Nikon LS-2000 -> Minolta 5400

[Mark L Caton]

Minolta?

I (have) use(d) both. Overall I'm very pleased with the incredible
resolution of the DSE-5400 (and that is not only compared to the
LS2000, a 2700ppi scanner). It shows my, or my lens' shortcomings
without merci. The "Grain Dissolver", a lightsource diffuser, is very
effective in reducing (not eliminating) graininess, without real
resolution penalty (although less graininess makes focusing harder for
the Minolta software). It's very nice for scanning Black and White
negatives as well, because it tends to also suppress visibility of
schratches and dust which helps when ICE cannot be used on
silver-based B&W.

The software is adequate, but not more than that. Color Negative
scans, clip in either the shadows or the highlights or both. I scan
them as a linear gamma positive and process it as a Raw in VueScan, or
directly in Photoshop (which I use for post-processing anyway).

Bart

Bart,
I take it you set 16 bit linear and output = tiff in the batch settings,
and then input the file as raw into Vuescan?

Mark

 

[Bart van der Wolf]

SNIP> Bart,

I take it you set 16 bit linear and output = tiff in the batch settings,
and then input the file as raw into Vuescan?

Correct.

In the thread called "Scan workflow for negatives using Minolta 5400",
you can find all settings and steps I take to get a good Negative scan
for processing with e.g. Photoshop. Slides are more straight forward,
but I always scan at max resolution (which reduces grainaliasing) and
downsample the result (of postprocessing) if needed in an image
editor.

Bart

 

[Don]

SNIP> Bart,

Correct.

Let me get this straight...

You're forced to use Minolta software to actually do the scan because
of VueScan bugs and shortcomings and yet jump down the throat of
anyone daring to point out these very same VueScan bugs and
shortcomings!?

That glaring inconsistency makes a mockery of your loud protestations
and reveals that this hypersensitivity to justified VueScan criticism
is, in reality, just a disguised frustration with VueScan.

Shooting the messenger, indeed!

Don.

 

[silverfox]

I missed the beginning of the thread, and assume that "both scanners"
refer to a Nikon Coolscan and a Minolta 5400. The Coolscans have a LED
control for adjusting the exposure in hardware. Is there something
equivalent in the Minolta 5400? The Minolta 5400 has multi-sampling but
some of the Coolscans don't. Both these features are important for
scanning slide shadows.

 

[Bart van der Wolf]

I missed the beginning of the thread, and assume that "both
scanners" refer to a Nikon Coolscan and a Minolta 5400.

Yes, both models mentioned in the subject line.

The Coolscans have a LED control for adjusting the exposure
in hardware. Is there something equivalent in the Minolta
5400?

Yes there is, with the additional remark that the output of the
lightsource isn't varied, but rather the exposure time for the entire
CCD sensor array is.

The Minolta 5400 has multi-sampling but some of the Coolscans
don't. Both these features are important for scanning slide shadows.

The LS-2000 and the DSE-5400 both do allow multi-sampling. It is
(broadly speaking) more important for the LS-2000, because it has a
more limited ADC dynamic range. That is not to say that higher dynamic
range ADC's won't benefit from multi-sampling, but the visual
improvements may be less obvious.

Bart

 

[silverfox]

Yes, both models mentioned in the subject line.


Yes there is, with the additional remark that the output of the
lightsource isn't varied, but rather the exposure time for the entire
CCD sensor array is.

Can the 5400's exposure time be explicitly controlled and with fine
increments (e.g. with a knob or slider), or is it implicitly controlled
with predefined increments (e.g. based on film type, etc.)?

The LS-2000 and the DSE-5400 both do allow multi-sampling. It is
(broadly speaking) more important for the LS-2000, because it has a
more limited ADC dynamic range. That is not to say that higher dynamic
range ADC's won't benefit from multi-sampling, but the visual
improvements may be less obvious.

I'm trying to decide between a 5400 and a Coolscan V or 5000. Do you
happen to know if these Coolscans also support multi-sampling? Thanks.

 

[Bart van der Wolf]

Can the 5400's exposure time be explicitly controlled and
with fine increments (e.g. with a knob or slider), or is it
implicitly controlled with predefined increments (e.g. based
on film type, etc.)?

The control allows to vary from -2 to +2, in steps of 0.1. I believe
it effectively is an equivalent of
50% to 200% (or +/- 1 stop if you use that analogy) of
default/calibrated exposure level.

SNIP

I'm trying to decide between a 5400 and a Coolscan V or
5000. Do you happen to know if these Coolscans also
support multi-sampling? Thanks.

The "5000" does, I'm not familiar enough with the "V" to say for
certain whether it does (I think not), but you can probably find that
on the Nikon Web site.

Bart

 

[Wilfred van der Vegte]

Unfortunately, to date VueScan is not capable of scanning the Raw data
with a linear gamma. The higher film densities are scanned with
reduced contrast. This results in relatively lifeless shadows in
slides, or dull highlights in negatives. Mind you, it's a matter of
the software not interpreting the scanner response as it should, the
Minolta software does it as can be expected.

I'm sorry for my late reaction (I was away), but my impression is that
Vuescan does scan the higher densities with full contrast if the Minolta
software is activated before you start up VueScan. In fact, this is what
Ed H. suggested to me in an e-mail. The Minolta software seems to
perform a calibration that stores values in the scanner hardware.
VueScan doesn't yet support this directly, but it can take advantage of
the Minolta calibration routine.
In my experience, when scanning with VueScan (black point set at zero)
without doing the Minolta calibration first, the leftmost part of the
histogram is missing: it starts with a steep ascent at a value well
above zero. When the Minolta software is started first, the histogram
will gradually ascend from the leftmost point (RGB = 0,0,0).

 

[Bart van der Wolf]

SNIP

I'm sorry for my late reaction (I was away), but my impression is that
Vuescan does scan the higher densities with full contrast if the Minolta
software is activated before you start up VueScan. In fact, this is what
Ed H. suggested to me in an e-mail. The Minolta software seems to
perform a calibration that stores values in the scanner hardware.

I'll give it another try, thanks.

Bart

 

[Ed Hamrick]

The Minolta software seems to perform a calibration that stores values in
the scanner hardware. VueScan doesn't yet support this directly, but it
can take advantage of the Minolta calibration routine.

Yes, this is what several people have reported to me.

I spent a few hours yesterday trying to get to the bottom of
this, but haven't quite solved it yet.

For now, run the Minolta software once, then run VueScan and
use the "Scanner|Calibrate" command.

Regards,
Ed Hamrick