minolta dimage scan dual IV - soft focus?

Hi!
The problem is the following: I can't get a crisp focus out of this scanner
using the original software DSD 4 utility (v. 1.0.1). I know the scanner is
capable of performing waaay better, since I've also tried Vuescan. I would
continue using Vuescan (8.0.14), but unfortunately it leaves barely visible,
brownish, horizontal stripes/smudges - they don't appear when I use
Minolta's software. M's soft also keeps freezing during auto focusing.
Of course I've tried setting focus at both auto and manual, at different
parts of slides but with no satisfying results whatsoever.
The reason I'm posting this, is to find out whether other M users have
similar focus problems?
Any thoughts?
Thanks
Best regards
Patrick B

"patrykb" <patrickb@poczta.onet.pl> wrote:
>Hi!
>The problem is the following: I can't get a crisp focus out of this
>scanner
>using the original software DSD 4 utility (v. 1.0.1). I know the
>scanner is
>capable of performing waaay better, since I've also tried Vuescan. I
>would
>continue using Vuescan (8.0.14), but unfortunately it leaves barely
>visible,
>brownish, horizontal stripes/smudges - they don't appear when I use
>Minolta's software. M's soft also keeps freezing during auto
>focusing.
>Of course I've tried setting focus at both auto and manual, at
>different
>parts of slides but with no satisfying results whatsoever.
>The reason I'm posting this, is to find out whether other M users
>have
>similar focus problems?
>Any thoughts?
>Thanks
>Best regards

Hello Patrick B,

My SD4 focussing with the Minolta sw is, as far as I can judge, fine.
There is also no freezing during auto focussing. Maybe your system is
at the base of your problems (memory, speed)?
What I do see are the colored smudges with Vuescan: I am still
waiting for Ed Hamrick to find the solution to this problem, as well
as to the VS-auto focus problem.

In general I am satisfied with the way the SD4 behaves using the
Minolta sw.

--
Regards, Alex

>> There is also no freezing during auto focussing. Maybe your system is
> at the base of your problems (memory, speed)?


Thx for the reply Alex

The freezing doesn't occur all the time, sometimes it works, sometimes
doesn't.
Well I might try upgrading my system to 512 RAM memory (currently I have 255
DDRAM). Another thing I could probably do is to buy an USP 2.0 port
controler (currently 1.1). I have 1 Ghz athlon processor on Win XP
(ServicePack 1).
But it all seems enough (based on Minolta's system requirements).
I doubt if all this has anything to do with the process of focusing itself.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
As I said, with Vuescan the scans are waaay sharper, the difference is huge
(oh, I might add that I also did an upgrade to Minolta's soft - so no issue
here).

Thx again
Best regards!
Patrick

"patrykb" <patrickb@poczta.onet.pl> wrote in message
news:chmg91$bqk$1@news.onet.pl...
>>> There is also no freezing during auto focussing. Maybe your system is
>> at the base of your problems (memory, speed)?
>
>
> Thx for the reply Alex
>
> The freezing doesn't occur all the time, sometimes it works, sometimes
> doesn't.
> Well I might try upgrading my system to 512 RAM memory (currently I have
> 255
> DDRAM). Another thing I could probably do is to buy an USP 2.0 port
> controler (currently 1.1). I have 1 Ghz athlon processor on Win XP
> (ServicePack 1).
> But it all seems enough (based on Minolta's system requirements).
> I doubt if all this has anything to do with the process of focusing
> itself.
> Correct me if I'm wrong.
> As I said, with Vuescan the scans are waaay sharper, the difference is
> huge
> (oh, I might add that I also did an upgrade to Minolta's soft - so no
> issue
> here).
>
> Thx again
> Best regards!
> Patrick
>
>
If you are using Window XP, then you may have a USB problem.
Some Motherboards have problems with the on board USB controller with
Windows XP.

Most of the USB problems in Windows XP are with USB 2.0.

The cure is to remove the manufacturer's USB Driver and install the USB
driver from Microsoft. Remove the USB drivers in Device Manager, Reboot, do
not allow automatic hardware install. Go to Windows Update. Update to XP
SP2.
You may want to get the free CD from Microsoft, the download is 272
MegaBytes.

--
CSM1
http://www.carlmcmillan.com
--

"patrykb" <patrickb@poczta.onet.pl> wrote:
>>> There is also no freezing during auto focussing. Maybe your
>>>system is
>> at the base of your problems (memory, speed)?
>
>
>Thx for the reply Alex
>
>The freezing doesn't occur all the time, sometimes it works,
>sometimes
>doesn't.
>Well I might try upgrading my system to 512 RAM memory (currently I
>have 255
>DDRAM). Another thing I could probably do is to buy an USP 2.0 port
>controler (currently 1.1). I have 1 Ghz athlon processor on Win XP
>(ServicePack 1).
>But it all seems enough (based on Minolta's system requirements).
>I doubt if all this has anything to do with the process of focusing
>itself.
>Correct me if I'm wrong.
>As I said, with Vuescan the scans are waaay sharper, the difference
>is huge
>(oh, I might add that I also did an upgrade to Minolta's soft - so
>no issue
>here).
>
>Thx again
>Best regards!

Hello Patrick,

here I use a P4 2.4 GHz system, 1024 MB DDR-SDRAM and USB 2.0. I can
easily run PS while scanning. Are you running anything while scanning?
256 MB seems not enough to me, though the 'requirement' are met. I
believe you should try more RAM and get the USB 2.0. Hubs seem to
fail sometimes, I think the manual says so.


--
Regards, Alex