Sinar eMotion75 owners please help!

[ltnmzh]

Hi all

Someone offered me a Sinar eMotion75 digital back.  Upon inspection I noticed something strange with the color balance.

The color balance is set to daylight in the menu on the digital back (there is no auto color balance). The pictures I have taken seem to show up with wrong color balance on the back's LCD screen.   I copied the raw files (.IA files) from the CF card to my computer and tried to use Iridient Developer and RawTherapee open them.

In Iridient Developer:


In RawTherapee:



All using default values. Notice the greenish color in RawTherapee.  Tint value in Iridient Developer seems strangely high.  Once I drag it to 0,  it turns as green as in RawTherapee.   And there are pictures came out with same green color shift in Iridient Developer too. like this




Sinar CaptureFlow doesn't seem to support opening raw files (I'm looking at using the back in the field so tethering isn't an option anyway).  Neither Lightroom nor Capture One supports the raw format,  so Iridient Developer and RawTherapee are the only options.

Raw files can be downloaded here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zy6lr0qubszqxxb/5EEF372C.IA?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/lv22navabrqh34z/5EEF3AE2.IA?dl=0

And I can't get the color balance right for this one
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qc3723puv2g13zg/5EEF4A66.IA?dl=0



Any thoughts?   I'm not familiar with backs of this age. Is it normal?   I'm worried that, though fixable to certain degree in post processing, the green channel on the back may have problems,  and could result in clipping or lose of dynamic range in certain scenarios.

Also does the back support LiveView via the LCD (not tethered)?  Can't seem to make it work.

[Theodoros]

Just follow these steps...

1. Open an envelop on your desktop and download the files from the camera there... and name it.
2. Open captureflow, the files will appear in "strange colour"
3. On the upper left corner of captureflow you will see the file you created, if you click on it, you 'll find that it's empty.... Grab the files and throw them back to this envelop (in the capture flow software)....

4. Don't forget to comment back if it worked... 

[ltnmzh]

1. Open an envelop on your desktop and download the files from the camera there... and name it.

By envelop you mean folder?   Yes I copied all the IA files (also BR and WR files) from the CF card to it. 

2. Open captureflow, the files will appear in "strange colour"

I don't see any files....

3. On the upper left corner of captureflow you will see the file you created, if you click on it, you 'll find that it's empty.... Grab the files and throw them back to this envelop (in the capture flow software)....

Well I do see the new folder in the upper left "browser" widget,  but no files.  I tried to drag all the files from Finder into CaptureFlow,  though still no joy.

[Theodoros]

Have you used the "activation CD" for your back?  If you haven't, you can require one from Sinar (free of charge) by sending them the serial number of your back. 

[Chris G]

Sinar CaptureFlow doesn't seem to support opening raw files (I'm looking at using the back in the field so tethering isn't an option anyway).  Neither Lightroom nor Capture One supports the raw format,  so Iridient Developer and RawTherapee are the only options.

The "CaptureFlow Studio" supports all kinds of raw files (sti, dng) from Sinar digital backs (series eMotion included). At the moment, Multishot images from Sinar CaptureShop 5.x ( ".sti" raw data) opened are, displayed and exported as 1-shot images.
Also, dng files (1shot, 4shot, 16shot) of sinarbacks produced by Capture Shop 6 & CaptureFlow Studio fully supported by Adobe applications (Bridge, Photoshop, Lightroom).

I have extensive experience in the use of Sinar CaptureShop 5.x, 6x, CaptureFlow Studio, but only with tethered digital backs (SB 54M, eVolution 75 H).
I suggest before you copy the files, to connections back via firewire, start the app and let it downloaded the White Reference file. This file, logically, is embedded in internal memory of digital back. It's important, the application to recognise the digital back.

Instructions for connecting the digital back and import the files via the "CaptureFlow Studio" can be found here:https://www.dropbox.com/s/cy3pq49og7cf4je/SINAR_MANUALS.zip?dl=0
Τhe zip contains three files:
1) User's Manual  eMotion 75.
2) User's Manual* "CaptureFlow Studio", html file opening via Safari or Firefox, look paragraphs 3.3, 5.2, 6.3.7, 8.4.
3) ReadMe v1.4.1.pdf file, look paragraphs with a red border.

*User's Manual Sinar Exposure & CaptureFlow Studio it's the same.

Any thoughts?   I'm not familiar with backs of this age. Is it normal?   I'm worried that, though fixable to certain degree in post processing, the green channel on the back may have problems,  and could result in clipping or lose of dynamic range in certain scenarios.

The greenish color, means that was reset in WB. This can be done either by application bug (usual in older versions), either by choice (Process Tab>in the WB panel>in the upper right corner> drop down menu>select reset WB). When open the file in "CaptureFlow Studio" you will notice that the slider on "tint" in the WB panel, is set to 0. Dont worry, the processing in raw converter is non-destructive and fully reversible.
Choose the correct color profile to the Process Tab>"Input profile" panel and start in the WB panel with values: Color Temp>5679 (conditions for daylight or flash studio) & Tint>90. Continued by fine tuning.

Good luck!
 

[kjones]

ltnmzh - did you end up resolving this problem? 
I have also just become an owner of a Hy6/eMotion 75LV back and am experiencing similar problems.  Photographs (at any of the set white balances) have a strange greenish cast to them - this can be seen both on the LCD and upon import to CaptureFlow.  I can fix these in camera via a gray card photo - but I'm amazed that a system like this is giving me photos with the color balance so off. 

My worfklow process so far is to import files via a CF card reader and copy them into CaptureFlow. They are appearing as dng files in CaptureFlow, so my understanding was that I don't need to 'export' the files to use in Lightroom - I've just been importing them as dng files straight from LR (not exporting as tiffs first in CF).

I know that the eMotion's CCD info has been automatically brought over to my Mac, as I can see the files in the Library folders specific to CaptureFlow.  Being a new user to CF, I'm unsure of which options I should be selecting with Input Profiles/Working Space settings etc to correct photos - is there a set workflow that works best?

I am experiencing some other problems, but I'm not sure if this is all tied together:

- am using a CF card reader for import, as when the camera is plugged in via firewire (which is also via an adapter, as my Mac only has a 800 firewire port), I am getting this message: "Enabling image acquisition failed! Please check if the settings in hardware-setup are correct".
- the DB is not keeping the time/date setting - after reading a similar post (http://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=99799.msg817992;topicseen#msg817992) I plugged in the camera for 6 hours....the date stayed current but reverted back to 1/1/2004 after about 5 hours. I've been told this is due to a flat NVRAM battery and isn't fixable....could this be true!

I would really appreciate any advice or assistance, as I'm terribly stressed after waiting so long to own this amazing system! Thanks in advance, Kristyn

[Theodoros]

Have you used the activation CD as to activate your back? If you haven't contact a Sinar dealer by mail and they'll sent you one for free.