Drum Scanning - any hints before I start ?

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Dave Tolcher

Drum Scanning - any hints before I start ?

Post by Dave Tolcher » Sat Nov 12, 2011 3:51 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

For better or worse the damned & blasted ebay had a used scanview scanmate plus for sale for the price of a V700 which tempted me. I know next to nothing about drum scanning other than this is going to be a PITA but possibly yield some excellent results. At least I will be able to say I tried it......

Has anyone got one and is using it on a windows machine ? Its scsi but comes with a scsi-usb adapter (which I know can be a PITA too). It comes with windows versions of the colorquartet software and the dongle (which is for a mac only ?)
What oil or mounting fluid do you use ?
I believed this to be the same as a howtek model - which one ?

Hundreds of questions to come I suspect...

Many thanks

Dave

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Re: Drum Scanning - any hints before I start ?

Post by AbsolutelyN » Thu Nov 17, 2011 10:51 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hi David

I've never used a ScanView before but in answer to the query on oil I would suggest Kami SXL2001 which you can get from Haynes Graphic Arts:
http://www.haynes-graphic-arts.co.uk/

They also sell Mylar Overlay, drum cleaner, kami tape, film cleaner etc.

I remember once considering buying a ScanView and found ColorQuartet would run on windows and a 30 day demo is available but I have no idea what kind of support is available for a scanner such as this.
http://www.abc-scan.dk/International/Do ... wnload.htm

Also consider the Yahoo Scan Hi-End group if you have not already joined as I would have thought that's probably the most likely place to find other ScanView users.

Thanks
Tristan Campbell
http://www.tristancampbell.co.uk

Dave Tolcher

Re: Drum Scanning - any hints before I start ?

Post by Dave Tolcher » Thu Nov 17, 2011 9:32 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Thanks Tristan, I have just joined the Hiendscan yahoo board and had some good advice. Michael at ABC has also offered some good advice as to what will run. Initially I am going to fire up an old XP PC and fit a scsi card, load with ColorTrio or the demo version of CQ for windows to test the scanner works and what it is capable of. Clive from this forum has kindly offered me some consumables to get me started before htting the wallet for Haynes ! If that all works out then any MAC that I can fit a scsi card to or the usb/scsi adapter will work for with a ADB interface will allow me to run the CQ version I have..... providing it is on 9.x or previous. Looks like a G3 which can be bought really cheaply.

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Re: Drum Scanning - any hints before I start ?

Post by Paul Mitchell » Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:38 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Dave Tolcher wrote:Looks like a G3 which can be bought really cheaply.
Pigs bottoms!... I threw one in a skip a few months ago!!
When people ask what equipment I use - I tell them my eyes.

http://www.paulmitchellphotography.co.uk
http://www.arenaphotographers.com

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Re: Drum Scanning - any hints before I start ?

Post by timparkin » Wed Nov 30, 2011 10:00 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Dave Tolcher wrote:For better or worse the damned & blasted ebay had a used scanview scanmate plus for sale for the price of a V700 which tempted me. I know next to nothing about drum scanning other than this is going to be a PITA but possibly yield some excellent results. At least I will be able to say I tried it......

Has anyone got one and is using it on a windows machine ? Its scsi but comes with a scsi-usb adapter (which I know can be a PITA too). It comes with windows versions of the colorquartet software and the dongle (which is for a mac only ?)
What oil or mounting fluid do you use ?
I believed this to be the same as a howtek model - which one ?

Hundreds of questions to come I suspect...

Many thanks

Dave
If you need a hand let me know - I would recommend Kami fluid (drum cleaner, film cleaner and mounting oil) - have you got a mounting station for the drum?
Waiting for the developing bill - 2 hours (and it's so small now!)

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Re: Drum Scanning - any hints before I start ?

Post by Adam Long » Wed Aug 14, 2013 11:44 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Apologies for resurrecting an old topic, but I've just bought a Scanmate 5000, and am in the same position as Dave at the start of the thread. I've got two mac dongles for Colorquartet 5, and all the original manuals.

Did you get it running Dave? Any tips? Sounds like getting the SCSI running can be the tricky part. I've got a PC running Win 7 and a Macbook running OSX 10.6.8. Thinking of getting a SCSI card for the PC and testing it before I go buying an old G4.

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Re: Drum Scanning - any hints before I start ?

Post by Joe Wright » Wed Aug 14, 2013 3:06 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Apols for terse nature of comment, using phone.

Note - updated the post to differentiate between 32 and 64 bit Windows systems.

