First it failed because of the time, then access to affordable high-quality scanners, because after the market exit of Nikon only used devices were available at enormous prices. And a unit on the level of quality of a Nikon Coolscan 5000 it should be so.
A brief aberration then led me earlier this year briefly to an Epson V800, the image quality (resolution) is not sufficient for me but small picture.
Then I finally discovered the Reflecta RPS 10M, the same design, it is the rest of the world as PrimeFilm XA.
The Reflecta RPS 10M has absolutely convinced me of the image quality. The scanner 100 triggers on up to film grain in Ektachrome 64 or Kodak Gold and in return offers a very good range of density with good shadow detail.
I have no direct 1: 1 compared to a Nikon Coolscan 5000, but see reference to various sample photos on the web that is not much difference between these scanners - if at all.
Those looking for an affordable scanner with warranty, is the Reflecta RPS 10M wealthier currently the best offer in terms of image quality.
Incidentally, there is still a technical brother, the Reflecta ProScan 10T. The two main differences to this: The RPS 10 M withstands a higher density range, which is important for scanning slides. And he has an adjustable focus, while the 10T has only fixed focus. It is hoped then that negative or slide always lie in the very narrow focal plane. Indeed, films or slides are never completely flat. And since it can be useful in certain cases, by hand to focus on the point in the image that should be sharp. Otherwise, you rely on the autofocus. The is the way keen on the film grain, so that the sharpness should always be on the spot.
That of 10T not also offers the automatic document feeder of filmstrips, is another point that speaks for the RPS 10M.
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What are the practical experience with the Reflecta RPS 10M?
Scanning is unfortunately generally relatively time-consuming. Therefore, the result is to be so great, that not later the desire for a repetition of the scan comes up. I would therefore already can adjust the histogram and the color best when scanning.
The included software Cyberview X can probably use this, it's me but too limited in the possibilities. Property me therefore not busy.
Much better are Vuescan or SilverFast (must be purchased separately), which I find more enjoyable Vuescan forth by the operator. Unfortunately Vuescan has the big disadvantage that it does not work with this scanner in the dust and scratch correction well. Many defects remain remains in the picture, even in the strongest setting. Especially in the fall on negative film.
I have now decided, therefore, for the use of SilverFast. In the operation extremely used to, convince with various small weaknesses and inconsistencies, but the results.
Very good is in collaboration with the SilverFast dust and scratches removal of RPS 10 M. She works on the whole reliable, also does not make the picture less sharp overall - some scanners have probably this habit.
If there are scratches but every now and then remains, which are not removed. These residues are then but almost invisible, if it bothers you, you have to stamp it up later in image processing software away.
Incidentally, the dust and scratch correction only works with silver-free slide and negative films. Due to the principle denied the infrared method in films containing silver - so classic SW-negatives and Kodachrome slides. This is for all scanners of all manufacturers that way. (With one exception:. The Nikon Coolscan 9000 ED is the only scanner a dust and scratch correction, which works with Kodachrome slides Unfortunately, he is no longer manufactured for many years, will cost us almost 4,000 euros ...) (I now 4 Kodachrome slides with the RPS 10M and SilverFast Studio Ai scanned. If you, the recognition of dust and scratches removal on 3, then it works reasonably usable with Kodachrome. But there are flaws recognizable and there is quite a bit of dust in the picture. If so up to a stopgap, am glad that I have not Kodachromes ;-)
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The picture quality can be expected from this scanner?
Who digitally photographed and also purely zooms out 100% on the computer in pictures, will probably be disappointed at first by the sharpness of the RPS 10M. Especially if you previously always thought that with the expensive Nikon fixed focal lengths would be great. Or the Canon or whatever.
But the fact is: The device triggers to film grain on. And then just nothing comes to details. Have the slides examined with a 10x magnifying glass, because you had the feeling that it might get stuck in tiny details a little more. But the test under the microscope revealed: there's really nothing left, only grain or lumps of color pigments.
