Multiexposure in Vuescan?

[Harry Lime]

Does anyone know if Vuescan does multiexposure / HDR like the Silverfast software does? Is this function only available in the pro version?

The HDR function is very good in Silverfast, but unfortunately the interface is something of a train wreck.


thanks

 

[Particular]

There is a multi-exposure function. It is not billed as HDR, it is basically a function to squeeze some more shadow detail out of a slide, or more highlight out of a negative. I haven't come across a slide or negative yet that my Nikon LS 5000 couldn't scan, so I can't tell you how well it works.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Does anyone know if Vuescan does multiexposure / HDR like the Silverfast software does? Is this function only available in the pro version? ...............

Harry: the multi-exposure capability of Vuescan is available in both versions. I used it once, about 8 years ago. No matter what extra post processing I did, the file just did not look like a photograph should look to my eye. But YMMV.

 

[maddoc]

Multiexposure can be selected in the "Input" tab quite down of that menu and set up to 8 repeatings. From my memory it is only available when the scanner hardware supports it.

 

[ndnik]

Actually, there are two settings in vuescan (if the scanner supports them): one for multiple scans with the same exposure (up to 8 or 16, can't remember) to beat down shot noise, and a HDR-like function that takes two scans at different exposures to recover shadow (slides) or highlight (negatives) detail if the density range of the slide/negative exceeds what the scanner can capture using a single exposure. I've never encountered a negative that needed that. I'm not using slides, where it may be a more common situation.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Harry: Let me retract what I said earlier about Vuescan having some HDR sort of capability.

Many years ago Vuescan had a dual pass option or something similarly named. It scanned twice at two different exposures and merged the files. This seemed unnecessary to me as most scanners have a range to capture the tonal range contained in any film. This unnecessary option appears to have been deleted sometime in the 8 years since I used it.

Vuescan does have a multi pass option. It seems to repeat the same scan multiple times then combine them to eliminate any noise. I don't think it has any HDR type of functionality.

So I am revising my response to "No, Vuescan does not seem to have this capability". At least I cannot find it in my current version of Vuescan.

 

[Bob Michaels]

............. and a HDR-like function that takes two scans at different exposures to recover shadow (slides) or highlight (negatives) detail if the density range of the slide/negative exceeds what the scanner can capture using a single exposure. .............

Damn, I can't find that function in Vuescan. Where it is?

Like you, I believe it to be unnecessary. I just worry about giving out bad info, or maybe a bad retraction to good info.

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Does anyone know if Vuescan does multiexposure / HDR like the Silverfast software does? Is this function only available in the pro version?

The HDR function is very good in Silverfast, but unfortunately the interface is something of a train wreck.


thanks

Hi Harry,
I haven't bought it myself, yet, but I did have a look at it last year. As I recall, at the time, you can download Vuescan for free from their website to trial it. The "free" download places a watermark onto your scans. If you like enough to buy it, the watermark is removed. So if you think it might be useful for you, it's possible to 'try before you buy,' I believe.

Best Regards,
Brett

 

[ndnik]

Damn, I can't find that function in Vuescan. Where it is?

Like you, I believe it to be unnecessary. I just worry about giving out bad info, or maybe a bad retraction to good info.

If I remember correctly, they are called "MultiExposure" and "Number of Passes" in the input menu. They only show up if the scanner supports them and in "more options" mode.

 

[Particular]

Damn, I can't find that function in Vuescan. Where it is?

Like you, I believe it to be unnecessary. I just worry about giving out bad info, or maybe a bad retraction to good info.

Like Maddoc said, it is under Input, and is called Multi exposure. It only works on scanners that can vary the exposure. It works on both my Nikon and Epson 4990.
The most contrasty images I have scanned have been kodachromes, and technical pan shot in bright sunlight. In both cases I managed to get the full tonal range by carefully locking exposure to compensate for the film base. I can imagine some rare cases where you would need it though.

 

[Bob Michaels]

patrickjames: thanks for clarifying that. Yes, I was confusing the two functions as I never use either one.

My experience in using Vuescan for 9 years yields a different conclusion about learning to use all of the adjustments in Vuescan. I once understood and tried to use all of those adjustments. Now I use basically the default options without any adjustments for an individual image. I do not let Vuescan do any adjustments to the file and save everything for my image editor where I am in control and where things can be undone.

I think it is important to differentiate between those things that Vuescan does to impact the scan itself (very little) and what software adjustments Vuescan does to the image file before it saves it (can be very much). All those adjustments are for people who do not use an image editor.

 

[Tim Gray]

I've never encountered a negative that needed that. I'm not using slides, where it may be a more common situation.

I've only ever seen the need when scanning Kodachrome with a Coolscan (has hardware exposure controls). It really made a difference in the shadows and didn't look unnatural at all.

 

[Harry Lime]

Thank you, gents.

I haven't used Vuescan in a while. Nikonscan has given me good results, but I have some difficult negs that I am trying to squeeze every drop of range out of.

I'll download the latest version of Vuescan and will give it a try.

thanks

 

[Robert Lai]

There is multisampling (up to 16 x), and multiexposure available with Vuescan. I use these features all the time on my Nikon Coolscan 5000 and 9000. Multisampling decreases scanner noise. Multiexposure increases the detail visibility in the dense areas of the film.

Multiexposure is unnecessary with negative film (unless very dense). It is great with slide film, especially Kodachrome and Velvia which can have very dense blacks, but still with detail. It helps significantly to penetrate the shadow areas of those slides.

 

[Robert Lai]

To elaborate on Partickjames' comments.

Vuescan does allow you to attach a color correction profile to the scan, which allows automated color correction to match the slide. For example, use a Kodachrome Q60 slide (available at B&H, or from Silverfast), generate a color profile, and have all Kodachrome scans have this profile assigned to them, before converting them to your standard color space (e.g. Adobe RGB).

With the Coolscan 5000, the automated slide feeder, and Vuescan, you can get a lot of good scans very quickly.

For the Coolscan 9000, so far I find Vuescan's ability to find the frames on the film to be inferior to that of Nikon Scan. So, for the 9000, I use Nikon Scan to produce essentially Scanner RAW type files. Then I attach the appropriate color correction profile and convert to a standard color space for editing in a batch process in Nikon Capture NX2.

 

[Steve Ash]

Silverfast

Silverfast

I utilize Silverfast AI and Silverfast HDRi. I scan the images in the first as raw and make a batch pp in Silverfast HDRi. This provides you a very fast workflow. For special images I do fine tuning of the scanning parameters in Silverfast HDRi. As it uses a raw scan file no further scanning activities are involved, thus changes in any parameters is quick and effective.

Costs aside I can recommend the a.m. programs.

Regards,
Steve

 

[aldobonnard]

Hi
Just a bit of a personal experience.
on the Nikon 5000ED, VueScan MultiExposure does make a huge difference relative to Nikon Scan (4.02)
I recently was commisioned a series of very difficult TMax400 scans and I tried with Nikon Scan at first. Sadly Nikon Scan could not deliver the full contrast range. It would crop either left or right part of the histogram. Adjusting the h/w gain would not help.
Only MultiExposure with VueScan could provide the full histogram and deliver the entierety of the film contrast.
Sure, I spent a little more time but not much, and eventually could charge a price because the quality of scans held up favorably in comparison with the Imacon scanner from the lab my client had been using. Surprising but it seems that Imacon does not multiexposure natively (?).
Vuescan, at least for B/W negs, is awesome when using multiexposure. FYI I do not use the multisampling when using multiexposure on B/W negs, I found it unnecessary.
hope that helps