Clear and sharp images using our automatic SilverFast Focus Control

For crisp and sharp Images

Some high-quality scanners, flatbed scanners as well as dedicated film scanners, facilitate to adjust the optic’s focus. This means the possibility to offset the focus up to several millimeters above or below the regular focus level. Some scanners feature an automatic focus control system, where others additionally allow the user to set the focus manually.

What do you do with a Focus Control?

You don’t need a focus control, if your originals really lie perfectly flat on your flatbed. However, using filmholders slightly lifts your originals, slide mounts are of different thicknesses and also filmstrips inserted to film scanners are not always perfectly flat, the focus can vary from frame to frame. Setting an appropriate focus leads to crisp and sharp images.

A flatbed scanner offering a manual focus control may also be used to digitize certain three-dimensional objects like coins. Using SilverFast’s Focus Control, the focus can be adjusted so precisely that flatbed scanners can also be used for scientific work, such as analyzing bird feathers.

Using the Focus Control Feature

AF off: Turns off the Focus Control functionality. Scans are performed without any focus offset, e.g. directly above the flatbed.

AF on: SilverFast automatically sets the focus point to the scan frame’s center. Before starting the final scan, SilverFast adjusts the focus offset automatically after analyzing this center point.

Auto AF point: SilverFast analyzes the scan frame to decide, where the focus point should be placed. Before starting the final scan, SilverFast adjusts the focus offset automatically taking this focus point into account.

Pick AF point: Set the focus point manually. Just left-click inside the actual scan frame at that position you would like the image to be focussed. SilverFast adjusts the focus offset automatically before performing the final scan.

Manual Focus: Set the focus point and focus manually. Just left-click inside the actual scan frame at that position you would like the image to be focussed. A Focus Preview dialog will open and SilverFast starts a prescan of that area.

Example: Squash Racket

To illustrate the high performance of our SilverFast Focus Control, a squash racket has been placed directly on the flatbed of the scanner for this example. All details are clearly visible on both the frame and the network of strings.

SilverFast’s depth of field feature and its manual Focus Control enable exceptional scans of 3D objects and thus significantly expand the field of use of scanners that support these features.

Epson

DS-G20000
ES-10000G
ES-11000G
ES-8500
Expression 10000XL
Expression 11000XL
Expression 12000XL
Expression 13000XL
Expression 1640XL

Microtek

ArtixScan F1
ArtixScan F2
ArtixScan M1

Minolta

DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 (not Elite 5400 II)

Nikon

LS 4000ED / Super Coolscan 4000 ED
LS 40ED / Coolscan IV ED
LS 5000ED / Super Coolscan 5000 ED
LS 50ED / Coolscan V ED
LS 8000ED / Super Coolscan 8000 ED
LS 9000ED / Super Coolscan 9000 ED

Pacific Image Electronics

PrimeFilm 7250 Pro3
PrimeFilm XA
PrimeFilm XAs

Reflecta

RPS 10M
RPS 7200

The frame thickness of slides and the thickness of film holders can vary slightly, so the scanner optics may not have the optimal distance for scanning. Some professional scanners from Epson, Nikon, Microtek, PIE and Reflecta allow manually adjusting the focus of the scanner optics up or down by a few millimeters. With SilverFast Focus Control, you will receive perfectly crisp sharpness.

Bruno Carot, Photographer