roscoetuff
Well-known
FWIW, I have a Plustek 8200i unit and have been using the Vuescan software 'cause I got the impression it was "better". Okay. Maybe not.
Comparing notes with a UK fellow on APUG using much of the same gear I am, same process (HC-110) and HP5 in 35mm, his results convinced me to give Silverfast a whirl. Came with the unit. Loaded it up, gave it a shot and hey, for my money, it's no comparison. Does better work. Here on RFF, there seem to be more Vuescan users and they, too, are turning out great work.
My results were less inspiring. I dug up Chris Crawford's notes and tried to use his settings. This helped, but not much. But when I re-ran the same scans with Silverfast, I have to say, I guess I'm not as bad a photographer as I thought I was. The improvement was visible right off the bat.
To be fair to all those whose experiences with Silverfast have left them uninspired, maybe (and in some cases definitely!) that was some years back. This is now, and viva le difference? Simply shows that somethings may be worth a 2nd look. The different experiences may also be attributable to using different hardware. I think for example that Chris uses a flatbed. Mileage will vary. But give it a try. Wish I'd done that BEFORE spending the dough on Vuescan.
Good news for me is that the quest to find a better scanner than the Plustek 8200i no longer seems a burning issue. Attests that the role of the user is material to the results.
But let me suggest another thing. The common recommendation I see everywhere is to NOT use any of the image manipulation in the scanner software but save that for the post processing software. I beginning to wonder if this isn't out of date advice, too. Yes, some setttings SHOULD be turned off or not utilized. On the other hand, post processing software like Capture One that I use is increasingly oriented towards a digital only workflow. I suspect that film and hybrid workflows are increasingly rare and accordingly there may be certain film processes (scratch and dust removal) which are just easier in the scanning software and (at least with Capture One) a bit more bothersome or not nearly as evident in post processing software. Mileage may vary here, and your preferences, too, but this part of the advice from years back may be less relevant as well. More experience with this workflow may change my mind back to the old wisdom, but for now... this has me at least more open to seeing what the software is capable of doing.
So those are two thoughts from a nobody, noname amateur and relative newby. Whatever works for you works. Stick with it. But if you're feeling your negatives are unloved, maybe it's worth a 2nd look at Silverfast. In Silverfast, I'm scanning at "lower res" and getting better results. I like being able to set the film to what I'm actually using rather than just XP2... and though the choices of EI are still limited to box speed, it's closer to what's happening than before.
And of course this is not a rigid test of my working assumption, so if you've got the time and really do put these two pieces of software through the wringer, maybe you'll have different results. Love to know and learn how to get better at this myself, if you care to share it here.
Comparing notes with a UK fellow on APUG using much of the same gear I am, same process (HC-110) and HP5 in 35mm, his results convinced me to give Silverfast a whirl. Came with the unit. Loaded it up, gave it a shot and hey, for my money, it's no comparison. Does better work. Here on RFF, there seem to be more Vuescan users and they, too, are turning out great work.
My results were less inspiring. I dug up Chris Crawford's notes and tried to use his settings. This helped, but not much. But when I re-ran the same scans with Silverfast, I have to say, I guess I'm not as bad a photographer as I thought I was. The improvement was visible right off the bat.
To be fair to all those whose experiences with Silverfast have left them uninspired, maybe (and in some cases definitely!) that was some years back. This is now, and viva le difference? Simply shows that somethings may be worth a 2nd look. The different experiences may also be attributable to using different hardware. I think for example that Chris uses a flatbed. Mileage will vary. But give it a try. Wish I'd done that BEFORE spending the dough on Vuescan.
Good news for me is that the quest to find a better scanner than the Plustek 8200i no longer seems a burning issue. Attests that the role of the user is material to the results.
But let me suggest another thing. The common recommendation I see everywhere is to NOT use any of the image manipulation in the scanner software but save that for the post processing software. I beginning to wonder if this isn't out of date advice, too. Yes, some setttings SHOULD be turned off or not utilized. On the other hand, post processing software like Capture One that I use is increasingly oriented towards a digital only workflow. I suspect that film and hybrid workflows are increasingly rare and accordingly there may be certain film processes (scratch and dust removal) which are just easier in the scanning software and (at least with Capture One) a bit more bothersome or not nearly as evident in post processing software. Mileage may vary here, and your preferences, too, but this part of the advice from years back may be less relevant as well. More experience with this workflow may change my mind back to the old wisdom, but for now... this has me at least more open to seeing what the software is capable of doing.
So those are two thoughts from a nobody, noname amateur and relative newby. Whatever works for you works. Stick with it. But if you're feeling your negatives are unloved, maybe it's worth a 2nd look at Silverfast. In Silverfast, I'm scanning at "lower res" and getting better results. I like being able to set the film to what I'm actually using rather than just XP2... and though the choices of EI are still limited to box speed, it's closer to what's happening than before.
And of course this is not a rigid test of my working assumption, so if you've got the time and really do put these two pieces of software through the wringer, maybe you'll have different results. Love to know and learn how to get better at this myself, if you care to share it here.