- be aware native 32 bit SCSI support for Windows 64 bit O/S PC ceased with Vista (later 64 bit SCSI devices on 64 bit O/S still supported)
- Win 7 / 8 64 bit O/S 32 bit drivers for Adaptec 32 bit SCSI devices not available from Microsoft or Adaptec
- the 'standard' SCSI card for a Howtek/Crosfield drum scanner when using Windows was the 32 bit AHA-2940 series (now discontinued)
- you can get this 32 bit SCSI card working with Win 7 / 8 64 bit using a workaround with Vista 32 bit drivers. It's a PITA to do but does work and opens up much higher levels of memory and storage support under 64 bit (articles on the web explain how)
- in the end I stuck with Vista 32 bit, as the software I use; Digital Photolab is 32 bit and can't access the 32 bit SCSI devices through the different 64 bit I/O architecture of W7 anyway (even in compatability mode)! You may fair better with other software.
- compromise for me is to have the seperate scan PC running Vista 32 bit driving my Howtek 4500, filled with disk for backup storage, maxed out RAM. I also have a spare lower spec similar setup, I expect the scanner to outlast the PC!
- most earlier 32 bit Windows O/S will also support these SCSI cards, i.e. Win98, XP, etc.
- if you're scanner is supported by 64 bit SCSI devices then you should be able to go a full 64 bit route (debateable with drum scanners)
- a straight 32 bit Windows 7 setup may work, a straight 32 bit Vista and XP will
- all my work is then done on a seperate modern PC
- can't comment on Mac, don't use them
- Ditto scanning supplies, I use Haynes. If using 10x8 consider the larger Mylar sheets to make mounting a little easier, can also be cut down for other film sizes, etc.
- lots more to say probably
- practice, patience and the odd stiff drink helps as well :)

Good luck, look forward to seeing the results!
Last edited by Joe Wright on Wed Aug 14, 2013 9:48 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Drum Scanning - any hints before I start ?

Post by Adam Long » Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:39 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Thanks Joe, that's really useful.

Good to hear from someone else who has taken the PC route, I guess an old Mac may be an easier option but it would be great to get it going on my main PC.

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Re: Drum Scanning - any hints before I start ?

Post by Joe Wright » Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:02 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hi Adam,
Adam Long wrote:I guess an old Mac may be an easier option.
Yes, should be, the older mac and PC are well proven. Any issues you'll have with more modern O/S and Mac/PC will be the processor architecture support (i.e. 32 bit v 64 bit) plus driver and software support for the O/S / scanner. (I've updated my previous post to try and make that clearer)
Adam Long wrote:it would be great to get it going on my main PC.
Which version of Windows and what processor architecture are you running on your main PC?

Sorting the hardware is the easy bit, the fun starts when you begin scanning.

P.S. Consider taking up Tim's offer for a hand :wink:

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Re: Drum Scanning - any hints before I start ?

Post by Adam Long » Sun Aug 18, 2013 9:29 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Thanks Joe. My main PC is running Windows 7 64 bit.

So far I have managed to install a SCSI card (Adaptec 2906), and edited the 2940 driver to get it working. However booting up with the scanner powered up caused a few crashes before successfully booting with the message that the the scanner had been disabled. I am hoping this is due to the fact my SCSI terminator hasn't arrived yet, but it could be a 64 bit thing. I think others have got them running on 64 bit machines, but its hard to get the full picture from forum posts.

I chose the SCSI card as it was Mac and PC compatible, so if I get no joy I'll buy an old G4. Would be nice to test it before committing though. Setting up a second computer isn't a big deal but I don't really fancy shelling out on a second monitor.

Any good resources on the actual scanning then? I've got over ten years of experience using Nikon scanners - mainly an 8000ED - which hasn't always been easy, but it seems Drums may be another level.

Tim's offer of help was to the OP Dave, not me, I assume they know each other!

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Re: Drum Scanning - any hints before I start ?

Post by Adam Long » Tue Aug 27, 2013 1:37 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Well, I got the Scanmate 5000 up and running by installing Windows XP 32-bit on a separate drive - no messing about needed, it just worked.

Initial results are very impressive; despite 'only' dry mounting, and not knowing my way round the software, I'm getting sharper scans than on my Nikon, with better dynamic range and better colour. Having a decent scan really brings the 4x5 trannies to life! Having done a lot of reading up on the subject I have been amazed how simple it has all been, and quick - a 4x5 takes two minutes to dry mount, about three minutes to preview, and about eight minutes to scan at 2000dpi.

Looking forward to making some prints now...

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Re: Drum Scanning - any hints before I start ?

Post by dave_whatever » Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:50 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

You feel like Buck Rogers scanning on that thing.

Get the IT8 calibration sorted?

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Re: Drum Scanning - any hints before I start ?

Post by Joe Wright » Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:55 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Nice one Adam. Forgot to mention... happy to talk through my approach to (wet) scanning. If interested send a DM and we can have a chat...

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Re: Drum Scanning - any hints before I start ?

Post by Adam Long » Thu Aug 29, 2013 8:39 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

dave_whatever wrote:You feel like Buck Rogers scanning on that thing.

Get the IT8 calibration sorted?
Yeah, worked fine the second time with the file in the right place.
Joe Wright wrote:Nice one Adam. Forgot to mention... happy to talk through my approach to (wet) scanning. If interested send a DM and we can have a chat...
Thanks, any tips would be welcome - I've watched a couple of videos though they make use of a mounting station, which I haven't got. Will order some supplies for starters...

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