Digital Help
Q&A For Digital Photography
Digital Help is designed to aid you in getting the most from your digital photography,
printing, scanning, and image creation. Each month, David Brooks provides solutions
to problems you might encounter with matters such as color calibration and management,
digital printer and scanner settings, and working with digital photographic
images with many different kinds of cameras and software. All questions sent
to him will be answered with the most appropriate information he can access
and provide. However, not all questions and answers will appear in this department.
Readers can send questions to David Brooks addressed to Shutterbug magazine,
through the Shutterbug website (www.shutterbug.com), directly via e-mail to:
editorial@shutterbug.com
or goofotografx@gmail.com
or by US Mail to: David Brooks, PO Box 2830, Lompoc, CA 93438.
Replacing An All-In-One eMac Computer With An LCD iMac?
Q. I am about to replace my aging eMac, and am considering whether to buy the
Mac mini or iMac. Do you have any opinions as to which is the better monitor:
the 20" which comprises the iMac or the Apple Cinema Display (20")
which I would attach to the Mac mini? Primary use is photography, using the
Adobe RGB color space.
Donovan Rieger
A. Because quality CRT monitors have not been manufactured for some
time now, for the last couple of years I have tested and reported on most of
the new LCD displays which are specifically designed and made for pro graphic
and photographic image work. You can find these reviews on the Shutterbug website
(www.shutterbug.com) by typing "LCD displays" into the
Search box.
Of all of the LCD display models I tested and reported on, including the highest
rated EIZO ColorEdge CE210/240W and LaCie 320 or NEC 2090 UXi, the performance
of the three Apple Cinema Displays was at the bottom of the list, even against
some less costly models.
Personally, after also owning an eMac I used for business computing for a number
of years, as well as a Mac G5 Dual Power PC I still use, I purchased a Mac mini
to replace the eMac (the least expensive model). More recently, I have been
using a Mac mini 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo model with 2GB of RAM for doing photography.
It really does not make much sense to me to assume both display and computer
processor will last or remain adequate in performance for the same length of
time. That has not been my experience. And, if one component in an all-in-one
like the iMac has a serious problem you might have to replace the whole thing
if it is out of warranty.
So, I have preferred the Mac mini and a LaCie 320 (same as an NEC 2090 UXi)
LCD display, which I find is the best combination of computer and display I
have used for doing digital photography. And, by the way, the modest cost of
the Mac mini made it affordable to match it to one of the best LCDs available.
Effective Software Is As Important To Scanning As Hardware
Q. I'm scanning my slides with a Nikon Super CoolScan 5000 ED. On slides
with contrast between light and dark areas, there is a halo where the white
bleeds onto dark. Its width is about 2 percent of the image. Very annoying.
Is this normal? What should I do?
Also, Kodachrome slides come out very dark and most of my slides are reproduced
fuzzy, especially around the edges. They project great. Any clues?
John R. Willis
Amarillo, TX
A. From the gist of your question it seems you are using the Nikon
software driver for the scanner and are largely allowing the software to automatically
adjust the scan image file output. This will produce acceptable results from
slides that are typical subjects and neither too light or dark. But more challenging
subjects and images usually demand very precise pre-scan adjustments based on
the preview. This is particularly the case with Kodachrome, which also must
be scanned with Digital ICE turned off. To get better focus scanning slides,
I would suggest remounting them in professional, heavy plastic mounts that will
hold the film flatter than cardboard or Pako slide mounts.
The Nikon scanner is very well made physically and can perform well, but the
software driver is both difficult for most users to master and to get good control
of scan output. So, may I suggest considering adding the LaserSoft SilverFast
Ai 6 software to replace the Nikon to drive the scanner? It is much easier to
learn to control the adjustment tools and in many instances will improve the
quality of scan image files you output.
You can read about and download a demo version of the software at: www.silverfast.com.
Inkjet Printers For Utility And Show
Q. Once again...help! When our old 13x19 printer bit the dust there were
so many new printers about to hit the market that I decided to wait until the
dust had settled.
Then, your review of the Canon iPF5000 changed everything. Problem: we had to
wait a while to afford it, or purchase some transitional 13x19 unit. Now our
letter-size printer has just had a catastrophic failure and we have no printer.
Susan's photographs (which have been enormously successful) are printed
on canvas, which tends to curl terribly when fed at a vertical slant. Whatever
printer we buy now, it would be a huge help if it were able to feed from a flat
position. Is there any 13x19 printer you can recommend whose quality approaches
the iPF5000 at a lower price (and will feed canvas sheets)? When we are able,
we will acquire the iPF5000. Until then, can we still find a really good 13x19
unit?
Jim Schroeppel
A. Most recently Canon has announced they will be delivering the Canon
PIXMA Pro9500. It is a 13x19 quite similar in technology to the larger and much
more expensive iPF5000, which is also due for an upgrade shortly to an iPF5100
with
built-in calibration.
I have not as of this writing received the Canon PIXMA Pro9500 for test and
review, so cannot say anything about it based on firsthand knowledge. Personally,
although I have tried, I have not had any success printing sheets of canvas
with any of the printers I have used and tested. As I understand it, most canvas
printing is done from roll stock, which would make sense to me. But I also have
to admit to not liking the image results I have seen on canvas from an inkjet
printer, and get little feedback from readers with an interest in it, which
suits me fine. However, I do print some images on coarsely textured paper, which
I think works fine with pigment-ink printers like the R2400 and the iPF5000,
and functions without problems due to its inherent paper stiffness. In addition,
the coating on fine art, coarsely textured matte also supports a better range
of tones and color depth than what has to be used with a canvas substrate. But
that opinion does you no benefit as to your problem.
As to a letter-size utility inkjet that prints photos with great quality, and
is exceedingly inexpensive to buy, I can recommend the Epson R260. The inks
used with this latest Epson dye-type photo printer are very much improved and
get a long life rating by Wilhelm Imaging Research. Keep in touch and I'll
maybe be able to provide more information as things progress. However, it is
unlikely I will be test printing with canvas myself.
ANNOUNCEMENT
I am pleased to announce a new Bonus Edition adding five chapters to my eBook
DIGITAL DARKROOM RESOURCE CD. The CD now contains 21 chapters totaling 266 pages
in Adobe Acrobat .PDF format, providing easy-to-read text and large high-quality
illustration. The CD is available for $20 plus $2 shipping and handling (US
Mail if available). Ordering is as simple as sending a check or money order
for $22 made out to me, David B. Brooks, and mailed to PO Box 2830, Lompoc,
CA 93438.
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