Vuescan

[geogphotos]

I have only just started using it again, never really used it all that much. The software I originally had with my Minolta Dimage Multi Pro scanner no longer works.

 

I just wonder how people find Vuescan.

 

Intuitive? Or the opposite of intuitive? 

Edited February 8, 2020 by geogphotos

[KevinS]

I've used Vuescan for years and find it like most software. I have to learn by trial and error, and never really feel as though I've mastered it. It's a great program, IMO, and easy to update (free). There is a guide that is very helpful, small charge to download, I think. All three of my scanners get along well with it. One is Nikon, one Minolta, and one Epson. Recently passed up a Polaroid Sprintscan for 4x5, only because of uncertainty in connecting to Apple machines. I'm confident that Vuescan would work well with that scanner, too. 

 

Be sure that you're in "Professional" mode, if the option is there, and I believe there is a "Fine" setting available for my Nikon 8000ED that I use. I look under all the tabs before scanning and check that the settings and file names are as they should be (at least the few I understand). For example, if you're doing several slides of the same subject, VS can assign consecutive file numbers to them by simply adding a "+" sign in the naming field. It won't forget, so you have to change that field when you move on to another subject. This and other tips are in the guide that someone sells online. Ed Hammrick, the developer of VS offers a free PDF guide, as well.

Edited February 9, 2020 by KevinS

[geogphotos]

Thanks Kevin. I am using professional Mode and have the file number system sorted. 

 

I have it set at 4800 but seem to get inconsistent final files sizes. Unusual DPI figures such as 371 instead of 300 ( I realise that it doesn't really matter).

 

Just not sure how to use all the options. But I suppose it takes a bit of trial and error and then you just have it set and just use it. 

 

I can understand what you say about 'never really feel as though I've mastered it' and that makes me feel better! 😀

[Inchiquin]

I've been using VueScan for years and I love it. I've never seen the DPI issue you mention Ian, and I've done thousands of scans. I get better results than from Nikon Scan, and before I moved to VueScan I tried SilverFast which I thought was truly awful. VS does absolutely everything I want and is very flexible. I also got an IT8 target for Kodachrome which has improved the quality of KC scans.

 

Alan

[geogphotos]

1 hour ago, Inchiquin said:

I've been using VueScan for years and I love it. I've never seen the DPI issue you mention Ian, and I've done thousands of scans. I get better results than from Nikon Scan, and before I moved to VueScan I tried SilverFast which I thought was truly awful. VS does absolutely everything I want and is very flexible. I also got an IT8 target for Kodachrome which has improved the quality of KC scans.

 

Alan

 

That's all very reassuring. What sort of TIFF file size are you typically getting from a 35mm scan?

 

I'm sure that mine used to be around 65Mb years back when I was first using the scanner. Now more like 48Mb.

 

If I were to post some screen shots of my settings I wonder if you would have a look?

 

One other thing.

 

At the moment I am using an old 2008 Mac as a scanning workhorse. I'm using a MacOS Mojave 10.14.5 as my main computer - will VS work on this?

 

EDIT - now I remember. The problem is that the new Mac does not have Firewire port ( is it called this?) to connect the scanner

Edited February 9, 2020 by geogphotos

[Harry Harrison]

20 hours ago, geogphotos said:

What sort of TIFF file size are you typically getting from a 35mm scan?

 Have you got the pdf manual?

 

https://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/vuescan.pdf

 

The file size is simply a function of the scan resolution, which should ideally be selected from the dropdown for Scan Resolution, safer than simply choosing 'Auto'. Of course you can choose to scan as RGB 16-bit in which case it will be double what you might expect it to be.

 

48MB from 36x24mm equates to about 3600 dpi, you should be getting about 60MB from a 4000 dpi scanner (if that's what it is) tightly cropped, but of course it probably won't be tightly cropped so the file should be slightly larger, perhaps more like the 65MB that you remember.

Edited February 10, 2020 by Harry Harrison

[ReeRay]

3 hours ago, geogphotos said:

 

That's all very reassuring. What sort of TIFF file size are you typically getting from a 35mm scan?

 

I'm sure that mine used to be around 65Mb years back when I was first using the scanner. Now more like 48Mb.

 

If I were to post some screen shots of my settings I wonder if you would have a look?

 

One other thing.

