Scanner question - espescially NIKON 5000

[ch1]

I'm new to scanning generally but have acquire a Nikon 5000D scanner. [Truth be told - I'm a Nikonian so prefer their optics etc.].

I "mastered" the slide (transparencies) scanning a while back but have never liked the proprietary software. Frankly, "IT SUCKS!"

Toniight, getting ready to submit some pics for the next RFF Book, I "stuggled" to finally get to do some film strip scanning.

What a "friggin'" pain!

This software is so useless I was about ready to toss the darn scanner "down the shute".

I finally figured out a "work around" to get it to scan film strips - but only if I do a "preview" first before a "save scan". This doubles the time on "work process"!.

Does anyone here know of a real good, truly Windows-based, scanner program that will work with my Nikon 5000D scanner?

 

[cp_ste.croix]

bump for you...

 

[djon]

Using Nikon V 50ED (same in most respects as 5000) I find Nikonscan EXCELLENT for color negs and slides. I do prefer Vuescan for B&W because it doesn't exaggerate grain.

Nikonscan is more convenient with film strips because it reads framelines and positions frames with precision with the SA21 motorized (standard) carrier, whereas Vuescan simply measures distances so requires periodic adjustment. I use Nikonscan with color negs, Vuescan with slides and B&W, though Nikonscan is equally good with slides.

Some are happier with Nikonscan for B&W than I am, but they always use extra post-processing, whereas I prefer what I've come to see as the simplicity of Vuescan.

Unhappiness with scanners and other gizmos often comes from unwillingness to trust OEM defaults...

 

[Nikon Bob]

Should have got a Minolta 5400, sorry could not resist. Maybe just take a break and mull things over for a while, then try again. The OEM software should be able to do what you want.

Bob

 

[kaiyen]

I use Vuescan as well, and I would not consider scanning anything without it as at least an option (I go back to Nikonscan _only_ for really scratched up c41 stuff, as it's got a better ICE implementation).

On my IV, you have to spend a little time getting the frame offset and spacing right, but then the batch preview and subsequent scanning works just fine.

allan

 

[ch1]

Should have got a Minolta 5400, sorry could not resist. Maybe just take a break and mull things over for a while, then try again. The OEM software should be able to do what you want.

Bob

Bob,

Yes, a little "break" (i.e. a good night's sleep) definitely helps perspective.

I guess my issue with the software isn't its capabilities - it's that it not very user-friendly and has very poor documentation (vitually non-existent, actually!). While it has a Microsoft Windows look-alike screen -- it doesn't really follow the Windows protocols.

Last night I finally got it to scan film strips but only by a lot of trial-and-error with the settings etc. Nothing was "intuitive".

But I must admit, once I got it going, other then it insisting on doing a time-wasting "preview" each time, it did scan the strips very nicely.

Guess I'll adapt to the software "quirks" as I get more familiar with it.

Regards,
George

 

[dcsang]

Not having the Nikon 5000 (I have an older Minolta Scan Elite II) but I would second Allan's recomendation for VueScan (http://www.hamrick.com) - it's not very expensive, there are regular updates/downloads, and the software works pretty cleanly over all.

Good luck as I've heard the Nikon Scan software to be a pain 🙁

Dave

 

[Nikon Bob]

George

The Minolta first scans the whole strip, then you prescan the one you want and then you do a final scan. I have not tried batch scanning or exploring the other 95% of what the OEM software can do. Most software that I have used is not intuative and any help sections less so. I do any correction in PSE 2. Sometimes you have to go with the flow and experiment when your are in the mood to. At least you got it working. User friendly is an Oxymoron.

Bob

 

[kaiyen]

Well, you can do a prescan of the whole strip with either Nikonscan or Vuescan, too.

I've never bothered to actually figure out what the frame spacings on my various cameras are, but it would seem that I could figure it out for, say, my N70 and just plug those numbers in each time and get pretty close (that wouldn't work with my less-than-consistent vintage cameras, but they're exceptions in general, anyway). with that setting, I could quickliy do a whole strip preview, make rapid crops and then do full scans.

