Creating RAW files with Minolta software

[KirkV]

Can any body tell me how you can make RAW files using Minoltas
scanning software, with the Scan Multi Pro.

Regards

Kirk

 

[Olaf Ulrich]

Can any body tell me how you can
make RAW files using Minoltas
scanning software, with the Scan
Multi Pro.

No way. It's pointless, that's why. Digital cameras
create RAW files (well, some do); scanners don't.

Olaf

 

[KirkV]

Pointless to you may be? but I have Silverfast HDR which is for
editing RAW files and I am having real problems with Vuescan(Which
produces RAW files)

I think your information May be wrong?

Regards

Kirk

 

[Bart van der Wolf]

No way. It's pointless, that's why. Digital cameras
create RAW files (well, some do); scanners don't.

It depends on what can be considered as Raw. Using the Minolta software,
16-bit linear gamma output comes pretty close. Negatives need to be scanned
as positives, which also allows to neutralize the filmbase color by varying
the channel exposures per film.

Bart

 

[KirkV]

Sounds like a bit of a hand full, but if you could explain the process
would appreciate.

Regards

Kirk

 

[Karl-Heinz Zahorsky]

Pointless to you may be? but I have Silverfast HDR which is for
editing RAW files and I am having real problems with Vuescan(Which
produces RAW files)

Most Scanners today are capable of writing a 48 bit file. How to
create RAW files with scanners!

The postulation that most scanners cannot write raw data files is
incorrect. In fact most scanners are capable of writing a 48 bit Tiff
file, which contains the raw data from the scanner.
It might be that not all native scanner drivers do support writing
into raw data, but quite a lot do.
With SilverFast Ai, all scanners that support raw data, will have the
option to write directly to 48 bit Tiff. Whatever the scanner will
support internally (36, 42 or 48bits) will be written into a 48 bit
Tiff file since this is the file standard for raw data.

http://www.silverfast.com/show/48bits/en.html

See also "Steps to optimising High Bit Scans" from Ian Lyons:

http://www.computer-darkroom.com/hdr_tutorial/hdr_1.htm

best regards

Karl-Heinz Zahorsky
LaserSoft Imaging AG

 

[Bart van der Wolf]

Sounds like a bit of a hand full, but if you could explain the process
would appreciate.

SNIP

Okay. See below.

Assuming you use the Minolta DiMAGE Scan utility (V1.13 is current), and
assuming it works the same with the OP's Multi Pro as it does with my
DSE-5400.

Set the preferences to Color depth: 16-bit linear. This will produce a
48-bit RGB file.

For this example I'll walk through the scanning of an HD200 color negative
film, each film has it's own settings, even if it's the same type. Allow the
scanner to warm up, and reinitialize (Ctrl+Shift+I).

Place the color negative film in the stripholder in such a way that the
film's between frame space is visible, and make sure that color positive as
film type is selected at the top. Make an index scan and select the frame of
your choice for a prescan by double clicking on it. The preview has the
usual orange yellow color. The brightest part of the frame is of course the
between frame space, because it didn't receive any exposure in the camera.
In my case it has an average color of R:229, G:151, B:108 but each film is a
bit different. Refocus.

Now go to the Exposure control tab. You'll see that the histograms are empty
at the bright end. As a start, I set the following exposure adjustments:
Master +2 , R -1.6 , G -0.3 , B 0.6 , and I hit the Apply settings button.
If I now sample the color of the film base, I get a color of R:252, G:253,
B:250 . You may need to tweak the slider values a bit to get almost equal
RGB numbers as close to, but lower than, 255. The film base is now close to
neutral, so if we later invert the scan in a photo editor, the filmbase
color is practically eliminated. These exposure settings can be used for the
entire film, untill you re-initialize. The exposure level is almost
optimized, which will minimize scanner- and the photon shot noise in
relation to image signal. This all does asume a correctly exposed negative,
overexposed/dense negatives may need a little extra exposure.

Now reposition the filmstrip in the holder to mask the between frame space
(it will reduce the chance on loss of contrast due to flare), refocus, and
do another prescan of the same frame. Crop the image to your liking, and
scan.

You now have a linear gamma, close to blackpoint adjusted, 16-bit/channel
'Raw' file that needs to be postprocessed to get the final gamma adjusted,
tonemapped and color balanced image. Photo editors that can process 16-b/c
files, or a program like VueScan can be used for those final steps.

Bart

 

[Olaf Ulrich]

It depends on what can be considered
as Raw. Using the Minolta software,
16-bit linear gamma output comes pretty
close.

Oh, I see. Yes, in a way, 16-bit-linear mode creates something
you might consider "raw data". The point is, however---that's
no RAW file but a TIF file. Only the *contents* of that file is,
to a degree, raw.

Is this what the original poster was talking about?

Assuming you use the Minolta DiMAGE
Scan Utility (V1.13 is current) ...

It's not version 1.13 but 1.1.3.

For this example I'll walk through the
scanning of ...

Thank you for these detailed instructions! I'll give it a try next
time when I am scanning colour negatives.

Olaf

 

[Dierk Haasis]

Is this what the original poster was talking about?

I'd say so; the format used is actually not of interest, it depends on
what is really saved. TIF or RAW or NEF or CRW - that's only a
semantical question.

BTW, RAWs produced by cameras are also nothing more than proprietary
TIFFs ...