Plustek Scanners and SilverFast 8 Software

[Martin B]

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Jac, 

 

A lot of folk use Silver Efex Pro plug in for their black and white processing in Photoshop. It is quite expensive. I find that levels and curves are good enough, together with the various tinting tools and filters. The conversion/inverting process as you assume, is a simple mathematical operation, where a white value of 255 becomes a white value of 1 (256-255) and so on. 

 

Wilson

 

Silver Efex is available for free after it was bought by Google. Powerful B&W software which is also my favorite - unfortunately no longer further developed by Google. 

[wlaidlaw]

Silver Efex is available for free after it was bought by Google. Powerful B&W software which is also my favorite - unfortunately no longer further developed by Google. 

 

Thanks Martin, I did not realise it was now free. I have downloaded it. 

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[Guest]

Being free and not further developed by Google means that Silver Efex had become abandonware and, on Macintosh computers, may not work with the next (High Sierra) version of OS X, which will only run 64-bit apps. Since SEFEX has some unique features that are difficult or impractical to try to do with Photoshop, the best solution would to keep one's current version of OS X, i.e., one that works with SEFEX, on a separate partition, and use the main partition for the latest version of OS X. The same goes for other Nik software, such as Viveza, which is useful for color images.

 

On the BEOON vs the Plustek, I prefer using the BEOON because the Plustek has a maximum dMAx of 3.6, while that of the BEOON is close to the 4.2 — about 1½ — of my old Imacon Precision III scanner when using the M9 — with the M10 that would be even better, given the M10's greater dynamic range. My other reasons for using the BEOON is that it is a lot quicker than the Plustek, and also more portable: I can take it with me when I move annually between North America, Europe and Asia.

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[Martin B]

 

Being free and not further developed by Google means that Silver Efex had become abandonware and, on Macintosh computers, may not work with the next (High Sierra) version of OS X, which will only run 64-bit apps. Since SEFEX has some unique features that are difficult or impractical to try to do with Photoshop, the best solution would to keep one's current version of OS X, i.e., one that works with SEFEX, on a separate partition, and use the main partition for the latest version of OS X. The same goes for other Nik software, such as Viveza, which is useful for color images.

 

On the BEOON vs the Plustek, I prefer using the BEOON because the Plustek has a maximum dMAx of 3.6, while that of the BEOON is close to the 4.2 — about 1½ — of my old Imacon Precision III scanner when using the M9 — with the M10 that would be even better, given the M10's greater dynamic range. My other reasons for using the BEOON is that it is a lot quicker than the Plustek, and also more portable: I can take it with me when I move annually between North America, Europe and Asia.

_______________

Alone in Bangkok essay on BURN Magazine

 

 

I found that there exist several suitable ways to digitize negatives, and they all are good when it comes to B&W negatives. But it gets a lot more tricky with color negatives - I was despised by always getting the WB right manually in PP to make the colors look like they should be seen on a color photo print of the used film. Not easy or simple at all - even knowing that there are tutorials and videos out there of how to do this best. Long story short: it does not work well from my experience. This is one of the biggest benefits with the Silverfast 8 software and the Plustek scan - that by pre-selecting the color film of the scanned negative (called Negafix), the program automatically uses the correct WB to represent the negative correctly in regard to colors out of the box. I rarely even need to do any further color-related PP afterwards, it is so good. 

 

Some recent scans with my Plustek 8200 Ai and Negafix WB correction, no color PP afterwards:

Fujicolor Superia 200 film

 

 

 

Edited July 30, 2017 by Martin B

[wlaidlaw]

Just to let folks know, all the Nik apps are working just fine in High Sierra 10.13.B3, so we are good for at least one more year. 

 

Wilson

[pico]

Just to let folks know, all the Nik apps are working just fine in High Sierra 10.13.B3, so we are good for at least one more year. 

 

Wilson

 

Is 10.13.B3 a regional update?

EDIT: Oh, it's a recent Beta!

How do you rate?

Edited July 30, 2017 by pico

[wlaidlaw]

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Jac, 

 

At the moment so-so. Lots of bugs in both Safari and Safari Technology demonstrator. Just for one, the advanced image updater on the Leica-Camera-forum does not work. I don't think Flash has been updated to work properly on H-S. When I use wifi to download images from the SL, the 6000 x 4000 full rez only occasionally displays but usually doesn't.