Nikonscan supports the same idea, but without the frame spacing option, which means it can sometimes miss the full frame.

But I can't think of any software that doesn't require you to do a full strip preview scan no matter what. Are you looking for something taht will let you select frame 3 and just scan it, without even previewing it? Vuescan might actually be able to do that, now that I thikn about it (I don't think there's a requirment to preview first), though I'm not sure why you'd want to.

allan

 

[ch1]

Well, you can do a prescan of the whole strip with either Nikonscan or Vuescan, too.

I've never bothered to actually figure out what the frame spacings on my various cameras are, but it would seem that I could figure it out for, say, my N70 and just plug those numbers in each time and get pretty close (that wouldn't work with my less-than-consistent vintage cameras, but they're exceptions in general, anyway). with that setting, I could quickliy do a whole strip preview, make rapid crops and then do full scans.

Nikonscan supports the same idea, but without the frame spacing option, which means it can sometimes miss the full frame.

But I can't think of any software that doesn't require you to do a full strip preview scan no matter what. Are you looking for something taht will let you select frame 3 and just scan it, without even previewing it? Vuescan might actually be able to do that, now that I thikn about it (I don't think there's a requirment to preview first), though I'm not sure why you'd want to.

allan

Perhaps you're correct that is has to do a pre-scan preview. But what I am describing is more than just the initial "sucking in the strip and then spitting most of it back out". This a full blown frame-by-frame scan in a preview mode (although I don't see any "views" anywhere).

It seemed that at one point during my "trial and error" episode I thought I had purposesly "enabled" the preview scan function . Thus thinking this to be the case, I could not then figure out had to turn it off.

It became quite a hair-pulling session and I did get confused at times as to why things weren't "working" the way I thought would be the case. More time will help me get used to the "quirks" of the software.

BTW: I am only interested (at this stage at least) in scanning the entire film strip - not "picking a choosing" what to scan - although that would be a nice option if it exists.

I must say I find it kind of amazing that the scanner automatically recognizes the individual frames on each strip - that feature is very nice.

Anyway, thanks for the advice. Now all I have to do is master PS-CS so I can figure out how to "size" to photos to submit for the RFF Book 2 project! 😕 😀

 

[djon]

Nikonscan prescans and displays its entire capacity (#of frames) if you tell it to... I use a Nikon V which scans 6 frames at a time...the 5000 scans as many as your memory can handle if you have the roll adapter or slide stacker.

Nikonscan does misread and mis-register if your neg is totaly clear (like frameline) and that requires some fooling around..otherwise it's great for "normal" images (whatever they are).

Vuescan advances film by measurement, not by reading framelines: you initially fiddle with some positioning parameters on the monitor, which is annoying until you get the hang of it...but then it's a handy system.

If I insert a strip of 6 frames with Vuescan and only want to preview or scan #3 (because I've previewed on a light box), it goes directly to #3. And then, if I want #1 it'll go to #1. It's a simple robot, it measures physically and advances or backs up, rather than reading framelines and advancing the way Nikon does. Neither is perfect, both have advantages, both can be annoying like anything else digital.

Nikonscan is ultra simple and effective, quite similar to Minolta's application. Vuescan initially looks complex, but it's pretty easy to learn if you give it a few minutes.

Nikon IV's Ice hardware is evidently not capable of taking full advantage of the Ice/infared applications in Nikonscan 4 and Vuescan....Nikon V and 5000 have newer Ice hardware that does take full advantage of the current Nikon Ice and Vuescan infared capability.

 

[kaiyen]

.Nikon V and 5000 have newer Ice hardware that does take full advantage of the current Nikon Ice and Vuescan infared capability.

hm. guess I need to go buy me a new scanner. is it okay if I cite you when I ask my wife? 🙂

allan