LaserSoft Imaging

Using a new Nikon 400 ED + SF-200 I want to batch scan many slides and generate accurate 48 bit color images. I also want to retain full functionality of the Nikon and Silverfast software. The exact work flow sequence is not very important as long as all steps can be batched.

Can/should I use SF Ai or SF HDR? Is job manager necessary, or included with these? Is a full version of HDR included on the Ai CDs?

I have read posts here and elsewhere but remain very confused. Can someone summarize the current situation.

Thanks, very much.

Milstone

You will have to install the Nikon software and the Silverfast software on two different bootable partitions or disks if you want to keep both. Last i saw, they would not coexist with each other.

Frank

The Nikon software and SilverFast can coexist on the same partition.

You can use SilverFast Ai for Nikon to scan your images and you will not need any other software. You can also use the SF200 for batch scanning in SilverFast Ai.

However, if you prefer to save your images as 48-bit raw data (to keep the full dynamic range), you can use SilverFast Ai for scanning and SilverFast HDR for postprocessing at a later time in your workflow. SilverFast HDR together with JobManager is a very powerfull tool for batch processing many images.

To find out exactly what type of plugins you need, I would suggest, that you check out the demo plugins for Nikon and HDR. Unfortunately, JobManager is an extension to SilverFast, so you will not be able to test it in the demo.

Eric Flyvbjerg

Thanks. The combination of Silverfast Ai and Silverfast HDR with iT8 calibration and Job Manager sounds very powerful.

I can't really checkout iT8 calibration (one of my main objectives) without a target, which I will not have until I purchase. Can the same final, corrected images be achieved by scanning using the Nikon software, saving 48 (42) bit files, and processing these with Silverfast HDR plus iT8 calibration and Job Manager? It sounds like one difference might be that the 48 bit files from the scanner willl open more slowly in HDR using this approach, lacking the faster file opening feature. Are there any other differences?

Thanks.

Dave

Eric,
The last reports were that there was a conflict if Nikonscan and Silverfast were installed together (ie: SF would not work if NS was reinstalled). i am assuming that NikonScan 3.12 and the latest (R08) are compatible based on your comment and that installation order does not matter ? i guess i missed that in the version log. Good News either way.

Frank