Vuescan what a pain in the neck...

Rogier said:
I would like to if his contact information was not hidden somewhere on his site. For sure he is reading this forum and will hopefully pick-up on the users experience…

Beside rewriting the software. I have one easy hint for him:
Publish Youtube videos showing how to use the various aspects of Vuescan 😎
Click to expand...

Check out http://www.hamrick.com/sup.html. The email is on top of the support web page.

I'm not religiously defending Vuescan, and I do agree the UI is not pretty (however functional).

But, in my eyes:

- it's (relatively) cheap
- it's built in a one-man operation
- if I understand right, it's developed under Linux. So, behind windows, Mac is 3rd priority, as a platform.
- Most of your problems are Mac specific, some pilot problems (like using the same license as a different user causing a license failure)
- it's the only game in town for certain things. I have used it in batch mode on a Minolta scanner, a Canon flatbed and now with my 5000 ED. Not for MF (in batch that is), but among others for half format. And no other software was able to do what I needed (batch scanning of sub frames with selective auto-focus in a point chosen by me).

In the end it allows you full access to the scanners features, and to automate this access, which is what I depend on (photographically, and I'm not a pro). I am however a software developer myself, so maybe more tolerant to quirks.

"Rewriting the software" is not constructive feedback, IMO.

Roland.
 
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For all the negative comments it gets, Vuescan is still the best alternative solution out there. For once, think how difficult it must have been to support the existing scanner models, get the ICC profiles right, apply negative profiles, slide, etc. Saying it's not available for free is really insulting the guy who has developed the software. Unless, of course he is developing it in an Open Source environment, and just packaging it and selling it for his own profits. *rant done*

Yes, Vuescan does have it's fair share of problems. The interface is the most unintuitive I have ever come across. It's very difficult to get a flow. Primarily because the developer who is writing it may not be a photographer. But, once you get used to a flow, it's the best there is to use. I took a month to get things right, and I am not using many of the features.

Batch scan: there are 3 modes. Single Frame, All (this scans all the frames it detects), and List (it scans selected frames). The All is a good option, but you need to go to each frame and tweak the borders, possibly the brightness contrast, etc. The better option in List which allows you the flexibility of choosing frames. The major drawback, there are no frame numbers, and so you need to manually count through the frames. 🙂

And I use this scanner on both Mac and Windows with an Epson 4870.
 
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I love Vuescan. Won't use anything else. I find it very intuitive, very easy to use, simple to setup.

On the other hand, I run Linux. I am a programmer. I think logically. I like things that make sense.
 
I tried Epson scan's software and I've compared it with Vuescan, and every time i find myself coming back to Vuescan. Sure, Epson's Scan gear gives me very fast scans and all, but Vuescan give me a neutral canvas to work with and allows me to adjust my blacks and whites while Epson's just blows my highlights and overdo my blacks.

Come end of the day, I still prefer Vuescan for more control. I don't do batch scan though, I do it frame by frame manually, whilst adjusting my WB.

😀
 
I do Batch scans with a roll film adapter on my Nikon and the Nikon Software is the only way to go. Vuescan and Silverfast can't get the spacing between frames correct, so you are always adjusting.
I use Vuescan mostly for Slide film one at a time and find it does a great job.
Silverfast for slides as well. Seems some slide films scan better with one or the other.
The big benefit of Vuescan is you can scan and save as a DNG file. A 48 bit 4000 dpi file is a little large @ 100+ mb.
After proper set-up, I find Vuescan very easy to use.

Here is a tricky scan that I just did w/ Vuescan and posted on another thread.

4154616612_c3763d2fca_b.jpg
 
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Since I have been using Vuescan for about 8-9 years, I cannot comment on the user interface as it is the only one I know. Just say I have no problems. I did install a new scanner last Sunday and it was very nice to be able to run exactly the same software.

And, I have never tried to batch scan. I edit negs on a light table and only scan those I want.

The advantage of Vuescan is the ultimate ability to control or not make any control adjustments in the scan process. I actually have not make any control adjustments in years. What I really appreciate is I know Vuescan is not making any adjustments behind the scenes that I don't want.

It is important to realize what Vuescan is and what it is not. It is a very robust and controllable universal program to convert the raw data that comes from your scanners sensor into a TIF or other file type that can be used. This is the part universal to all scanners and the guts of the program. Vuescan does this better than anything else out there because is a mature program and has control.

Vuescan also has a small part unique to each scanner that turns the lamp on / off and positions the negative holder (if a film scanner). This is the part that changes with each new scanner model. It is not universal and sometimes does not perform this part of the process as well as the manufacturers software does. Fortunately for Ed Hamrick and us, this is the less important part of the scan process even if it is the most visible to the user.

I suggest those who want to improve their scan quality and speed spend a little bit of time figuring out just how little the scanner does and how little control there is vs. all the things that the scanner driver (Vuescan, Nikonscan, etc.) does within the CPU. Then learn to live with scans that look flat but contain all the data possible to extract from the film so the image can be made to look the way you want in an image editor (Photoshop, etc.)

