Re: filmscanners: NikSharpener Pro

[Barbara & Martin Greene <martbarb@earthlink.net>]

Tom

I am also a happy owner of the printer and web version of NikSharpener Pro,
and, like you, I feel it is one of the best programs I own.  Getting the
three parameters of unsharp mask correctly adjusted and coordinated has
always been a mystery to me.  Every article I've read on it has only served
to increase my confusion.  NikSharpener Pro cuts through all of this and
gives great results, with a choice between three degrees of sharpening.

Martin 

> From: "Tom Scales" <tscales@attglobal.net>
> Reply-To: filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
> Date: Sun, 9 Sep 2001 12:43:35 -0500
> To: <filmscanners@halftone.co.uk>
> Subject: filmscanners: NikSharpener Pro
> 
> Just thought I'd throw in my two cents on this one.  I just bought a Nikon
> LS-4000 to replace my Polaroid Sprintscan 4000.  I made the switch purely to
> get the roll film adapter.  In hindsight, since it sounds like the SS4000
> Plus might have the adapter that will be backwards compatible, I guess I
> should have waited.
> 
> Water under the bridge, as I am happy with the LS-4000.
> 
> Anyway, one of my challenges in the world of a 'digital darkroom' has always
> been unsharp mask. I use it, but not as effectively as I would like.  Bottom
> line, I just don't understand it well enough, even after reading up on it.
> 
> So, after reading a lot about Nik Sharpener Pro, I checked out their
> website. The full-blown Pro version is expensive as heck, but there is a
> 'middle version' that is Pro, but for inkjets and the internet.  Perfect for
> me, as my two outputs are web pages and an Espon 1270 printer.  $169.
> 
> So I bought it.
> 
> I'm scanning madly today as yesterday was the opening day of soccer season
> for the kids.
> 
> Let me tell you, the combination of the LS-4000 feeder and Nik Sharpener Pro
> has cut the time to get the scans on the web down by, I estimate, 75%.  60%
> of that was the rollfilm adapter, but a good 15% was Nik Sharpener Pro.
> Just invoke the plugin and click OK and, by magic, the sharpening is
> perfect.  And I mean perfect.
> 
> So, maybe it is pricey, but from my point of view, I just spend two grand on
> a scanner, the extra cost of Nik Sharpner Pro is pretty small, especially
> for the benefit.  I think it compliments ICE nicely too.
> 
> Tom
> P.S. and, no, I have no connection to any of these companies.
>