Originally posted by stevebrot Using multiple passes to compress dynamic range is a capability that I want. Do you need Silverfast to do this or is the Nikon software sufficient?
Originally posted by k100d i heard this wasn't as useful as described, someone back me up on this?
I use Silverfast SE Plus with ME option (Ai is overkill if you run results thru lightroom). Nikon doesn't do multiple passes. Otherwise, I like the Nikon software better.
If you intend to use Silverfast SE Plus with ME option w/o any more software from Silverfast (Silverfast would tell you that it is not intended to be used this way...), you may find useful the following two hints:
1. Enable Gamma=2.2 in the 48 Bit HDR output option dialog
2. Convert into sRGB (or AdobeRGB) color space before doing anything else. I use a PS CS3 script applied to a directory to do this in batch mode. Silverfast (the company!!) refuses to output in a standard color format because they want to force you to buy more software from them... They use Nikon's scanner color profile.
As for the efficiency of the Multipass option...
It all depends on the subject, very much like the question if 12 Bit in RAW is superior to JPG.
In slides with a high dynamic range (e.g., sunlight with shadows), I can push the shadows a lot more if I used the multi pass option. I've tested it recently with Velvia which has a steep contrast curve. So, shadows are dark but not grainy in the slide. A single pass Nikon scan obviously introduced noise from the scanner (my scanner scans 12Bit only anyway...).
Because I do a blind scan of my entire archive, I use this option on all images to become "digital negatives".
There are test reports about the issue.
This source (
SilverFast Multi-Exposure :: LaserSoft Imaging ) claims that multi pass increases the scannable Dmax from 3.53 to 4.24 (with a Nikon Coolscan 5000).
For those not knowing Dmax: This means that effective bit depth is increased from 11.72 to 14.08 Bits which is significant. Silverfast shows these two example images on their web site (and my Velvia 50 comparison was similiar):
[Source:
SilverFast Multi-Exposure :: LaserSoft Imaging]