So in the end (Minolta 5400)...

[Wilfred]

Personally I find Vuescan the only practical program with the 5400.
Using the "real" ICE is so slow that it makes the whole process
almost unusable.
I'm not sure what the IR problem that most people are referring to
is exactly. Is there an instance online that we can see as an
example?

Yes: http://tinyurl.com/25dn4 refers to a message I posted in this
newsgroup on January, 22nd, 2004. The message contains links to a
samples on my website. At that time I thought the problem only occurred
with Velvia 100, but I have also seen it with Fuji Superia 400.
I am now going to prepare fresh samples for Ed, hoping they'll be
exactly to his specifications this time. As far as I can remember I
wasn't told to include a calibration file but this time I will.

 

[Don]

Who said VueScan is a product? ....
It's much like open-source projects like Mozilla,
especially when you're not a programmer anyway, like me: I don't care
that VueScan isn't open source and I use it while it's evolving, just
like Mozilla.

That's an insult to open source...

For one, open source is, well... open as well as free (both copyright
and price).

But more importantly, anyone can enhance open source software. History
teaches that VueScan's development is apparently trying to *prevent*
enhancements with the catch-all response "You don't need that" only
reluctantly acquiescing in the end when no other avenues are left.

I can vouch for this first hand with the individual analog RGB saga
and, apparently that was not the first time meaningful enhancements
were fought tooth and nail:

because early versions of Vuescan did not include any form of
preview, indeed Ed argued vociferously against its need at all

Of course, I'm not exactly a fan of VueScan so usual caveats apply.

Don.

 

[Don]

No, Silverfast doesn't have a warranty either. From the SF 6 Ai manual:

(legalese blurb omitted)

Not that Ed needs defending, but I agree with him here 100%. *No*
software these days comes with a warranty! Indeed, in most cases, you
may not even own the CD it comes on, if you read the small print!!!

The "agreement" (as if you had a choice) usually tells you that no
matter what cataclysmic disasters happen due to their massive
incompetence and criminal negligence (sic) the manufacturer is not
responsible - I read that as "irresponsible"... ;o)

However, if you even had a fleeting thought of maybe let somebody else
just briefly touch the CD with a 10-foot pole and wearing gloves, they
will immediately send a bunch of big burly guys to break your arms and
legs, and if you move, they'll kill you some more... ;o)

Don.

 

[Ukko Heikkinen]

VueScan's attitude is to just buy it and see if you can figure out how to
use it and what it can do for you. If you can't, you > must be an idiot.
Even for a long time supporter such as yourself, don't expect to get any
objective support and response.

I find this unfair.

Ukko Heikkinen

 

[Dierk Haasis]

use it and what it can do for you. If you can't, you > must be an idiot.
Even for a long time supporter such as yourself, don't expect to get any
objective support and response.

I find this unfair.

Pardon me, but you can evaluate VS before buying. And the "crippling"
has nothing to do with the handling of the program.

 

[Dierk Haasis]

I'm probably just going to delete 5400 support entirely.

Don't. One, VS in the end gives me very good results most of the time.
Second, I bought VS particularly for my Minolta 5400. So, how about my
investment? Especially since VS does not work on a Win95c system with
my old and trusty Microtek ScanMaker x6 - it crashes every time.

 

[Ed Hamrick]

1) Low-resolution raw scan file that can be used to reproduce the problem
2) vuescan.se5 (calibration file)
3) vuescan.log from scan that produced the raw scan file

I've gotten several e-mails from people who are unable to
reproduce any problem with infrared cleaning on the Minolta 5400.

Unfortunately, I can't really work on this problem unless
someone can reproduce it. The main thing I need is a low-resolution
raw scan file that I can use to reproduce the problem.

Regards,
Ed Hamrick

 

[Wilfred]

I've gotten several e-mails from people who are unable to
reproduce any problem with infrared cleaning on the Minolta 5400.

Unfortunately, I can't really work on this problem unless
someone can reproduce it. The main thing I need is a low-resolution
raw scan file that I can use to reproduce the problem.

I can reproduce the problem and I sent you several e-mails with examples
created with different versions of VueScan. The latest one, sent last
weekend, contained all the three files you specified as above. Now
please tell me what's wrong with those e-mails.

 

[Ed Hamrick]

I can reproduce the problem and I sent you several e-mails with examples
created with different versions of VueScan. The latest one, sent last
weekend, contained all the three files you specified as above. Now
please tell me what's wrong with those e-mails.

I didn't get the e-mails, but got the one you sent today.

I was able to reproduce the problem with the raw scan file you
sent me, and have produced a test version that fixes this.

The test version can be downloaded from:

http://www.hamrick.com/files/test5400.dmg

I'd appreciate it if people could test this with the Scan Elite 5400
(and Scan Elite). The problem was with the fact that the Scan Elite
scans with both the RGB and infrared lamps turned on at the same time.

The RGB lamp and infrared lamp have different-shaped calibration
curves, and it's difficult to remove the non-uniform lighting due
to both lamps.

Regards,
Ed Hamrick

 

[Wilfred]

I didn't get the e-mails, but got the one you sent today.

I was able to reproduce the problem with the raw scan file you
sent me, and have produced a test version that fixes this.

The test version can be downloaded from:

http://www.hamrick.com/files/test5400.dmg

I'd appreciate it if people could test this with the Scan Elite 5400
(and Scan Elite). The problem was with the fact that the Scan Elite
scans with both the RGB and infrared lamps turned on at the same time.

The RGB lamp and infrared lamp have different-shaped calibration
curves, and it's difficult to remove the non-uniform lighting due
to both lamps.

Thanks, Ed,

As I mentioned in an e-mail I just sent to you, this solves the problem
for me. Once again, thanks.

 

[thomas]

I didn't get the e-mails, but got the one you sent today.

I was able to reproduce the problem with the raw scan file you
sent me, and have produced a test version that fixes this.

The test version can be downloaded from:

http://www.hamrick.com/files/test5400.dmg

I'd appreciate it if people could test this with the Scan Elite 5400
(and Scan Elite). The problem was with the fact that the Scan Elite
scans with both the RGB and infrared lamps turned on at the same time.

The RGB lamp and infrared lamp have different-shaped calibration
curves, and it's difficult to remove the non-uniform lighting due
to both lamps.

Regards,
Ed Hamrick

Hello Ed,
I could not test your new version as my comuter could not open .dmg
files. I have windows XP.
I believe that also there sometimes could be a problem for vuescan to
find focus when grain dissolver is on. Seems the focusing procedure is
different between vuescan and Minolta software. Focusing with original
software sounds different, has first a fast step and then a fine
tuning but your program seems to only have the fast one?
Regards
ThomasD

 

[Ed Hamrick]

I could not test your new version as my comuter could not open .dmg
files. I have windows XP.

Yes, I only produced a Mac OS X test version. I should release
this today or tomorrow.

I believe that also there sometimes could be a problem for vuescan to
find focus when grain dissolver is on. Seems the focusing procedure is
different between vuescan and Minolta software. Focusing with original
software sounds different, has first a fast step and then a fine
tuning but your program seems to only have the fast one?

Yes, the Minolta software does a coarse focus and then a fine focus
around the most likely focus point. VueScan just searches all the
focus positions for the one with the most contrast.

VueScan disengages the grain dissolver when focusing on the 5400.

Regards,
Ed Hamrick