Vuescan Workflow for B&W

[jano]

I gotta question about nikonscan.. what happens if you uncheck those check-boxes on the tool-palette options like curves and sharpening and color? Would that eliminate any corrections nikon does, or will it still apply some? I haven't run any tests, but I noted several months ago that you can "disable" those options.

 

[michael.panoff]

I did all my scans with those check-boxes unchecked, but it still applies some correction.. which looks to me like a contrast boost. There might be work around by scanning as slide film, much the same way I've done with vuescan.

 

[jano]

The contrast adjustment you're seeing may have something to do with the software adjusting for the color casts.

Have you ever noticed how sometimes, when using the color balance tool in PS, the image appears to gain a bit of contrast? *shrug* I know nothing of this, just postulating here.

 

[michael.panoff]

possibly, but I find whatever it does it over does it enough times to be a less effective tool that vuescan. Granted sometimes it seems to really nail what I'm after, but this is rare. I'd rather adjust in photoshop to the contrast (and mid) level I think necessary for the photograph. The trade-off is a more involved, complicated workflow.

As a side-note, the grain seems to be more in-focus with nikon scan, as compared to vuescan, not sure why this is happening.