nikon scanners

[schimmey]

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Hi All

 

I am looking at purchasing a second hand nikon scanner with the original software. Is there any reason why it won't work with Apple OSX?

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

[andybarton]

No

 

Nikonscan works on OSX, but under Rosetta mode (it's a PPC application, thdts never been updated for Intel based Macs)

 

There are better choices of software that are Intel native, such as Vuescan, for example.

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[schimmey]

Hi Andy

 

It is the old PowerMac G5 I am using. Had been using a leafscan 45 but this has given up the ghost for some reason. So it should be ok simply to install/use the original disk supplied on my Mac? It is a 8000ed that I have seen.

 

Kind regards,

 

Paul

[Rich_H]

Last time I checked, Nikon had not updated their drivers for Leopard and I was told they didn't plan to. I decided to use Silverfast rather than the Nikon drivers and I've been very happy with the results. I'm using a Nikon 5000 scanner on a MacPro with the full version of SilverFast Ai. Good luck!

[schimmey]

Hi Rich

 

I must admit all this driver stuff really baffles me. I am not using the latest OSX. I am using Tiger. I have been looking at the 5000ED also but these are hard to come by. I don't think my leafscan is broken but there one minute it worked then the next it did not. I ran it through photoshop and all of a sudden it 'failed to initialise'. Not knowing much about computers can't do anything about it.

 

What do you think of the 5000ED & does the silverfast software come with it?

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

[andybarton]

Silverfast will not come with a Nikon scanner.

 

Nikonscan works with all releases of OSX, up to and including Leopard, so far.

[PeterP]

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It would be a good idea to purchase a third party scanning software, i.e. Silverfast, I find the Nikon software a bit unreliable.

 

Peter

[Rolo]

Always found NikonScan to be good. Tried the others and found it was down to personal preference. I particularly didn't like Vuescan and felt that Silverfast was massively overpriced. That was disappointing for me as I've used Silverfast for Epson for many years.

 

Have been using NikonScan on all recent variations of OS X and found it perfectly reliable. Maybe others have different installations and different memory installed, but I ran it on a G4 and now on a Mac Pro with 9 Gb of ram.

 

Suggest you try it and discover for yourself whether you like it, or not, but do get past the initial impressions stage.

 

Vuescan is so inexpensive that to switch is a low risk decision. I suggest that Nikonscan would cost far more if it wasn't bundled with the product.

 

Rolo

[Photon42]

Paul,

 

I use Vuescan along with my Nikon Scanner and a MacBook Pro. It's user interface is an orthopedic nightmare - but the Nikon Software isn't winning any prize in this field, too. Maybe Hamrick should give us a command line tool

 

The tool however delivers, if you know how to tweak it, and it really supports a large number of scanners. I've only once tried Silverfast and their software wasn't convincing me. Worse, their license costs put me totally off. New scanner model, new software.

 

Nikon Scan is known to have some install problems with Leopard, but this seem solvable. It is also quite a bit slower than Vuescan on the calculation intensive tasks, as it runs under Rosetta. I tried it both with Tiger and Leo. As I migrated to new new OS, I haven't had the pleasure of reinstalling, so I cannot comment.

 

Regards

Ivo

[Rolo]

as it runs under Rosetta. I tried it both with Tiger and Leo.

Regards

Ivo

 

Ivo, Andy,

why are you running it under Rosetta ? There is a native Mac version available from Nikon.

 

I don't even have Rosetta on my Mac, unlike I'm mis-informed.

 

Rolo

 

Andy,

 

appreciate the info. update.

Edited May 25, 2009 by Rolo

[andybarton]

Rosetta is a deep, under the bonnet, part of OSX which allows old software, written to run on IBM/Motorola PowerPC chips, to run on Intel chips.

 

It looks like a Mac application, runs like a Mac application and is a Mac application. Only, the system has to do some jiggerypokery to allow it to run. That jiggerypokery is "Rosetta", named after the "Rosetta Stone" and very apt

 

Native Intel Mac software runs faster and better than that running under Rosetta, but if your vendor hasn't been bothered to re-write the software for Intel chips (like Nikon), at least Apple have a means of allowing it to work.

 

Vuescan went native years ago, and the performance improved dramatically.

[schimmey]

I have been reading all the above & am thinking to go ahead with the 5000ED. I have read a few reviews and everyone seems to say that it is worth the money. They appear to be selling out so think I had better get my skates on! Another point in the reviews was that the fh-3 film feeder would be a worthwhile addition.

 

Is the above wise?

[erl]

I have the 5000ED & the 8000EED. Both are excellent scanners but service different needs. I gave up using (uninstalled!) the NikonScan years ago. VueScan does it for me. I have used it on six different scanners without a glitch. The interface is basic and clean. It keeps most of your monitor real estate for viewing the scan. Just as a Leica needs expert hands to use it to full advantage, so does VueScan, and I expect most software does really. Allow for a learning curve with both the scanner and the software you choose. ViewScan offers a free unlimited trial period and the full purchase price is extremely reasonable. Hard to lose really.

[Photon42]

Ivo, Andy,

why are you running it under Rosetta ? There is a native Mac version available from Nikon.

 

I don't even have Rosetta on my Mac, unlike I'm mis-informed.

 

Rolo

 

Andy,

 

appreciate the info. update.

 

Hello Rolo,

 

as Andy says, Rosetta is nothing whose existence you'd notice normally. It translates legacy "machine" code made for Motorola processors to the world of Intel processors. Vice versa is not implemented Applications may be compiled for the old world (Motorola), the new world (Intel), or both at the same time (universal binary).

 

On an Intel Mac, the OS first checks for native code, then for Motorola code, which is handed over to Rosetta for translation. Non-native code usually means slower execution. I might be wrong on the following, but I never saw more than on processor working on an Application run under Rosetta. Could be of course a coincidence.

 

How would you know finally about your App? Well, check the info panel in the finder:

 

Nikon Scan 4:

[ATTACH]143354[/ATTACH]

 

Vuescan:

[ATTACH]143355[/ATTACH]

 

So - I hope I didn't talk too long

 

Cheers

Ivo

[Rolo]

Hello Rolo,

 

as Andy says, Rosetta is nothing whose existence you'd notice normally. So - I hope I didn't talk too long

Cheers

Ivo

 

Thanks guys. I wasn't fully aware of Rosetta and thought it was a third party 'virtual pc' software which I knew I hadn't added.

 

Before posting I did a Finder search and nothing was revealed, so i presumed it wasn't there.

 

It doesn't matter t me, as it happens I moved up market 6 weeks ago, but I was attempting to inform the OP that NikonScan is good, and after dozens of tests with Vuescan and Silverfast I concluded that NS was best. However, I'm open minded and if others find it to be different - that's not an issue with me. [NB this is where some giant pillock responds with "that's very generous of you !"].

 

I know a number of very competent photographers that tried other software and came back to Nikonscan, but presumably more stayed with their new stuff.

 

Thanks for the information.

 

Rolo

[fjmcsu]

Nikon 4000 works well on Leopard OS .see this if you have problems. it fixed my issues after going from tiger to leopard

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/film-forum/77270-nikon-scan-4-0-2-fix.html

[nugat]

I don't have any problems running Nikon Scan 4.0.2 on Mac Intel 10.5.7.

The software is only to manage the scan and transport it into PS, LR or Aperture.

The only operations worth doing on the scanner are: crop, digital ICE, oversampling (usually x2 is enough) and choice 8bit/16bit. The rest is way better done in the PP application.