This document serves as the user manual for a film scanner, providing comprehensive instructions for its operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting. The scanner is designed to digitize various types of film, including 35mm filmstrips, roll film, and mounted slides, making it a versatile tool for preserving and working with analog photographic media.
Function Description:
The primary function of this device is to convert physical film (negatives, reversals, black and white films, and slides) into digital images. It achieves this by scanning the film at high resolutions, capturing detailed image data that can then be processed and stored on a computer. The scanner integrates with image editing software, specifically Adobe Photoshop Elements, to facilitate image acquisition and post-processing. It supports both USB and IEEE 1394 (FireWire) interfaces for connecting to a host computer, offering flexibility depending on the user's system setup. The device is capable of automatically loading filmstrips, and it provides mechanisms for precise positioning and scanning of individual frames or entire strips.
Usage Features:
The scanner offers a user-friendly interface through its accompanying software, CyberView 35, which provides a range of features for efficient scanning and image manipulation.
- Film Type Selection: Users can select the film type (Negative, Reversal, B&W) via radio buttons in the software. This selection is crucial as the Scene Balance (SB) algorithm is automatically applied for color and B&W negatives but not for reversals, ensuring optimal color rendition for each film type.
- Image Preview and Navigation: The software displays thumbnail images of prescanned frames, allowing users to quickly browse through their filmstrip. Scroll left and right buttons enable navigation through more than six prescanned images. A "Prescan frame" button allows for a quick preview scan of a single image, while "Prescan strip" creates a preview of all frames in a filmstrip, generating thumbnails and displaying the first image in the main preview window.
- Frame Alignment: For filmstrips, the software includes "Tab Position" indicators that allow users to fine-tune the frame's position in the scan area. By moving these indicators to the edge of the film, the scanner automatically adjusts the film to the proper position, ensuring accurate scanning.
- Image Manipulation Tools (Pre-scan): Before the final scan, users can utilize various tools to optimize the image:
- Zoom In/Out: Magnify or reduce the previewed image for detailed inspection.
- Move Tool: Pan across the previewed image when zoomed in.
- Image Rotation: Rotate the image 90° counterclockwise, 180°, or 90° clockwise.
- Flip Horizontal/Vertical: Mirror the image horizontally or vertically.
- Color Pointers: Black, gray, and white pointers allow users to set the black, gray, and white points of the previewed image, crucial for correcting exposure and contrast.
- Auto Balance/Default Balance: These buttons apply an automatic scene balance algorithm or revert to default color balance settings.
- Auto-focus: Performs an automatic focus adjustment for mounted slides or filmstrips.
- Undo: Reverts the last performed function.
- Image Window: Opens a second window for a more detailed view of the previewed image.
- Color Adjustment (Color Balance Tab): This tab provides controls for fine-tuning color balance, brightness, contrast, and saturation. Users can adjust these parameters using sliders or by entering numerical values (ranging from -100 to 100, representing percentage values). Separate adjustments are available for Cyan/Red, Magenta/Green, and Yellow/Blue channels. A "Before" and "After" view helps visualize the changes.
- Advanced Color Adjustment (Levels & Curves Tab): For more advanced color correction, the Levels & Curves tab offers tools similar to those found in Photoshop. Users can select "All" or individual Red, Green, or Blue channels. Up to four new points can be created on the tone curve by clicking on the grid or the "Before" image, allowing for precise control over tonal ranges. Points can be dragged to new locations or deleted by dragging them off the curve.
- Output Settings: Users can define output parameters such as color depth (8-bit or 12-bit per channel), sharpening level (Off, Low, Medium, High), and output size (width, height, resolution, file size). These parameters are interrelated, and changing one may affect others.
- Scanning Options:
- Scan: Performs a scan of the selected frame(s) and sends the result directly to Adobe Photoshop Elements.
- Scan to File: Performs a scan and saves the resulting image directly to a file, bypassing the intermediate step of opening it in Photoshop. This is useful for batch processing or when immediate editing in Photoshop is not required.
- Multiple Frame Selection: Users can select multiple frames for scanning by holding the "Ctrl" key and clicking on the desired thumbnails.
- Software Integration: The scanner driver, CyberView 35, is designed to be launched from within Adobe Photoshop Elements via the "Import" submenu, streamlining the workflow for image acquisition and editing.
Maintenance Features:
While the manual primarily focuses on operational aspects, it includes some essential maintenance guidelines and warnings:
- Environmental Operating Conditions: The scanner has specific operating ambient temperature (50° to 104°F / 10° to 40°C) and humidity (15% to 76% relative humidity, non-condensing) ranges. Users are warned not to turn on the scanner outside this range and to allow it to acclimate if stored or transported in different conditions. Condensation may occur if the scanner is moved from a cold to a warm, humid environment.
- Film Cleaning: Before inserting film, users are advised to clean the filmstrip with a blower or a soft brush to prevent dust and debris from being scanned, which could degrade image quality.
- Power Adapter Warning: A critical warning is provided regarding the power adapter: "Warning! Using any other power adapter may severely damage the scanner and will void the product warranty." This emphasizes the importance of using only the supplied power adapter to ensure the device's longevity and warranty validity.
- Light Source Calibration: The light source is calibrated each time the scanner is turned on. A button is available to manually control the frequency of this calibration, which can be useful for maintaining optimal scan quality over time.
- No User-Serviceable Parts: The manual explicitly states, "NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL." This is a crucial safety and maintenance instruction, indicating that users should not attempt to open or repair the scanner themselves to avoid electric shock and potential damage to the device.
- Troubleshooting Information: The manual directs users to the full version of the user's manual (in PDF format on the Driver CD) for troubleshooting and complete scanner operation, suggesting that more detailed maintenance and problem-solving steps are available there.
- Technical Support: Contact information for Pacific Image Electronics (for scanner and driver issues) and Adobe Inc. (for Photoshop Elements issues) is provided, offering avenues for professional assistance when needed.
- Warranty Information: The product comes with a one-year warranty covering defects in material and workmanship. The warranty details outline conditions under which it may be voided, such as abuse, modification, improper operating environment, or use with unspecified software/hardware. This section also includes a registration form, which is essential for accessing technical support and receiving updates.
In summary, the film scanner is a specialized device designed for high-quality digitization of various film formats. Its usage is facilitated by intuitive software with extensive pre-scan and post-scan image adjustment capabilities. Maintenance primarily involves adhering to environmental guidelines, proper film handling, and seeking professional service for internal issues, all aimed at ensuring the device's optimal performance and longevity.
Need help?
General
To Next Page