Products
Canon
Canon's product range predominantly consists of flatbed scanners for digitizing reflective originals. Some scanners feature an additional transparency unit, that allows to also digitize negatives and slides.
SilverFast is included in many Canon scanner's package of delivery to turn these scanners into professional devices, which's scans really don't need to be hidden. | |
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The new SilverFast 64bit HDRi RAW data format contains any recognizable image information - including the infrared channel's data for later image optimization. |
Considerable quality increase and time saving for Canon scanners* with the new SilverFast 6.6.1r6 - now including iSRD and Kodachrome support.
* for Canon Canoscan 8400F, 8600F, 8800F, 9000F, 9900F, 9950F.
SilverFast Multi-Exposure® - for significantly better details in scans
Dynamic Range is the most important factor for high quality scans, and a higher dynamic range ensures significantly better scans. Better scans means more visible details in highlights and shadows as a result of higher dynamic range.
SilverFast Multi-Exposure® increases the Dynamic Range of the Canon 9000F from 3.15D (without ME) to 3.95D (with ME). This increase shows that the scanner can see more levels of gray, an increase from 1.415 levels to 8.920 levels of gray (based on ISO Standard 21550*). That is a remarkable difference!
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* Report of Institute of Image Engineering, Frechen here.
iSRD - perfect Dust and Scratch Removal
Canon Scanner users can expect quite a difference with the new iSRD in SilverFast 6.6.0r4. The new iSRD® is similar to CANON's FARE, an infrared-based Dust and Scratch Removal technology. But iSRD is different from FARE. In addition to being a fully automatic function, iSRD allows the user full controllability regarding strength and effect. The advantage of iSRD's user control is to preserve crucial image details that may suffer deterioration from CANON's more simplified FARE technology.
SilverFast's iSRD also has a special preview to monitor the controlling of the final iSRD effect and to also combine iSRD and SRD.
SRD is SilverFast's only software-based dust and scratch removal function. In SRD the user can add layers (in addition to iSRD) with the masking option to handle more complex and demanding dust and scratch removal tasks, which cannot be solved with iSRD alone.
Through the utilization of iSRD® & SRD® as well as several layers & masks it is even possible to remove dust and scratches from very challenging film material such as
Kodachrome or
B/W film reliably. This isn't achievable with similar systems from other manufacturers.
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Another advantage of SilverFast's iSRD is the lack of deterioration (smoothing) of image details.
Scans exhibit sharper details, no artifacts and retain more details of the film grain. Since iSRD's technology makes full use of Multi-Core processors, the speed of scans with iSRD is significantly faster! This advantage can more than double the productivity of SilverFast for Canon Scanners!
* Note: Scanning silver halide black and white films with iSRD® can produce artifacts in your pictures. In such cases it is recommended to use the software-based SRD® technology. Black and white chromogenic films developed with C-41 should not present any issues with iSRD®.
Kodachrome - Special Profiles for Brilliant Results
Now with the new special
SilverFast Kodachrome profiles for Canon Scanner you can enjoy
three significant advantages over the standard Canon software:
- Maximum Dynamic Range
- IT8-Calibration
- Dust and Scratch removal
Kodachromes scans can present an unsurmountable challenge due to the exceptional high density of the unique film material. Kodachromes can have a density of 3.8D - which equates to 6300 levels of gray or a contrast ratio of 1:6300!
Due to our patented SilverFast Multi-Exposure technology our software helps Canon scanners to acquire the huge dynamic range almost completely. This ensures that no shadow details become lost in Kodachromes.
The Speed up - Scans get up to 3X faster
The new SilverFast 6.6.0r4 gives your Canon scanner a speed boost.
Reduce the effective scan time by 60% (Comparison of Canon ScanGear and SilverFast - see Chart). This is achieved by using the latest programming techniques within SilverFast, i.e. applying Multi-Threading (parallel processing) and code optimization for Duo- and Multi-Core processor technologies. This approach ensures the most efficient use of your computer's architecture.
Optimum workflows, numerous automatic functions and applying batch-scan operation assist in making your scans with SilverFast up to 3X faster!
Roy Sprague (8600F) - ... To get the best results with Canon (or any other mid-range) scanners, I would recommend use of SilverFast software. (
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Roy Sprague (8600F) - As a newcomer to color negative scanning, I was surprised to find that a technically sophisticated product like SilverFast Ai has made digitizing my archive of landscape/nature film images much easier than the basic Windows XP software included with my CanoScan 8600F scanner. The time and effort spent in Photoshop editing and adjusting images produced by the Canon software far exceeds that required to produce superior results with the tools available in SilverFast. Automatic functions like Auto-Adjust, Color Cast Removal, and Adaptive Color Restoration have greatly simplified processing, and I have found that scans are significantly faster with SilverFast, even when comparing 48-bit SilverFast scans with 24-bit Canon scans. Since I have several hundred images to scan, I am looking forward to automating the process as much as possible with JobManager, which offers professional levels of flexibility and control not available in the Canon software.
SilverFast QuickTime movies and documentation have really helped me to get my project underway with minimum delay. The documentation supplied with the Canon software is very basic as well as brief, and the user can spend a great deal of time experimenting with the package attempting to determine the exact effect of each function and control. This activity is very counterproductive, and it really highlights another strength of SilverFast products: solid support provided by extensive documentation. To get the best results with Canon (or any other mid-range) scanners, I would recommend use of SilverFast software. (
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Anthony Faust (8600F) - It was the first time I used SilverFast software when I purchased a ConoScan 8600F scanner, I'm using WinXP. I was suitable impressed with SilverFast that it didn't take me long to upgrade from the free bundled software to the new version 6.5. The multiple image scanning feature is extremely useful. I'm transferring a combination of old negatives and old prints. Laying all the prints on the scanner platen and scanning everything in one go is a real time saver. I would certainly recommend the new V6.5 SilverFast version.
