LaserSoft Imaging

Dear Madam/Sir,

I am now facing a problem,

recently when I scan my slide films using my 8200i with SilverFast AI 8.0.1r18 and r19 with patched framework from Plustek Support on my Mac OS X 10.8.2

I've found out that in dark area there are visible stripes/lines which is quite annoying. (And only in dark area!)

I am using the exact same setting (48->24bit, TIFF, 3600dpi, USM:radius 1.5) as I scanned my slide films last October, which were completely no problem.

Here is a crop of a photo I scanned last friday
(Or you can download the original size JPG that I put on my Dropbox https://dl.dropbox.com/u/5539817/AgfaCT100%20%2832%29.jpg )

on the left side of the dark area, there are horizontal stripes/lines




HERE IS THE ONE I TEST TODAY, SEEMS IT'S EVEN WORSE THAN THE ONE I SCAN ABOVE LAST FRIDAY, though the exposure of the image has been boost up, but should have any of these lines right?
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/5539817/test.jpg


and here is another crop that I scanned last october which was nice and clean
(Or you can download the original size JPG also on Dropbox https://dl.dropbox.com/u/5539817/AgfaCT100%20%2824%29.jpg)




although in the third image the dark area is darker, but there is still no stripes shows out when I boost up the level/exposure by using Aperture/Photoshop.

I don't know if this is a hardware or a software issue, hope you could help me.

sincerely,

Ray.

Dear Ray,

this seems to be a hardware issue.
Have you contacted the manufacturer about this?

kind regarrds,
Arne Ketelhohn

Hi Herr Ketelhohn,

thanks for the reply,

I've also contacted Plustek as well, but still have no replay from them yet.

Thanks again for letting me know it's a HW issue, then I can stop uninstall/reinstall or reset my SilveFast

Viele Grüße,
Ray.

Dear Herr Ketelhohn,

I have tried to scan the slide films again tonight, the situation was the same,

but after I scanned a few negative films then switch back to slide films, something happend,

most of the stripes in the dark area are disappeared! but on the right side of the image there are still some slightly visible stripes/lines.

But the overall image quality is better than before.

So what's the problem now?

Thank you!

sincerely,
Ray.

Dear Ray,

Maybe this is a temperature related issue.

Or the frameworks (drivers) were not updated correctly.

Please delete the Plustek8200.framework folder from:
/Library/Frameworks

This is the driver file.
Then please reinstall the latest SilverFast 8.0.1r19.
The Patch from the Plustek website is now outdated.


kind regards,
Arne Ketelhohn.

Dear Herr Ketelhohn,

my 8200i just got repaired by Plustek and went home today,

but after I tested a few scans again, the problem seems the same, (I have uninstall SilverFast 8.0.1 r19 and reinstall r20 without and other patch from Plustek)

so I was wondering if I am being too picky?

I mean is it that in such dark area, any scanner could cause this kind of stipe/line noise?

here is the scan I did tonight, there are some stripes/lines in dark area




and here is the same scan, which I adjusted the level with PS, in the dark area are so many stripes/lines




so I went back to see some of the negatives I've scanned last year, like this




the color of the negative films are reversal, so the dark area on the film is actually the bright area
so when I also adjust the level, then it goes like this, are they the same situation?
If so, then my scanner has this problem already when I first got it.





but what keeps me wondering is the slide/dia films that I scan also last year,




the dark area seems absolutely fine when the level is adjusted




I dont know if i am being picky or the Plustek didn't really fix my scanner,

hope you could give me some opinion from your experience,

Thanks in advance!

sincerely,
Raymin Chen

No, I do not think those lines are normal.

Did you search for other possible disturbances?
Are there any fluorescent lights attached to the same power line or in the room?
Or any electrical devices using strong electrical motors?


kind regards,
Arne Ketelhohn.

I'm having a similar issue, when I prescan my image looks great, but when I scan at 2400dpi and open up my final image, theres lines all over...?

Dear kit_niclis,

I have forwarded your issue to our support system.
We will contact you by Mail.

Kind regards,
Arne Ketelhohn.

Hello I hathis problem also

They are also visible in IR channel

With ME enabled no stripes, without they are easy to spot with Exposure +2.78


I do have a week left for money back no questions asked, should I contact the seller or Plustek somehow or can this be fixed?

I expect the scanner to work like kanzlr has posted velvia image no stripes whatsoever.
Quote:
btw, this is a 5300dpi scan from a Velvia 100 slide, unsharpened:

http://files.berny.at/velvia.jpg
Please check your IR channel for stripes (curves helps to see them better). I would be thankful for any suggestions.

Dear Smilem,

Have you talked to Plustek about this?
This will not be a software sided issue.

But as Multi-Exposure is able to compensate the effect I assume the lines are not always in the same position.
So my guess would be some kind of electrical disturbance.


Kind regards,
Arne Ketelhohn.

LSI_Ketelhohn wrote:Dear Smilem,

Have you talked to Plustek about this?
This will not be a software sided issue.

But as Multi-Exposure is able to compensate the effect I assume the lines are not always in the same position.
So my guess would be some kind of electrical disturbance.


Kind regards,
Arne Ketelhohn.

Plustek said the scanner is defective. What electrical disturbance? perhaps the cheap power supply they use for this scanner? The scanner is supposedly made in Taiwan, so why make PSU in china? for 2000Eur they could have used quality PSU to begin with.

Also I tried to use another brand 24v 3A PSU, the image became blurry with it, how do you explain this? The scanner does not have any internal electrical stabilization circuitry? What if my Plustek PSU goes bad? I have to buy a Plustek PSU, and perhaps send scanner to Germany for recalibration?

No the PSU would not be the source of the issue.

I was thinking of fluorescent lights or a strong electrical motor, for example.

Have you checked the back of Your scanner?
I think Plustek devices require 15V.
A 24V PSU could damage such a device or cause malfunction like that.
The Volts of the PSU always must be the same as the device it powers.
The maximum Ampere of the PSUmust be the same number or higher.
if the powered device draws more A than the PSU can handle it can cause malfunction and in the worst case an overheating of the PSU.

I suggest only using the original PSU supplied with your device.


Kind regards,
Arne Ketelhohn.

I have also had problems with stripes with my Plustek 8100. I narrowed it to the power supply. The power supply is a cheap switching supply that can put out a dirty signal which then is passed on to the scanner. My fix was applying a snap on toroid to the supply line running to the scanner. I passed about five turns through the toroid. Problem solved. My scans are now super clean. One used to be able to get the snap on toroids at Radio Shack. But your mileage may vary. They may or may not still carry them. They are designed just for this purpose, to choke off stray electrical signals that make their way in on the line.