And the lenses are partially better today. Manual focus earlier was stop also next time. And there was no optical image stabilization in the lens, it was shaky times faster. If you have not noticed anything in the projection in the slide, in hard copy certainly not. Here in the scans in 100% view you can see it.
The RPS 10M thus brings out everything that's in normal small screen.
This also applies to the density range. I Ektachrome slides scanned with high contrast between light and shadow, and achieved good results. A test with multi-exposure (this is Fast Silver performed a second scan with a different exposure, the results are then combined) yielded virtually no improvement. Maximum slightly less noise in shadow, but at a level that can be seen only in the 100% view the full scan. For scanning takes with Multi-Exposure more than twice as long.
Incidentally, it is pointless to scan in the offered 10,000 dpi. I gave it a try. The scan takes forever, the file is huge and yet everything is artificially inflated. Namely, when the still image by 50%, you will see that absolutely no more details are included than in a scan that was razed by 5,000 dpi. (The same result I received when I upscaled to 5,000 dpi Scan to 10,000 dpi and then compared. In 10,000 dpi scan more detail not visible in it.)
A scan with 5000 dpi takes his time yet. 45 seconds for the preview scan. It's another 2 minutes for the actual scan (with dust and scratches removal). Plus, the computing time of SilverFast, which also lasts depending on the setting. With me about 1 minute (for this calculation time is largely the dust and scratches removal in charge), so a total of 3 minutes for each scan.
Despite the long scan times should be 5000 dpi Select for maximum quality setting. If one scans with less DPI, you notice loss of detail in the result.
Slides can be only loaded one, a batch is not possible. Anyone who wants to scan thousands of slides, this software is not and should view a scanner with magazine processing.
Negative strips are drawn, a minimum length of 3 images is required. In principle, all the film rolls can be processed in one go. In practice, but probably would dismantle even film reels in the typical 6 strips.
Conclusion: Since I will only selectively scan (a few hundred images, maximum), I can get on well with the scan times and the manual operation of this scanner. The image quality is absolutely top, it goes down to the film grain and I'm sure that some will be surprised at how bad but expensive Nikons, Canons and Minolta were earlier - compared with what we used today in image quality of current cameras and lenses are. I mean, the scanner is better than to be scanned films in most cases. It shows them that you finished the scans with 5000 dpi can be small expected by 50% to 2,500 dpi, and yet not lose any real details in the vast majority of images.
This calms immensely, because one can be reasonably sure of having to scan with better hardware again all not at some point in the future.
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Addendum: Here are some of my settings in SilverFast 8.5 AI Studio to achieve very good results when scanning slides with this scanner.
Setting the resolution to 5000 PPI. Output to 48 bits. This gives you the opportunity even to correct later in image processing software gradation and color without causing Tonwertabrissen.
The output format I use the lossless TIFF. Unfortunately, no lossless compressed TIFF (LZW) or alternatively PNG is offered. So then a scanned file is approximately 190 MB in size. The file size can be determined by the final editing but again significantly shrink. Otherwise, hard drives cost not much, to 1TB fit around 5,000 scans in this file size.
The Workflow Pilot best directly forgotten.
After the pre-scan is selected Auto or Auto-CCR (with color cast removal). I prefer to drive, a color cast I removed with a pipette. Simply the pipette labeled neutral point on up to four areas set in which neutral gray or white should be present. Most colors have fit quite well then. Other minor color changes can be very well carry on Global CC.
You might want to pull a little on the curve under gradation to adjust the brightness and contrast or shadow areas when necessary to lighten somewhat. More importantly, the white point and black point are well placed so that the tonal range is utilized to the maximum. About pressing "Alt" may be the way, the histogram of the final scans already display in advance, very helpful.
The sharpness function USM I let off. Sharpened is never at the beginning of the processing chain, but at the end. Nor is there any qualitative benefits when sharpened in the scanning software.
The dust and scratch correction iSRD I turn to, to automatic. Recognition I leave at 18, works well, among other things for Ektachrome. Agfa CT18 slide film (in the 60s and 70s widespread film loses its color like no other and must be urgently scanned) I had with this setting, but very showy large artifacts at light-dark transitions in the picture. They were gone when I had reduced the recognition to 13. The detection and correction of errors is still in order.