 

At the moment I am using an old 2008 Mac as a scanning workhorse. I'm using a MacOS Mojave 10.14.5 as my main computer - will VS work on this?

 

EDIT - now I remember. The problem is that the new Mac does not have Firewire port ( is it called this?) to connect the scanner

 "At the moment I am using an old 2008 Mac as a scanning workhorse"  If this is running on 10, 5, 8 or earlier then the Dimage scan software will work and it's considerably better than Vuescan IMHO; I've compared both on my MultiPro in arriving at this conclusion; Apple introducing rosetta into the later OS X screwed up the Dimage software which is why the earlier OS X versions still work 

"now I remember. The problem is that the new Mac does not have Firewire port ( is it called this?) to connect the scanner" Plenty of adapters available converting Lightening to Firewire if you want to go down this route and indeed Vuescan will run 

[Inchiquin]

12 hours ago, geogphotos said:

 

That's all very reassuring. What sort of TIFF file size are you typically getting from a 35mm scan?

 

I'm sure that mine used to be around 65Mb years back when I was first using the scanner. Now more like 48Mb.

 

If I were to post some screen shots of my settings I wonder if you would have a look?

 

 

Sure, I can do that.

 

I'm scanning at 5250x3500 on a Coolscan 5000 and I get 16-bit TIFFs of around 120MB.

 

Alan

[geogphotos]

Thanks for all the help. I have figured out the resolution at 4800 and DPI at 300. Have it set as 24 bit TIFF.

 

The file size is what I expect but am puzzled by the discrepancy with what is reported on Vuescan and what Photoshop says about image size.

 

 

Vuescan says 62.1 MB, Photoshop opens it up at 78.7 M

Edited February 10, 2020 by geogphotos

[wiskerke]

20 minutes ago, geogphotos said:

Thanks for all the help. I have figured out the resolution at 4800 and DPI at 300. Have it set as 24 bit TIFF.

 

The file size is what I expect but am puzzled by the discrepancy with what is reported on Vuescan and what Photoshop says about image size.

 

 

Vuescan says 62.1 MB, Photoshop opens it up at 78.7 M

 

Pixels vs bits?

 

wim

[geogphotos]

18 minutes ago, wiskerke said:

 

Pixels vs bits?

 

wim

 

I can't think that would change the overall size of the file.

[wiskerke]

22 hours ago, geogphotos said:

 

I can't think that would change the overall size of the file.

 

Image size vs file size. In Photoshop the file size is in the lower left hand corner. Not sure how it was in Vuescan. My LS 5000 scanner is out on loan.

 

wim

[Harry Harrison]

23 hours ago, geogphotos said:

Thanks for all the help. I have figured out the resolution at 4800 and DPI at 300. Have it set as 24 bit TIFF.

I was under the impression that the Nikon Coolscan 5000 scanner has a maximum resolution of 4000 dpi? If that is the case then there is no point setting it at higher than that, just creates a bigger file without more detail.

 

https://www.nikon.co.uk/en_GB/product/discontinued/film-scanners/2009/super-coolscan-5000

[wiskerke]

9 minutes ago, Harry Harrison said:

I was under the impression that the Nikon Coolscan 5000 scanner has a maximum resolution of 4000 dpi? If that is the case then there is no point setting it at higher than that, just creates a bigger file without more detail.

 

https://www.nikon.co.uk/en_GB/product/discontinued/film-scanners/2009/super-coolscan-5000

 

Yes that's correct, however 16 bit is double the file size of 8 bit.

Geogphotos, the OP has a Minolta Dimage Multi Pro, not a Nikon.

 

The LS5000 is basically a better version of the LS4000 with one big improvement: it's a one-pass, meaning there's absolutely no shift in the IR channel, so the dust removal is perfect. It's also pretty quick. But nowhere near as quick as a camera of course. Which in turn has no IR dust removal. Which will cost lots of time in post 😡.

Now wasn't there another topic on that 😁.

 

wim

 

[Harry Harrison]

8 minutes ago, wiskerke said:

Geogphotos, the OP has a Minolta Dimage Multi Pro, not a Nikon.

Thanks, that explains it then, I was misinterpreting Inchiquin's post regarding Vuescan, it is he who has the Coolscan 5000. Sounds like a good scanner.

[spacecadet]

1 hour ago, wiskerke said:

Which in turn has no IR dust removal. Which will cost lots of time in post

This is my dust removal tool