Tuesday 23 September 2008

HP Scanjet G4050 Review part 3: Conclusions







I've had my Scanjet G4050 for a couple of months now, so after 60 days what are my conclusions?

1. The bundled software is very poor at scanning black and white film. I found the scanning software that came with the G4050 hopeless for scanning black and white film, which is most of what I need a scanner for. If if it wasn't for the fact I already had vuescan installed on my computer I would have taken the scanner back and got my money back. The software blocks up shadows, doesn't support 16 bit greyscales (essential for me), and is clunky to use.
Take a look at the examples at the top of the blog. The first scan is taken with vuescan scanning to a raw file. There is plenty of dynamic range and subtle tones, the shadow detail is good. The example below it is a 256 greyscale scan using HP's own software. Shadow detail has dissappeared in the hair and eyes, there is posterization in the shadows and the film grain has been seemingly processed out. Trust me this is no fit up, it is impossible to adjust the HP scan to get any detail out of the shadows - it just isn't there.This was the type of result that had me checking I still had the receipt for the scanner. I find it incredible that what is essentially a very good piece of equipment can be hamstrung by its own software. Didn't HP test this scanner with black and white film?
Colour scanning is quick and easy and surprisingly colour accurate. If all you wanted to do was scan transparencies then this scanner is to my mind superior to my previous Epson 4990. The web sized example above is from a 6x7 transparency shot on Fuji astia 100 colours are absolutely spot on compared to the original. It's even more amazing that HP can this part so right and monochrome so wrong.


When you use this scanner with Vuescan it's like a different machine. Produces black and white results near identical to my now dead Epson 4990, and was a lot cheaper. Like most flatbeds at this level the files need sharpening quite a lot for larger prints, but if I want to produce a large print, I get a drum scan or imacon scan , the 4050 is really only for 10 x 8 and smaller prints, contact sheets, editing and web use so this is fine for me. If you use this to produce and archive of digital contact sheets for your film work it would soon pay for itself in saved contact sheet fees from labs.


All in all the software is the Achilles heel of the G4050 and is not really up to the diverse tasks that an advanced amateur or professional might demand of it. Buying a copy of Vuescan solves his problem, but I still find it amazing that so many scanners are let down by the software that came with it.
Purchasing Vuescan for $40 drastically improves the performance of the G4050, and is something I would definitely budget for when buying this machine. In fact I would probably recommend it whatever scanner you were buying. Its ability to scan to a RAW file is worth the price on its own.

Tuesday 16 September 2008

Sometimes it's better to be lucky ...



Another day another wedding in terrible rain. I was shooting a wedding in Langrish House near Petersfield in Hampshire, driving conditions were terrible and a month's rain was forecast to fall in the next few days. When I arrived the marquee was filling up with water and and the rain seemed destined to pour down all day. I walked round the venue with the groom Paul discussing the options we might have for photos. None of them looked that good. Although Langrish is a large house (now a hotel), most of the rooms were small, and the bad weather was making the house very dark. I had back up plans but none of them compared to shooting in the beautiful rolling South Downs. The service went a ahead as planned and I did my shots as per normal. Then, just after the ceremony was over a miracle a break in the weather. I worked fast, switching from one group shot to another as fast as possible and then just I finished the final group, the rain returned and we all rushed inside. Just goes to show how important luck can be.

Tuesday 9 September 2008

Wet Weddings!



As I'm sure you all know the weather in Sussex has been appalling for the last six weeks, as it has been for most of the rest of the country. So how do you cope and how does the photographer cope on your wedding day?

I think the the most important thing is to capture your wedding day as it is not as how you might have imagined it to be. As a trained photojournalist, I'm used to having to deal with difficult conditions, bad light and reacting fast when the chips are down. I don't rely on posed pictures and can work in very low light, often without flash. In other words, I can keep shooting in conditions that others may find impossible and still deliver the goods. It is also where a reportage wedding photographer has many advantages over a traditional wedding photographer. As I spend so much time shooting the bride and groom getting ready and shooting the service, I can put together a beautiful record of your day even without any posed photos. If a photographer relies too heavily on working outside you have to wonder what the plan B is.

Wedding & Portrait
website at Tobias Key Photography.
Enquiries, please call 07962 816 481