Changed in expert mode defect size from 5 to 2 - the errors are then corrected with less impact in areas intact inside. Despite this, no residues remain. I will not use expansion to 1. Manual offset, software is like any offset from perfect.
Caution: The settings can be found at "special" still point "Maximum deviation of the iSRD-alignment". When specifying a too small value here, no longer works, the automatic alignment of the normal scan and infrared scan. So best leave to the default 20.
The results of the dust and scratch removal are so very good. Sometimes remain fine remains only few scratches. Unfortunately contrast helps no setting that creates other software but in my experience even better ...
AACO Auto Adaptive Contrast Optimization alias brings my opinion nothing. What comes out, I reach better in the curve or later in Shadows / Highlights in Photoshop.
Let off Gane (Grain and Noise Reduction). Improved noise reduction features almost every image editing program. There is no advantage to make the already in the scanning software. Only the disadvantage that the scanned image is the same damage because grain and noise reduction go always at the expense of sharpness and details. Significant noise is in the scans of the RPS 10M anyway not in it. And I do not remove film grain, which makes it just the charm of old photographs from.
MultiExposure is rather meaningless in most cases because it brings only a very small reduction of the noise in the shadow areas, which can be seen at most in the 100% view. Exception: If you have a partly underexposed image that you want afterwards significantly lighten by tugging at the curve in the shadows, you should scan with MultiExposure. MultiExposure extended Unfortunately the scanning times clearly, otherwise I would always start a precaution. (If dark slides are to be saved, it can also be useful in the settings under "Special", the "Analog Gain" adapt. For example, from the standard 150 to 250 in all three color channels. Then please check if the histogram is not already lights are cut off, then back down a bit with the value. This setting noise is significantly reduced in dark areas, so you have the best conditions to brighten dark areas later.)
SilverFast sets the autofocus point is not always the place where one would place himself. It may therefore be advisable to move it via the menu item AF manually to a more suitable location where there is more contrast or where you wish to be the sharpness of the image. Especially with arched slides or negatives can be the key.
As far as my momentary workflow that has evolved over many hours reading and testing. (There are, unfortunately, no rational manual on the current version of SilverFast.) If something changes, I will report here.
The supplied Cyberview I find now unusable because it gives me almost no useful settings. Vuescan would be an alternative, separates me from but because the dust and scratches removal leaves too many remnants left. SilverFast is there much better. In addition, one has in SilverFast simply better control over the scan result than in Vuescan. Disadvantage of SilverFast is, of course, the enormous price of AI Studio Version ... And that must do the trick, or I would prefer Vuescan.
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The following addendum is only of interest to people who are discolored Agfa Chrome CT 18 with SilverFast Ai Studio 8.5 are scanning as perfectly as possible. The Agfa CT 18 is a slide film, which was widely used until the early 80s and extremely fade in comparison to the same old Ektachrome, with strong color shift.
In the film fail all automatics, which one gets by hand in the handle.
It turned out that the results will be better if you so adjusts the scanner for this film that he sensed Green and Red stronger. In addition I have in special settings: set the red color channel to 225 analog gain, Green 200, Blue remains at 150. (Also 200-175 - 150 may be useful.)
Then necessarily in CMS settings: Input -> Internal: put back on ColorSync (available after changing the analog gain to None).
Then make pre-scan, then slide into the histogram and the red, green and blue histogram each black point and white point to the start of the mountains. Usually the result is quite good.
It's worth a try to put the pipette in neutral neutral gray dots that can bring a further improvement. Otherwise revoke command.
Alternatively, a bit readjust in Global CC, by the black dot to move a little.
In the dust and scratch correction iSRD the recognition at 13 or even lower still must be set in order to avoid image errors to light-dark boundaries that otherwise occur with the CT 18.
Do not forget to set the analog gain back if all Agfa slides are scanned by.