LaserSoft Imaging

I am trying the demo for the Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400
and I work in 48bit scans at maximum resolution.
On the Minolta TWAIN driver when choosing ICE the Grain Disolver
is selected automatically.
On SilverFast I can select each option regardless of the other option.
Can Grain Disolver work without ICE?

Dear o-b-1-kanobi.

The grain disolver (we call it GANE) is independent from ICE can be applied without it..

Kind regards.

LSI_Rossee wrote:Dear o-b-1-kanobi.

The grain disolver (we call it GANE) is independent from ICE can be applied without it..

Kind regards.

I saw the GANE filter but I wanted to use the scanner built-in
ICE without using the Grain Disolver and since this can be done
in Silverfast and not in the original TWAIN driver coming with
the scanner I was wondering if this works correctly or not.
I do not want to apply any grain removal procedure at the
scanning stage.

o-b-1, Rosee,

The Grain Dissolver function of the Minolta 5400 is not the same as the GANE function of SilverFast. The Grain Dissolver is a hardware implemented function consisting in the placement of a diffuser sheet in the light path of the scanner. The light source of the 5400 is a highly collimated light (point light) and the diffuser bahaves much like a color enlarger light which hits the film from a wider area, thus minimizing grain contrast. Some people like it, some don't. This is a feud among darkroom aficionados that predates scanners by several decades. Ditto with scanners. What can be stated is that it effectively minimizes deffects at a cost of apparent _grain_ sharpness.

On the other hand, the GANE function of SilverFast is software implemented, my guess is that it uses somekind of Gaussian blur. I have not used it much beyond one or two trials. Probably good for scratched negatives. Same as the dust eliminator thinghie that takes time and attention beyond any manual dusting applied in Photoshop. More gadget and marketing hype than real feature, IMHO.

Should devote those fine programming efforts to needed features like the straighetning of frames that has been promised for years.

I am aware of the differences between Gane and GD.
My question was to check if SilverFast implementation
was correct since in Minolta's software GD is activated
once ICE is selected and there is no way to seperate it like
selecting ICE and no GD. You can select GD with no ICE
but not the other way around.
I was wondering if in SilverFast the result will be the same
even tough the GD indicator is off. Is this something
that might be implemented in the scanner firmware with
no option to override it in the software or not.
If you can override it in software it looks strange to me
that Minolta choose to bind ICE with GD automatically and
not let the user select like SilverFast does.