Is Vue Scan really the best software out there?

[Gereonb]

Both the minolta driver and my purchased version of silverfast are not compatible with Mac OS 10.7, this drove me to to vuescan and i am happy so far.
The response from silverfast support as to why their product i purchased was not compatible with the current OS was just "oh .. wait a few months", well .. they just lost a customer or two

 

[pacco]

I think that the software depends on the scanner (and your way of work), therefore you should test it before purchasing it. With my Canon 8400F, I did not notice any substantial difference between the Canon Software, Vuescan, and Silverfast. However, with the Minolta Elite 5400II, I prefer Silverfast - but only for b/w scans (far better, at least in my eyes, than other software). But only if I have the time - it's more time-consuming...!

 

[Bob Michaels]

Do not judge any scanner software by the quality of the scans it delivers. Judge it by the final result you get after making adjustments in your image editor.

Remember that the best looking final results come from flat no-contrast scans.

Based on the files you get right out the scanner, Vuescan seems to lag behind the scanner manufacturers EOM software. But based on the final results Vuescan comes out ahead.

The advantage of Vuescan is that it does not make any of those automatic background adjustments that the OEM scanner software programs make. These are the adjustments that sometimes clip the ends of the histogram or make contrast adjustments that you subsequently have to compensate for the your image editor.

All I want the scanner software to do is capture the maximum amount of data from the neg or slide and create a file without adjustments so I can make my adjustments in my image editor where I can control things. Vuescan is the only one that does that.

 

[johannielscom]

VueScan is powering my Microtek ScanMaker 8700. This scanner I use for 6x6, 6x7 and 6x9 negatives as well as flatbed document scans.

VueScan easily can create a film profile but since I use film from different brands, batches and expired, I never bothered.

What I do like and use is the DNG output option. I make VueScan store the files in the same directory always and have Lightroom look at that directory to automatically move any image file there to the appropriate directory on my network drive.

In Lightroom the DNG can be handled real good, and can even be opened in Photoshop for those adjustments that are cumbersome in Lightroom.

The flatbed documents I scan into a multi-page PDF file. Real easy to use and allows for a compact document size too.

Gotta admit, VueScan makes my Minolta Scan Dual IV crash on Mac Snow Leopard. It claims to be scanning on screen but the scanner never even starts frame 1...

 

[VF101]

In the meantime I've tested vuescan on my Epson V330 with slides. Again, the Epson software yielded the best results. So it really seems to depend on your scanner modell. Just download the vuescan test version and compare the results; you'll learn a lot about scanning this way.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Do not judge any scanner software by the quality of the scans it delivers. Judge it by the final result you get after making adjustments in your image editor.

Remember that the best looking final results come from flat no-contrast scans.

Based on the files you get right out the scanner, Vuescan seems to lag behind the scanner manufacturers EOM software. But based on the final results Vuescan comes out ahead.

.............................

A crude analogy is like comparing a JPG to an unadjusted RAW file one would get from a digital camera. A simplistic assumption would be that JPGs give you higher quality that a RAW file.

If you do not want to bother with any or do the minimum of manual post processing, then the scanner manufacturers software and JPGs are for you. If you want total control of the entire process, then Vuescan (and RAW files) are what you want to use.

 

[lewis44]

A crude analogy is like comparing a JPG to an unadjusted RAW file one would get from a digital camera. A simplistic assumption would be that JPGs give you higher quality that a RAW file.

If you do not want to bother with any or do the minimum of manual post processing, then the scanner manufacturers software and JPGs are for you. If you want total control of the entire process, then Vuescan (and RAW files) are what you want to use.

I second this. I have been using film scanners since the Polaroid SprintScan 4000 came out.
I Always scan with the very minimum of adjustments with the scanning software.
Vuescan Raw files are the best to work with.
After saving all that I have scanned, they are then adjusted in Photoshop and saved again as a Tiff file. I keep the raw files as raw and can go back whenever I get the urge and play with them again.

 

[shadowfox]

No, just part of a suite you should have, IMO. Scanner software, in general, sucks. I therefore use EpsonSCAN, Vuescan and SilverFast Studio depending on what I'm trying to do. Eventually, one of them will get the job done...

I agree.

But Vuescan is at least producing better B&W scans than my scanner's own software. Scanner is Microtek i800, their software Scanner Wizard produces ok color scans, but severely blocked B&W shadows. No matter how I tweaked the dynamic range, the shadow details are pretty much gone.

Vuescan produces scans that are low contrast, but it captured both the highlight and the shadow details. I can easily increase the contrast in post-processing, which is far preferable to me.

 

[semilog]

What I do like and use is the DNG output option. I make VueScan store the files in the same directory always and have Lightroom look at that directory to automatically move any image file there to the appropriate directory on my network drive.

