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Re: [APML] OT Medium Format Film Scanners



Hello,
 
     After using the Polaroid 120 quite a bit, I have basically thrown out the Silverfast... it is a loose cannon when it comes to critical focus. I had the same issue with my UMAX 3000... although their software has some merits, the focus issue is critical.
      The Insight software that ships with the SS120 has a feature buried down in the drop-down menu for the prescan that offers RAW NEGATIVE or RAW POSITIVE prescan...
unlike the software in the SS 35+, this version of the raw scan enables full use of all controls... basically the scanner hands you the preview in a "raw" state and asks you to do everything to make it look good. The HUGE advantage of this is that you don't have any presets screwing up your image... if you use any scanner and go to "negative" or "positive" in the prescan, the scanner software is going to "assume" certain variables and add them to your prescan. Bottom line... in astro work this can be a disaster. The scanner simply has no idea what an astro original is... all it sees is this empty, terribly underexposed piece of film! So being able to turn off ALL the "second guessing" in the software enables the operator to achieve results that are "pure"... net result is a scan that is as "clean" as the scanner is able to make. No color fringing, no contrast shambles, just the result of your mucking about with all the controls.
 
         Tony