 

The only thing that seems to work better is where you use the graphics card as a co-processor in Photoshop but more particularly in Capture One, where batch processing to 16 bit TIFF's is noticeably faster. Siri might be better but I never use it, as I usually have classical music playing in the background which confuses it totally. Otherwise it seems mostly an "under the hood" update to use the next generation API's and all 64 bit. 

 

Wilson

[pico]

Otherwise it seems mostly an "under the hood" update to use the next generation API's and all 64 bit.

 

Does the fact that you used Silver Efex mean is 64 bit, ready for the new OS?

And I thought there was a new file system coming. Wrong?

[wlaidlaw]

Does the fact that you used Silver Efex mean is 64 bit, ready for the new OS?

And I thought there was a new file system coming. Wrong?

 

Jac, 

 

All I know is that all the Nik Apps are working on High Sierra Beta 3. I think what is being replaced is the HFS+ data filing system, that was first developed by Apple for the early hard drives around 30 years ago, as an alternative to Windows/DOS FAT in its various iterations. The new version is called APFS and was supposedly introduced in Sierra with update 10.12.4 but my Mac Mini running 10.12.6 with a 2TB SSD does not show this unlike my 2016 MacBookPro running 10.13.B3 - see below. 

 

Wilson

 

PS On the info panel for a Nik App, e.g. Silver Efex Pro, it still offers the option to open in 32 bit mode which is unchecked, so I am guessing they must be 64 bit apps. I remember I had to open Photoshop in 32 bit mode to get one of the noise reduction plug ins I had some years ago to work. 

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Edited July 30, 2017 by wlaidlaw

[pico]

Thank you, Wilson. I am still trying to narrow down PP options and your help is appreciated. So far I use Photoshop White Rabbit in fairly basic modes, but with several scripts and droplets I developed on the job - back in the day.

 

Edited July 30, 2017 by pico

[sblitz]

I found that there exist several suitable ways to digitize negatives, and they all are good when it comes to B&W negatives. But it gets a lot more tricky with color negatives - I was despised by always getting the WB right manually in PP to make the colors look like they should be seen on a color photo print of the used film. Not easy or simple at all - even knowing that there are tutorials and videos out there of how to do this best. Long story short: it does not work well from my experience. This is one of the biggest benefits with the Silverfast 8 software and the Plustek scan - that by pre-selecting the color film of the scanned negative (called Negafix), the program automatically uses the correct WB to represent the negative correctly in regard to colors out of the box. I rarely even need to do any further color-related PP afterwards, it is so good. 

 

Some recent scans with my Plustek 8200 Ai and Negafix WB correction, no color PP afterwards:

Fujicolor Superia 200 film

 

 

 

 

 

 

That middle shot look familiar -- Zion National Park?

[Martin B]

That middle shot look familiar -- Zion National Park?

 

Hi, unfortunately I have never been to Zion Natl Park. The photo in the middle was taken in spring 2001 in Yosemite Natl. Park. The last one is one photo taken at Lassen Volcanic Natl. Park. I haven't been back to both parks since, but I am sure there were much less photographers 16 years ago than there will be now. 

Edited August 17, 2017 by Martin B

[wlaidlaw]

The sad news is that with Mac OS 10.13.Beta 6, and PS 2017.1.1 Silver Efex Pro now appears to be dead. PS now crashes every time you apply your selected filter and try to reopen in the main PS window. 

[harmen]

Hi all,

 

What is your thoughs on Plustek Optiscan 135? Or should I go with 8200 series? Im going to scan only 35mm films on a personal level. Also how is the Mac support as I have read, Plustek has bad driver support.

 

Many thanks,

 

Fatih

 

 

I recently acquired a Plustek 135.  It's my first scanner, so I can only compare it to the output from the Fuji Frontier that my local lab uses.  I'm very happy with the scans I get from my Tri-X negatives.  I've not yet made the effort to figure out exactly how to get the white balance right for color negatives.  I bought Vuescan so I can control the process and output in 16bit TIFF/DNG.  In comparison to the 17mp jpg from the local lab, I get much more detail in the shadows and a little more in the highlights.  There is nothing that I can observe when looking at the negatives that doesn't make it into the scan, so I have no concerns about the D-max level.  That might come if I overexpose more?  In particular with a film pushed 2 stops, the lab results had little nuance left and a lot of grain, but the scan at home was much better.  Examples below.