In Lightroom the DNG can be handled real good, and can even be opened in Photoshop for those adjustments that are cumbersome in Lightroom.

That's my workflow, too, with an Epson V550 and a Polaroid 4000.

 

[Brian Legge]

I've been playing with VueScan for a few months now. I like it for color - basically the workflow for correcting for the film base - but still have issues with highlights. I can get more out of the software that came with my 8800f than VueScan when it comes to saving areas on the edge of the exposure.

I've settled in to using VueScan for bulk scanning easy stuff and then other software on negatives where i have to fight for every bit of detail I can.

I expect there is a better way to deal with this in VueScan but I haven't found it yet.

 

[paapoopa]

i usually use vuescan for black and white, but prefer silverfast for color films.... I am using epson v700.

 

[Rogier]

Vuescan is the only one that works!
Silverfast is a pain in the neck and the company who makes is are crooks.

 

[Chris101]

I agree.

But Vuescan is at least producing better B&W scans than my scanner's own software. Scanner is Microtek i800, their software Scanner Wizard produces ok color scans, but severely blocked B&W shadows. No matter how I tweaked the dynamic range, the shadow details are pretty much gone.

Vuescan produces scans that are low contrast, but it captured both the highlight and the shadow details. I can easily increase the contrast in post-processing, which is far preferable to me.

Thanks for this Will! I have an i800 as well and have also noticed that I too have trouble with shadows when I scan medium format film with it (I use a Nikon 5000 for 35mm, with no complaints).

I just downloaded vuescan and will set about evaluating it in this regard.

 

[shadowfox]

Thanks for this Will! I have an i800 as well and have also noticed that I too have trouble with shadows when I scan medium format film with it (I use a Nikon 5000 for 35mm, with no complaints).

I just downloaded vuescan and will set about evaluating it in this regard.

Just how many gears we have in common, Chris? 😀

 

[NickTrop]

I bought Vuescan for my LS-50 and used it with that and my V700. I sold the LS-50 and only use Epson scan with the V700 - Vuescan may be better, but I cannot tell the difference between it and the Epson software.

Having said that, I don't pixel peep, just make prints upto A3 size.

If you want to improve your scans from your V700, make sure your holder feet are in the correct position (off, 0 or +) and may be invest in some 'better scanning' holders with the ANR glass.

+1... The Epson sw may be "bare bones" but it does what it's supposed to do. I actually liked the way the Epson SW was able to detect the negatives in the holder automatically very accurately, while Vuescan needed considerable "manual intervention". The results to my eye were about the same but Vuescan offered a lot more control that I was initially enamored with but in the end found I rarely used. Epson SW - barebones and underrated. Vuescan - a "control console" with every imaginable feature and steep learning curve. If I was a pro, I'd opt for Vuescan, but for casual/hobbiest endeavors, Epson.

 

[Chris101]

Just how many gears we have in common, Chris? 😀

I am willing to bet that we look similar, but you being somewhat younger, thinner and of course, better hair. 😎

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Is Vue Scan really the best software out there?

No. It's very good for non-critical scanning for some films, and definitely good enough if you're only worried about "raw" scans (true linear, non-processed scans of negatives/diapositives) and excellent for getting you out of a bind with unsupported drivers, but it's not "the best" image-wise. The interface is clunky, yet powerful enough, but that's not what exactly its selling point.

 

[shadowfox]

I am willing to bet that we look similar, but you being somewhat younger, thinner and of course, better hair. 😎

I won't bet on any of those, Chris 🙂

 

[Tompas]

(...) Remember that the best looking final results come from flat no-contrast scans.
(...)
All I want the scanner software to do is capture the maximum amount of data from the neg or slide and create a file without adjustments so I can make my adjustments in my image editor where I can control things. Vuescan is the only one that does that.

Bob, I find this very interesting, could you please elaborate?

I use the SilverFast software that came with my scanner (Plustek 7600i) and try to control contrast and colour and crop during the scanning -- I just never got the idea to scan 'raw' and adjust later.

What are the advantages of your method?

What image manipulation program do you use?

Thanks!

 

[Bob Michaels]

Vuescan - a "control console" with every imaginable feature and steep learning curve. If I was a pro, I'd opt for Vuescan, but for casual/hobbiest endeavors, Epson.

I have been using Vuescan for about 10 years and believe I understand all those features / adjustments. But I don't use them.

I basically use the Vuescan default settings. I make no adjustments to the Vuescan parameters for individual scans. That means the scanner software does almost no post processing. Then I do all my post processing in Photoshop knowing I am not reversing some adjustment that the OEM scanner software made in the background because everyone who does no additional post processing likes it that way.

Remember that good looking scans right out of the scanner do not equate to the optimum results.