Unfortunately, there is within the range Slide Scanning few if any really usable user opinions. One is more than happy with a 30 euros Aldi scanner, the other has even on a 500 or 1000 euro expensive scanners still expose what. Combining Plustek / SilverFast has come in my shortlisted after intensive internet research. So ordered and received as usual with Amazon after only 2 days.
The next positive point was the communication with SilverFast; timely answers to my mails get and update to the latest SilverFast version 8 was quick and easy. The installation under Win7 / 64bit was also quickly made. The program runs since then without problems.
The operation of the program is a bit strange, for example, some menu items appear only by long pressing the left mouse button.
The first disappointment was after extensive testing the quality of slide scans (shooting with a Nikon F3, older than 20 years). No matter what resolutions and settings I have worked, the result was not very satisfying, because that is always slightly out of focus. Of course I've read on known sites determined that the Plustek provides some blurry scans, but after that I was not prepared.
After many further tests, I think my expectations were just too high. After I had the old (30 years) reactivated projector and the scanned images was compared with the projected images, I could hardly tell the difference. The projected images were just as arm / disarm as the scanned images.
Once on the ground of the facts, I have tried to make the best of it and start now to my over 5000 slides to digitize. Before I again give my personal workflow, a few comments about the Plustek scanners and SilverFast program:
+ The Plustek makes a high quality, solid impression.
+ Installing the drivers and the SilverFast scanning program ran without problems.
++ The dust and scratch removal works great!
o The inserting of the slides into the frame after a short absolutely no problem: "normal" finger but a prerequisite; with thick "sausage fingers" I could imagine it more difficult
o A spare frame / film holder is not required, but recommended.
- As already mentioned elsewhere, the screening of the film holder is not, or almost non-existent / noticeable. Too bad, otherwise I would have awarded full 5 points.
- The naming of the SilverFast program is not particularly practical. The first scan gets a number, subsequent scans get a number in parentheses, starting from 2, without leading zeros. This makes sorting a little difficult. Will therefore write me a program that the name / number is better.
Below my personal workflow
- SilverFast Basic settings (after every start check):
Set JPEG, Name, Set Path: File Format
10 x 15 (as Dia is 2: 3 format)
Preset Photo quality 300 dpi
Setting the resolution to 2400 dpi, produces about 550 dpi; is completely aureichend
USM a (short Click to switch on or off)
iSR a
AACO a
ME a (scan takes longer; image may better never worse)
Car CCR a (longer with the left mouse button to Automatic Image Enhancement -> Adjust icon)
- Slide preparation:
Slides into the holder insert, shiny side up, dull side down
possibly blow off dust with a brush or compressed air
- Scanning process
# Preview Scan
Set Move Set # orientation (short left mouse button), frame by
# Car CCR click briefly, if not ok, then click Auto-CCR long left,
then select eg snow. Adjustment takes a few seconds.
# Optional still histogram make settings.
# Scan
# The total scanning time is about 3-4 minutes, if necessary check result.
The image size is present at about 1 MB.
With the SilverFast WorkflowPilot I'm not working. Either I have not yet understood the principle, or it is not meaningfully applicable for me.
Negative can be accurately scan as well.
I hope that this brief introduction makes many a entry in this successful combination a little easier.
Comments, additions, improvements are welcome!
In this sense:
- Happy scan
16.12.2011 Supplement (1)
The beginning mentioned to me poor sharpness can be significantly strengthened by settings in "unsharp masking" dialog. It's amazing what is still everything to get you out. I recommend to experiment every time with this dialogue, it is worth it!
Currently I am working with the following values:
- Strength = 300
- Radius = 2.5
- Threshold = 10
10/03/2012 Supplement (2)
Meanwhile, there have been some SilverFast updates that make some additions to my comments regarding the Unsharp Masking necessary.
The Addendum dated 16.02.2011 with the settings I have proposed referring to the SilverFast version 8.0.1 r2
In February and March, two further SilverFast updates have come out: R5 and R6
Quick has been found that my settings were still produced in r2 good results, did not fit with R5 and R6. Now ranging from the defaults to get the same result:
- Strength = 100
- Radius = 1.0
- Threshold = 1
It is recommended that a "reference" to have, slide to make a quick comparison with every update can, if anything improved / deteriorated.
Furthermore, I noticed that the processing time (processing) has extended somewhat.
Another note: Each scanned image should be a short time examined; in very few cases (1 in 100) I had a narrow strip with a slight reddish tint of the image. Depends if necessary so that together when scanning parallel to something else is done on the PC. Let's see if the issue is resolved with R6.
