Silverfast AI versus SE

[David Blanchard]

I have been demo'ing the Silverfast AI and SE versions of scanner
software. There is a big difference in price (~$300 vs. $50 for Nikon
LS2000 version), and, of course, differences in features. It appears
that many of the AI features, while nice, are not critical to me
except for one feature: it appears that AI supports multi-scan for the
LS2000 while SE does not.

Is this correct?

Note: I also use NikonScan and VueScan. Neither of these applications
will have updates that I can use. NS is only updating for more recent
scanners and OS'es. VS no longer supports Mac OS 9. So, I'm looking
elsewhere for scanner software.

David

 

[-]

Ai lets you aquire images at up to 16 bit depth (if your scanner output at
that depth).

Doug

 

[David Blanchard]

Ai lets you aquire images at up to 16 bit depth (if your scanner output at
that depth).

Doug

Okay...but does that mean that the SE version does not support 16 bit?

I'll have to do some more side-by-side comparisons of both Ai and SE
versions.

david

 

[Karl-Heinz Zahorsky]

SilverFast Ai versus SE and 16 bit

All SilverFast version are working with 16 bit internally while
SilverFast Ai allows to use all functions with 16 bit. Regarding
SIlverFast SE we are currently enhancing the support to also support
ICC-Profiles and saving data into 16 bit tiff. So expect all
SilverFast SE versions to have this enhancement soon. Check back on
our website at http://www.silverfast.com

 

[David R]

You are not happy with the software that came with your scanner? Why?

Do you plan to evaluate Vuescan? I would suggest you do. It's much
cheaper than Silverfast and if you switch scanners down the road as
long as Vuesan supports it you can use it. Silverfast will make you
buy a the program all over a gain.

Vuescan: http://www.hamrick.com/vsm.html

 

[David Blanchard]

You are not happy with the software that came with your scanner? Why?

Do you plan to evaluate Vuescan? I would suggest you do. It's much
cheaper than Silverfast and if you switch scanners down the road as
long as Vuesan supports it you can use it. Silverfast will make you
buy a the program all over a gain.

Vuescan: http://www.hamrick.com/vsm.html

In my original post, I noted that I use both VueScan and NikonScan.
Neither application will be updated for my current scanner or my
current OS. NikonScan is no longer producing updates for the LS2000.
VueScan is no longer producing updates for Mac OS 9. Thus, my
interest in looking at Sivlerfast and the Ai vs. SE versions.

What I am trying to learn is if SE supports multipass scans. The Ai
version certainly does because I was able to try it in the demo mode.
I can find no such feature in the SE demo. Thus, I do not believe it
supports multipass...but I am looking for confirmation.

David

 

[David R]

I see what you are saying now.

In Silverfast SE I see no way to tell it to multisample. I don't own
anything above SE so I can't answer anymore. I believe Vuescan will
do multisample even back to version 7.6.64.

Silverfast is very expensive.

 

[David Blanchard]

I see what you are saying now.

In Silverfast SE I see no way to tell it to multisample. I don't own
anything above SE so I can't answer anymore. I believe Vuescan will
do multisample even back to version 7.6.64.

Silverfast is very expensive.

Exactly...there does not seem to be a way to tell it to multisample...
thus I suspect that the SE version does not have this feature.

I routinely use multisampling in both Nikonscan and Vuescan.

David