Digital BW, The Print

Thank you for the offer to test scan a couple of frames - maybe I'll 
take you up on this.

Yes I have been in email contact with SF tech support all day - it 
seems that the Focus button which you refer to that greys out or is 
col (off/on) is not effective with the glass holder!

In other words there is effectively no scanner focusing when the 
glass carrier is used. It is just focused on wherever the 
default/manual setting is - which is pretty close but probably the 
thickness of the glass away from being optimum.

Try a few transparencies or negs in this usual mode and then try them 
with Polaroid Insight (f you have it installed - if not it's free 
from the polaroid>support>download site) - you may be very surprised 
at what you thought was in focus. I was - suddenly there is detail 
and texture that i never saw before !
Frank


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Shilesh Jani" 
<shilesh.jani@s...> wrote:
> Yes it is.  Have you confirmed this with people at Silverfast? I 
know 
> SF 6 cannot manually focus the SS120.  But there is a tab for this 
> function - must be in all versions of SF.  It toggles between being 
> grayed out and showing an "A".  I have assumed that "A" stands for 
> autofocus - hey how about the SF documentation, eh ;-(.  
> 
> Quite frankly, I have not encountered "soft" scans when scanning 
> transparencies (which is mostly what I use).  But, I am going to 
> explore this further.  For me, at least, it may be a lesser problem 
> because I don't scan too many negatives, and in fact have recently 
> decided NEVER to shoot them any more.  I like the grain I get from 
> Fujichrome Provia 400 when pushed 1 or 2 stops.  And, it is so much 
> easier to scan than Tri-X or Ilford Delta 3200.  I like some 
features 
> of SF 6, but I can live without them.
> 
> Is it possible that the problem is in your scanner?  If you like, I 
> would gladly scan a couple of your negatives  to test it out.  
> Contact me off-list.
> 
> If all esle fails, time to be rid of the scanner, and go with a 
> Minolta or Nikon (argh  $$$$).
> 
> Regards.
> 
> Shilesh
> 
> 
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "frankg_photo" 
> <fh.gross@s...> wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > It seems you cant ! If you use the glass carrier you have to use 
> > other scanning software like Polaroid Insight.
> > Very distressing, isn't it.
> > 
> > 
> > --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Shilesh 
Jani" 
> > <shilesh.jani@s...> wrote:
> > > So how do you ensure focus?  I also have a SS120 + SF 6.0 and 
use 
> > the 
> > > glass carrier.
> > > 
> > > Regards
> > > 
> > > Shilesh
> > > 
> > > --- In 
> DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "frankg_photo" 
> > > <fh.gross@s...> wrote:
> > > > Problem discovered ! 
> > > > After a number of months of being very frustrated by the scan 
> > > > sharpness of my negs in the Polaroid glass carrier, I find 
out 
> > that 
> > > > the auto focus feature in SF does not work with the glass 
> carrier 
> > > > (even though the focus button is on and therefore implies 
that 
> it 
> > > > works.
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > --- In 
> > DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "frankg_photo" 
> > > > <fh.gross@s...> wrote:
> > > > > I know that all scans require some sharpening and that is a 
> > > simply 
> > > > > a 'fact of life' - but how can I tell/measure/establish if 
my 
> > > > > particular scanner is achieving 'normal and acceptable' 
> levels 
> > of 
> > > > > sharpness standards ?
> > > > > 
> > > > > I personally feel that the scans are all too soft but I've 
> > never 
> > > > > owned another and cant compare. I also dont know anyone 
else 
> > with 
> > > a 
> > > > > similar film scanner to try the same neg or transparency 
> > > elsewhere.
> > > > > Even with fine grain material like Kodachrome 25 or 64 the 
> > scans 
> > > > > appear too soft.
> > > > > 
> > > > > I prefer to have no sharpening filter on in the scanner 
> > software; 
> > > > > preferring to leave usm to the very end of the image 
editing.
> > > > >  And I make sure the auto focus is on (little 'target 
symbol' 
> > in 
> > > > the 
> > > > > centre of the scan frame) in the scanner software.
> > > > > I am using the Glass film holder to ensure a flat film 
plane.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Should I be seeing a crisp and sharp scanned image or is 
this 
> > > > > unrealistic ? Any ideas, suggestions ?
> > > > > thanks
> > > > > Frank