thoughts or experiences as any info will be a help in making the big decision! Then I can stop dithering, get the right scanner and start scanning!

As far as the Minolata goes I know a few folk scanning raw and then using HDR. They can't use ICE or any other feature - raw means raw!


I can't recall where in the forums the info was posted but Mr President_LSI has already indicated LaserSoft intend to have functions similar to the ICE, ROC , etc, built into SilverFast Ai and HDR in the near future.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ilyons on 2002-04-11 01:31 ]</font>

I don't know about the Minolta scanner but you can use ICE in raw mode on the Nikon 8000 scanner.

Simon

There is one solution for using the Multi Pro and HDR with RAW files with Infrared clean applied.(when you really need it!)

If you use v**s**n, and using save files in RAW mode, with the option "Raw save with -- save" you can apply the infrared clean to the RAW file and use it in HDR. Works very nice!(use "Infrared clean -- light" and don't use "Raw compression")
v**s**n is cheap, you can go to http://www.hamrick.com, or try a demo!

Xander

Hi there,

Thanks to everyone for the interesting replies. Very good to hear that you can use the infrared cleaning system in v**s**n even when saving files in RAW mode - have downloaded the demo of v**s**n, as suggested, and find it pretty impressive - though, of course, it will take me a while to get familiar with it.

Interesting that you can also use Digital ICE with the Nikon when saving into RAW mode - just a pity the Minolta software doesn't seem to support this. Though, from what I can see, the v**s**n software looks like it will do a better scanning job than Minolta's software anyway. Then once images are saved in RAW format using v**s**n I can go on to work on the images using all the control that Lasersoft HDR gives me - ideal!! So think I will probably end up going for the Minolta and using it in this way.

Would be great if Lasersoft were to incorporate ROC and GEM or similar into HDR - with some problem images that could speed things up a lot I think.

So thanks again for the advice - oh and just one other small question - does anyone know if it's possible to adjust gamma levels at all in v**s**n or the Minolta or Nikon software prior to saving in RAW mode - from what I understand you can do this with Silverfast Ai but don't know about the others???

Thanks, Cuailean

The gamma while saving files in RAW mode in v**s**n is set to 1.00, you can set the desired gamma while opening the file in Silverfast HDR (option menu)

Xander