I must also add that I have found Ed Hamrick very responsive to inquiries given two things: First you must give him the data file he asks for. Second, the answer to your query must not be contained in the manual that you did not bother to read. He does tend to ignore requests where the answer is in the manual or you do not give him the information he asks for in the instructions.

Lastly, I bought Vuescan with lifetime upgrades back when it costs $35. One of the best deals I ever made when I consider how much I have paid Microsoft for operating system and applications programs upgrades since then.
 
I have the Canon 8800F too (attached to my PC). I remember vividly how hard I had to fight to get it work with ANY scanner software - and I'm supposed to be an IT professional. I tried them all; Canon's own, Vuescan, the crippled version of Silverfast that comes with the package, another, full version of Silverfast... nothing worked.

In the end after several attempts I got the Canon scanner software working. I'm more or less stuck with it I guess. I bought a new neg holder from betterscanning.com which makes things a lot easier with curved MF negs.

Next time around I will not buy a Canon scanner.
 
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Mablo said:
I have the Canon 8800F too (attached to my PC). I remember vividly how hard I had to fight to get it work with ANY scanner software - and I'm supposed to be an IT professional. I tried them all; Canon's own, Vuescan, the crippled version of Silverfast that comes with the package, another, full version of Silverfast... nothing worked.

In the end after several attempts I got the Canon scanner software working. I'm more or less stuck with it I guess. I bought a new neg holder from betterscanning.com which makes things a lot easier with curved MF negs.

Next time around I will not buy a Canon scanner.
Click to expand...

For me the latest download from the Canon support website worked flawlessly on 10.6.2

I was able to get Vuescan working but it was just a painful process. Still leaving me with a poor UI interface and unable to figure out to get it to scan 3 images from a strip of 120 film.
 
I had Vuescan but stopped using it. There are simply too many options. Way too many. You can spend more time trying to fine-tune it to perfection than actually scanning.

Because it's written by one person (or used to be), he would need to be the guy to rewrite it from the ground up. Not sure if that will happen. Maybe it's been through so many iterations that it's too complex to replicate with new code.
 
ZeissFan said:
I had Vuescan but stopped using it. There are simply too many options. Way too many. You can spend more time trying to fine-tune it to perfection than actually scanning.
Click to expand...

Interesting comment because in using Vuescan for 8-9 years I learned not to bother with most of the options. I have used the same settings for 5-6 years.

A perfect scan is one that captures all the data available on the film, not one that makes a good looking image. You use your image editor to make the output look good. Any image editor can do that much better than any scan driver. In fact I have learned that a reasonably good looking scan file is potentially already clipping some data and will not generate the same quality final product as a flat drab looking scan file.
 
Hi there,

I agree 100% with Bob's analysis of the situation. For those of you who don't understand and are having trouble with Vuescan, reread Bob's posts here on the subject!!!

I also just get the data out of Vuescan and postprocess in another program, in my case Lightroom 2. I have the same method to set the scanner up for a new role of film and it works every time now with out a problem! The scans are a little flat sometimes, but all the data from the film is there.

The only weak point I have found as lewis44 said a little earlier is that batch scans are not so easy, because Vuescan doesn't seem to get the frame spacing right. I have been wondering for a long time, if it is my cameras or the scanner. From lewis44's comments, I get the feeling that is the software.

JP
 
The only weak point I have found as lewis44 said a little earlier is that batch scans are not so easy, because Vuescan doesn't seem to get the frame spacing right. I have been wondering for a long time, if it is my cameras or the scanner. From lewis44's comments, I get the feeling that is the software.
Click to expand...

There is an adjustment for film spacing in Vuescan, But it keeps going off and corrections are always needed if you are doing a FULL ROLL.
I just did some 4 & 6 frame film strips and it does get it right for them.
 
For me, Vuescan works very well, and without any problems.. I've got it in a PC with the Dreaded Windows Vista Operating System, and, the Vuescan takes it all in stride and runs my Minolta Dimage IV scanner flawlessly. It even automatically pushes the scanned images into Photoshop where I do what little Voodooo I do.
Some of the very best money I've ever spent on photostuff.
 
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Hi !

I take the opportunity to jump in the discussion as I just received a Reflecta CrystalScan 720, which came bundled with CyberView X !

I installed the software and the driver and soon found that it was really.... errrr.... b****y useless !

...so I downloaded the trial version of Silverfast SE and installed it !

Too bad... when I tried to run it, it told me that it could NOT find the scanner !

Any idea of WHAT I did wrong ? Is there other drivers specifically made for each program, such as Silverfast or Vuescan, or could these use the Cyberview driver ?

Sorry if this is a dum question, but I never had a scanner and I just don't know what to do ?

Heeeelp !!!

J-P.
 
Too bad... when I tried to run it, it told me that it could NOT find the scanner !
Click to expand...

When I use Silverfast with my Nikon scanner with my film strip adapter, the program will say that when I start Silverfast w/o the scanner being on and film inserted in the adapter.
I'm not sure about yours, but if you can, try and put film in it before starting Silverfast.
 
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