Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/05/21

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Subject: Re: [Leica] HP Photosmart Scanner
From: "Robert G. Stevens" <robsteve@istar.ca>
Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 18:19:12 -0300

I just got a Canaon 2700F scanner and in the instructions it says it is a
30 bit scanner but converts to 24 bit when the scan is transferred.  I
think it is because most of the image processing software manipulates in 24
bit.  There is a section in the scanner software that allows you to adjust
this conversion.  This vuesmart software may just be adjusting the
conversion phase.

I also have the Photosmart scanner, but was tired of having to adjust the
crop marks to do full frame scans.  The scans were also a little low in
contrast and poor in shadow detail.  I just got the Canon and it seems to
be scanning the slides a little too dark if you do not adjust for each
scan.  It does negatives fine, but I don't use colour negative film.  

I think the flaw with all these scanners are they are aimed at the home
market and assume you will be scanning prints and negatives which will
later be printed with an inkjet.  This is the problem with the HP and its
defaulting either to the cropping for standard print sizes or standard web
sizes.  I could not make a custom size that would save as a default at 1200
dpi.  In the case of the Canon, it needs some optimization for slides.  It
seems to have some optimization for colour negatives since you can select
the emulsion type or let it select automatically.  When you set it for
slides, there is no option for emulsion types.

I will work out the brightness problems with the Canon as it seems to scan
with more contrast and sharper images.  This scanner is very well priced as
well.  It was around $980.00 CDN which is $675.00 USD. 

Regards,

Robert Stevens


At 03:46 PM 5/21/98 -0400, you wrote:
>At 03:31 PM 21-05-98 -0500, you wrote:
>>>
>>I don't know the relevence, but I just checked a HP catalog and it indicates
>>that the
>>Photosmart "is" a 30 bit scanner ?
>>
>yes, this is the confusing part.  The scanner is capable of 30 bit scans.
>The author of Vuesmart claims that in spite of this, the software from HP
>that comes with the scanner will only read 24 bits, whereas his program
>WILL read all 30 bits (and write 16 bit TIFF files, if you have a program
>that can do much with them).  This is what I can't verify.  In any case, I
>do seem to be able to get better scans from problematic b/w negs with
>vuesmart than with HPs software.
>
>Dan C.
>
>
>
>