Photoshop is one of the few programs that can handle anything bigger
than 24 bits. As far as I know, photoshop can scan, read and "display"
images in 48 bit mode (that's the next step, not 30 bits), but you can not
edit these images. The only thing you can do is convert them to 24 bit.
The documentation of the scanmaker III clearly states that it is a
"TRUE 36-BIT colour or 12 BIT greyscale" scanner. that's the reason it is
so expensive (I paid about 1000 us $ for mine (directly from a distributor,
if you'd buy it through a dealer you'd have to pay at least 1300 us $, and
that's without the transparency-media-adapter that costs another 250 $)).
I bought this scanner because I want to digitise X-ray films, and these
(unlike ordinary films and photographs) DO need this dynamic range
(conventional photographs do not contain more than about a hundred grey-
levels (7 bits), and conventional (negative) film does not go beyond 10
bits). If the scanner is not a *genuine* 12/36 bit scanner, Microtek
will be in, well let me put it this way, "sort of bigish" problems, I for
one will ask my money back, and if word hits the street, so will some
other users (if it's only 10/30-bit then it's definitely *overpriced*)
by the way I shopped around for some information about the transparency
media adapter (TMA) and automatic document feeder (ADF), and managed to
construct a TMA myself -- from the backlighting unit of the lcd display
of a notebook computer -- it's not A4, but definitely large enough to use
with dia's (- transparencies - is that english?) up to 6" by 8". I also
located a manufacturer (LAPWING, ever heard of?) of cute a5 (!) scanners
with (!) TMA's (160$ total) (30-bit, 600 dpi), that was willing to sell
me loose TMA's for 25$ a piece... add a 15 pin sub-d plug, a few feet of
wire and some soldering, and you have a VERY CHEAP tma! (up to 5" x 7")
(the lapwing scanner itself has it's own dedicated (& popriatary) inter-
face card) anyone interested?
regards, Theo.
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