[Leica] Your opinions please

[pklein at threshinc.com (Peter Klein)]

Hi, Lluis!  I agree that the V7000/LR5 is best.

I've used a Canon FS-4000 scanner for years. The supplied Canon software 
made high contrast scans much like your first example. This was "baked 
in" and couldn't be undone. So I switched to VueScan.

After scanning, I adjust and dust-spot the images in Picture Window Pro 
(PWP). I have two methods:

For pictures that will be printed or I want maximum detail/quality, I 
scan to 16-bit TIF files using maximum resolution and lowest contrast 
(making sure that the extremes of highlight and shadow are within the 
curve). Then I do my adjustments in PWP.  If the picture is very 
contrasty, I turn on the feature that does two passes with the scanner, 
one exposure for highlights and one for shadows. Only some scanners 
support this, I don't know if your Plustek does.

For old family pictures that will be only viewed on-screen or don't have 
much resolution to begin with, I scan to JPG. I have some settings that 
work well most of the time. They get the picture right, or almost right. 
I do only a little adjustment in PWP, and it's done.

Part of your problem may be that scanning film is very different from 
"scanning" real life with a digital camera. In one case the sensor is 
getting light reflected from reality.  In the other, it's getting light 
transmitted through the film, which has changed the contrast range of 
the original scene. So the Raw software may be getting a very different 
contrast range than it was designed for, and the default settings are 
way off.

I thought about trying to use Capture One with my film scans. The 
VueScan version I have doesn't create DNG files, and I haven't upgraded 
yet. The other issue is that Capture One can remove little spots of 
dust, but to remove longer "threads," regular image editing software 
with a clone tool is better.

--Peter

 > Thank to all of you my friends for your opinions, I think too that 
the V7000
 > and LR5 processing is better, I would like do some more test with 
V700 and
 > Vuescan because with it I can do DNG files. I?m also surprised seeing 
such
 > differences in scanning quality, I have also tested with Silverfast 
but not
 > showed in my opinion the two I?ve show was the best.