Need tips for scanning color (plustek 7600 SE + vuescan)

[yossarian123]

Well, the title pretty much says it all. I'm looking for any helpful tips for scanning color negatives. I've got a pretty good workflow set up for B&W, it seems to be much easier to get quality scans in B&W than in color. I don't shoot a lot of color film, and I'm still struggling to come up with the right settings to get a decent scan. Most of my colors scans are very noisy, vuescan seems to punch up the exposure so that noise is really exaggerated.

A sampling of my settings:
3600 dpi
1 pass
auto levels
curves at default
brightness 0.9
using the generic color negative profile

Any tips?

 

[yossarian123]

Here's an example scan using the settings mentioned.

 

[yossarian123]

anybody have some tips?

 

[slaguod]

Whatever sort of film I am scanning, I prefer to output a Raw DNG format scan and then do all of the processing in post. I believe that Vuescan is a fantastic piece of software - but I prefer to do any processing of the scan in Lightroom and Photoshop.

My understanding is that Vuescan settings only affect how the scan looks from within Vuescan (if you output a Raw DNG) - since the settings do not actually affect what the scanner sees - only how it is interpreted. Certainly with fixed exposure and fixed focus scanners such as the Plustek film scanners and Epson flatbeds.

( ^ this is my understanding - I am happy to be corrected. )

Raw DNG format files can be imported into Lightroom directly. FWIW my workflow with colour negatives in Lightroom begins with me doing a reversal by inverting the tone curve. Then white balance to remove the cast. Then everything else.

These are the important Vuescan output tab settings:

Raw file: checked
Raw file type: 48 bit RGB (assuming you prefer to retouch any dust yourself)
Raw output with: Save
Raw DNG format: checked

I only ever do one pass.

 

[cabbiinc]

Don't fix what's not broken. If you have a process that works for what you want I'd stick with it. That said in what area are you wanting tips in?

This looks like a well exposed negative. If you really want to hone your skills/settings you'll want to use a poorly exposed frame and work off of that.

 

[cabbiinc]

Whatever sort of film I am scanning, I prefer to output a Raw DNG format scan and then do all of the processing in post. I believe that Vuescan is a fantastic piece of software - but I prefer to do any processing of the scan in Lightroom and Photoshop.

My understanding is that Vuescan settings only affect how the scan looks from within Vuescan (if you output a Raw DNG) - since the settings do not actually affect what the scanner sees - only how it is interpreted. Certainly with fixed exposure and fixed focus scanners such as the Plustek film scanners and Epson flatbeds.

( ^ this is my understanding - I am happy to be corrected. )

Raw DNG format files can be imported into Lightroom directly. FWIW my workflow with colour negatives in Lightroom begins with me doing a reversal by inverting the tone curve. Then white balance to remove the cast. Then everything else.

These are the important Vuescan output tab settings:

Raw file: checked
Raw file type: 48 bit RGB (assuming you prefer to retouch any dust yourself)
Raw output with: Save
Raw DNG format: checked

I only ever do one pass.

The DNG format was added so you can use Adobe Camera RAW on the negative files. It's not necessary to get a RAW scan, but if it works for you go for it. RAW produces a Tiff with no processing done, which is different from just a Tiff output (some processing applied).

I usually save as a 64 bit RGBI, reprocess in Vuescan on a second computer (laptop so I can sit a McDonalds with the kids while I'm working), and output to a jpeg for the final. If I have a problem or special frame that I want to do more with I'll output to a 48 bit tiff and work on it in post. I can even output a DNG file from a processed RAW file.

There is a plug-in for accurate color work. You can't use the DNG format with it but rather the 48 bit Tiff with no adjustments made. The process is described here http://benneh.net/blog/2010/09/25/vuescan-colorperfect-a-guide/?goal=yes and the first line on that blog posting has a link to another way of getting pretty darned good results.

 

[Paddy C]

There is lots of info around the web. Searches will bring up many posts. But it' a rabbit hole.

I found this post and gave it a go and it seems to work really well for me (but I'm always open to options):

http://www.defocus.net/2010/01/scanning-color-negatives.html

Also, a member here, Tim Gray, has some info on scanning on his site:

http://www.125px.com/articles/photography/digital/invertingraw/

I ended up mixing his profiling with the method laid out in the defocus post and have found that to work a charm.

 

[yossarian123]

My main issue has been to get rid of color casts in-scanner, using a plustek without bulk scanning is tedious at best so I want to reduce postprocessing time wherever I can.

I just downloaded the trial version of ColorPerfect, it seems to be a pretty neat plugin and I'm already noticing a pretty noticeable difference in my scans. I may have to spend the $60 and get a full license. Thanks for the tips everyone!

The DNG format was added so you can use Adobe Camera RAW on the negative files. It's not necessary to get a RAW scan, but if it works for you go for it. RAW produces a Tiff with no processing done, which is different from just a Tiff output (some processing applied).

I usually save as a 64 bit RGBI, reprocess in Vuescan on a second computer (laptop so I can sit a McDonalds with the kids while I'm working), and output to a jpeg for the final. If I have a problem or special frame that I want to do more with I'll output to a 48 bit tiff and work on it in post. I can even output a DNG file from a processed RAW file.

There is a plug-in for accurate color work. You can't use the DNG format with it but rather the 48 bit Tiff with no adjustments made. The process is described here http://benneh.net/blog/2010/09/25/vuescan-colorperfect-a-guide/?goal=yes and the first line on that blog posting has a link to another way of getting pretty darned good results.

 

[cabbiinc]

A note on the Color Perfect plug-in. If your photo editor isn't listed as supported you may contact them to see if it is. I have Corel Paintshop Pro and while the trial version works rather well, the paid for license won't take and you can't activate it. They claim there are other things that won't work either but aside from the watermarks I see no difference using it with PSP and using it with Photoshop Elements.