Thomas Nestinger (8600F) - ... the new multi exposure feature delivers a substantial increase in image quality.
... thanks to the excellent quality of my CanonScan 8600 F and the new SilverFast V 6.5 Multi Exposure, I believe I will be happy for a long time® (
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Thomas Nestinger (8600F) - I am not a professional, but also I can clearly see a definitive increase in scan quality when using SilverFast as compared to the normal scan software. I often scan images and even with a brief glimpse, the image scanned with SilverFast catches my eye. In my opinion the de-screening function is great, and the new multi exposure feature delivers a substantial increase in image quality. I was already using SilverFast with a different scanner before buying the Canon; because I switched to Windows Vista 64Bit the compatibility to SilverFast was an important criteria for me when deciding on the model. In my eyes, a scanner and SilverFast are a combination which should go together.
Even my next scanner will be one that operates with SilverFast. That said, thanks to the excellent quality of my CanonScan 8600 F and the new SilverFast V 6.5 Multi Exposure, I believe I will be happy for a long time® (
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Ralf Frick (8600F) - ... Due to the excellent initial results of SilverFast, I quickly upgraded to SilverFast SE Plus. This version contains a function called "Multi Exposure". By making several scans of a negative with different exposure times, the scan quality is dramatically enhanced and the quality of the scan result is amazing. The "Multi-Exposure Feature" effectively removes noise allowing even large size printouts of the scans.
All my expectations were exceed. The "CanoScan 8600F is a great scanner - but only the combination with the SilverFast software does it deliver truly excellent results!!! (
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Ralf Frick (8600F) - I own a large collection of old B&W and color photos (including negatives) which I want to digitize. For this reason I purchased a CanoScan 8600F. One of the main reasons for buying this scanner was that this reasonably priced model is bundled with SilverFast SE. I read that this combination of hard- and software was great for scanning such images. Since I do not have the time to post-process my scans, my images have to be scanned "right". SilverFast delivers stunning results! The "highlight/shadow tool" and the "sharpening filter" usually make any post-processing obsolete, though the operation of SilverFast is very simple. The Scanpilot basically guides one through the entire workflow. You do not need to be a professional in order to obtain great results with SilverFast.
Due to the excellent initial results of SilverFast, I quickly upgraded to SilverFastSEPlus. This version contains a function called "Multi Exposure". By making several scans of a negative with different exposure times, the scan quality is dramatically enhanced and the quality of the scan result is amazing. The "Multi-Exposure Feature" effectively removes noise allowing even large size printouts of the scans.
All my expectations were exceed. The "CanoScan 8600F is a great scanner - but only the combination with the SilverFast software does it deliver truly excellent results!!! (
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Hans Schwarzkopf (8600F) - First, I had a HP ScanJet-SCSI-Scanner. For that scanner I invested in SilverFast Ai 5.0. When the HP-Scanner stopped operating I discovered by chance that CanoScan 8600F is bundled with SilverFast. This made me buy the CanoScan 8600F. After the purchase I quickly upgraded to SilverFast 6.5. Together with SilverFast the CanoScan 8600F provides me great universal use at a high quality level.
Serge Eymann (8600F) - I have only used SilverFast SE+ 6.5 Multi-exposure for a few weeks, but I am already conquered. Indeed, compared with the software offer delivered with the scanner there is nothing to hesitate, SilverFast replaces the latter without any regret. The scanner used is CanonScan 8600F under Windows XP Pro 32bits and the principal use is the scan of magazines or booklets. It is for that that I particularly appreciate the possibilities of decreening with SilverFast, which I didn't find anywhere else. The possibilities with SilverFast are multiple.
Gregory Knipp (9950F) - ... SilverFast really allows the scanner to make the most of it's capabilities. ... (
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Gregory Knipp (9950F) - I've been an amateur photographer most of my life, but in January decided it was time to go digital. I bought my first flatbed scanner, a Canon CanoScan 9950F, to begin digitalizing a large family collection of old black & white prints, black & white 4x5 negatives, 35MM color slides, and 35MM color film. I began using the included scanning software, ScanGear, and initially thought it worked pretty well.
Then I heard about SilverFast. There was a lot of positive dialogue about the product across the internet, so I downloaded a trial copy of SilverFast SE Plus and began testing it. I had already done a number of scans of 35mm slides and some black & white 4x5 negatives with the ScanGear, so I rescanned some of those images and in side-by-side comparisons quickly discovered that the SilverFast was definitely the best product. I also tried out a copy of VueScan, but I thought it was a bit lacking. I ended up purchasing SilverFast Ai which has full color management and can handle 48-bit color, including RAW, amidst it's growing list of features. Currently SilverFast doesn't support FARE (dust and scratch correction tool, Canon's version of ICE), but SilverFast technical support folks tell me that they will be able to adapt their own dust and scratch removal function (SRD) to the infrared channel of this scanner in the very near future.
For me, one of the more notable advantages of SilverFast over ScanGear is that that SilverFast does a better job of pulling out details in shadowy areas when scanning 35MM color slides and my 4x5 B&W negs. You absolutely do have greater control over your scans, as advertised.
The Canon 9950F is an awesome scanner, and SilverFast really allows the scanner to make the most of it's capabilities. I think it would be a bit of real brilliance for Canon to start bundling SilverFast with it's scanners. Until that time, I feel it is definitely worth spending the money to replace the provided ScanGear software with SilverFast. (
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SilverFast 8
SilverFast 6.6 supported