 

The batch scanning makes the process a breeze.  Occasionally I scan again if I notice that I did not manage to blow off all dust the first time.  I did take me a little while to understand what settings to use in Vuescan and what curve to use for Capture One.

 

This review (not mine) will shed some more light on the best software to use with the 135.  http://mikepasini.com/corners/2016/02/12-opticfilm-135/index.htm

 

Scanned at home

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Scanned by the lab

 

Now of course, development also happens at home and I will not have more b&w scanned by the lab.

[greg_may_]

The sad news is that with Mac OS 10.13.Beta 6, and PS 2017.1.1 Silver Efex Pro now appears to be dead. PS now crashes every time you apply your selected filter and try to reopen in the main PS window. 

 

Any one confirm with the non Beta edition if Silver Efex is working? If not... I won't be upgrading for a while.

[wlaidlaw]

Sorry uninstalled all the Silver Efex but I would guess not. It certainly did not work on the Golden Master Beta, which effectively the final version of OS 10.13 HIgh Sierra. 

 

Wilson

[Martin B]

I never understood why Google purchased Nik software in the first place - of course I enjoyed getting all of it for free when it was totally overpriced before by Nik where each module costed more than $100 easily. But unfortunately Google never further vested in it, no more upgrades are done or adjustments to make it work with newer operating systems which leads to issues now as we see with the new Mac OS. Only a matter of time until issues will happen in an advanced version of Windows, too. Nik filters are my most commonly used post processing tool in PS - without it, my workflow would need to change severely, and I likely wouldn't get the same good results. Currently I am glad that I have no Mac and no trouble of using Nik in Windows 10. But as I said, this might change in Windows soon, too - who knows. 

Edited October 3, 2017 by Martin B

[wlaidlaw]

Can I use the version of SilverFast that I bought as an (expensive) upgrade to the Plustek supplied version, which is now 8.8.or8, to open DNG film scan images taken with an M240 or SL? I want to benefit from the automatic colour negative inversion, where my success rate to get colours I am happy with on Capture One or ACR + Photoshop has been low. That means for the present I am sticking to using colour reversal, Agfa CT100 Precisa. Whereas this is a very good colour reversal film, almost certainly the best I have used since the sad decease of Kodachrome, like many E6 films, it has quite a narrow exposure latitude. Fine with my M7 and CL, which have decent TTL meters, with at least 35mm and longer lenses but with my various Barnack cameras, it is a bit of a fiddle to keep taking exposure readings with a light meter and transfer to the lens, shutter speed dial. With colour negative I can just estimate from the sunny 16 rule and add 1 EV once you get beyond -3EV from bright noon. 

 

Wilson

[Martin B]

Can I use the version of SilverFast that I bought as an (expensive) upgrade to the Plustek supplied version, which is now 8.8.or8, to open DNG film scan images taken with an M240 or SL? I want to benefit from the automatic colour negative inversion, where my success rate to get colours I am happy with on Capture One or ACR + Photoshop has been low. That means for the present I am sticking to using colour reversal, Agfa CT100 Precisa. Whereas this is a very good colour reversal film, almost certainly the best I have used since the sad decease of Kodachrome, like many E6 films, it has quite a narrow exposure latitude. Fine with my M7 and CL, which have decent TTL meters, with at least 35mm and longer lenses but with my various Barnack cameras, it is a bit of a fiddle to keep taking exposure readings with a light meter and transfer to the lens, shutter speed dial. With colour negative I can just estimate from the sunny 16 rule and add 1 EV once you get beyond -3EV from bright noon. 

 

Wilson

 

To my knowledge and using exactly this Silverfast software it can only save in DNG format, but I am not aware that it is able to load images from somewhere and post process them in the software. Would be great if it could do what you suggested above - I will look into it to make sure I answered correctly later today. 

 

Martin

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[tobey bilek]

If ever there was a typical thread about Silverfast and how a simple job can be made complicated then this is it. Use Vuescan.

 

Right on.   Vue scan is limiting.  Silverfast is not intuitive and has too long a learning curve.  

 

D850 Nikon seems to be set up for camera scanning.  Interesting but Nikons I have meet my reflex needs.

 

How about 65 Elmar and visoflex,  the real ones?