From: Peter Marshall (petermarshall@cix.co.uk)
Date: 12/02/02-11:24:24 AM Z
Sandy,
I'd also recommend Fred Miranda's Stair Interpolation, which I think works
better than GF etc. The latest version is $15 from
http://www.fredmiranda.com/SI/index.html and there are some good example
pictures there comparing it with GF and other methods. Software which uses
Lancos interpolation - such as the free Irfanview
http://www.irfanview.com/ - is also likely to give better results with
most images than GF.
BJP did a feature on interpolation, perhaps around a year ago, and the
results they published showed there was no advantage in using GF, but they
still ended up recommending it! I think the test in the feature said that
the best results came from Paintshop Pro, but like many BJP features they
didn't test what many of us think would do better - such as SI.
I've used Vuescan and Silverfast, though not with this scanner. Vuescan is
cheap and seems to get everything possible out of the scanners I've tried
it with, giving you files that can then be optimised with Photoshop. I've
just been making a print from a black and white neg using a scan from
Vuescan, and it is better than I could do in the darkroom, with great
shadow and highlight detail.
Silverfast seems designed to cut out the work in Photoshop and produce
files that are pre-press ready. For my purposes, Vuescan was better, and I
even paid for it - only around $40 I think - despite having a free copies
of Silverfast and Silverfast HD.
Peter Marshall
Photography Guide at About http://photography.about.com/
email: photography.guide@about.com
_________________________________________________________________
My London Diary http://buildingsoflondon.co.uk/diary/
London's Industrial Heritage: http://petermarshallphotos.co.uk/
The Buildings of London etc: http://londonphotographs.co.uk/
and elsewhere......
> On Sunday, December 1, 2002, at 02:14 PM, Sandy King wrote:
> > Phillip wrote:
> >> If I'm not
> >> mistaken, this scanner is capable of two pass scanning which you
> >> can use to extend the dynamic range.
> >
> >
> > If so I can't find anything about that in the manual. However, since
> > I am scanning negatives, would there be any advantage to extending
> > the dynamic range?
>
> I've found 16-bit single pass scans for negatives to be fine.
>
> >> I recommend Vuescan software over
> >> Epson's.
> > I am working with SilverFast, not the Epson Twain software. If
> > Vuescan better than SilverFast?
>
> I can't speak for Vuescan, but I like SilverFast for negative scanning
> quite a bit. The Epson software is weak.
>
> >> Using plug-ins such as MrSid or Genuine Fractals Print Pro (both from
> >> LizardTech, Inc.) to res-up your image will give you a slight
> >> advantage
> >> over
> >> Photoshop's engine.
> >
> > Is there a site for downloading these files?
>
> I use Fred Miranda's SI action for resizing, and like it as well as
> Genuine Fractals PrintPro.
>
> > I have to say that the quality I am getting from the Epson 2450 with
> > the 5x7 negatives is really very good.
>
> I scan 5x7 on an Epson 1680, and as long as I don't go too big (3X
> enlargement), I can't see any difference between it and expensive
> scans. I think these flatbeds are a great bargain for minimal
> enlargement of large format negatives.
>
> --clyde
>
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : 01/31/03-09:31:25 AM Z CST