Film Scanners

[Martin B]

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Previously I used Silverfast, but somehow I don't like the color negative profiles for the Nikon scanner.

 

Can Silverfast be used with any kind of attached TWAIN-based scanner? I assumed it is specifically made for the scanner product it was delivered with? I wouldn't be surprised if NegaFix profiles of the Silverfast software cause a different white balance on scanners the software is not originally designed for. I can only tell from experience with Silverfast 8 with NegaFix in combination with Plustek 8200i scanner that it works extremely well. 

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[plasticman]

Can Silverfast be used with any kind of attached TWAIN-based scanner? I assumed it is specifically made for the scanner product it was delivered with? I wouldn't be surprised if NegaFix profiles of the Silverfast software cause a different white balance on scanners the software is not originally designed for. I can only tell from experience with Silverfast 8 with NegaFix in combination with Plustek 8200i scanner that it works extremely well. 

I currently use Silverfast with my Coolscan - but I don't use any of the profiles. The AI Studio version of the application allows for 48bit raw files to be captured - I then leave it to ColorPerfect and my other image apps to convert the resulting file.

 

But fwiw I really liked the raw results from NikonScan - unfortunately it's no longer compatible with my Operating System, and not worth the trouble of running extra software to maintain compatibility (for me).

 

PS: oh - to answer the original question - Silverfast is tied to a specific scanner model.

Edited September 8, 2017 by plasticman

[edwardkaraa]

Can Silverfast be used with any kind of attached TWAIN-based scanner? I assumed it is specifically made for the scanner product it was delivered with? I wouldn't be surprised if NegaFix profiles of the Silverfast software cause a different white balance on scanners the software is not originally designed for. I can only tell from experience with Silverfast 8 with NegaFix in combination with Plustek 8200i scanner that it works extremely well.

I have silverfast for both primefilm XE and coolscan V. Each scanner has its own profile, but when negafix is opened, it ignores the scanner profile. The way it works is that it automatically detects the orange mask and neutralizes it. Then it applies the film profile you select. The film profiles are all the same regardless of what scanner is used, and produce different colors with different scanners. I have come to the conclusion that Nikon Scan is way ahead and has superior algorithms for scanning color negatives. Luckily it works on my windows 7 64bit OS. I have read that some people use it on windows 10 successfully even though it is not officially supported by Nikon. The most important is to have a copy of silverfast or vuescan installed so that windows can use their updated scanner driver.

Edited September 8, 2017 by edwardkaraa

[DickieT]

In  the good old days, I have used the Nikon LS30 and later the Nikon CoolScan 5000 and sold my LS30 a few years ago. Today I am very happy to have kept the 5000, it still works perfectly and I have found a SA-30 plus roll for a very reasonable price, which makes the process a little easier. I use VueScan without any 'function' or profile and it works fine. Silverfast is way too expensive

[Sspector15]

I was finally able to find a BEOON and have started digitizing B&W negatives using the 50 Summicron and an M Monochrom. The only problem I'm having is getting the negative lined up/ It always seems to be slightly askew. Also wondering if the best workflow is using Lightroom and reversing the tone curve. 

Aside from that, it is easy. The viewing tube that came with the set is terrible, though. Seems to have collected layers of dust. But, once the focus is set, there's little more to do. Actually, I may set up a three exposure bracket. And also test the same negatives on my V700.

[Guest Nowhereman]

^ It's much easier to use the Invert command in Photoshop, and then to continue with other adjustments in Lightroom. This command is in the PS menu Image/Adjustments/Invert, and has the keyboard shortcut Command-I. 

As for lining up the negative, I think it's a matter of practice.
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Am 2.7.2020 um 21:48 schrieb Sspector15:

It always seems to be slightly askew

The lens mount of the BEOON can be adjusted. It has a maggot screw in the bajonet. Loosen that screw, adjust the mount by turning it until it's straight and the camera is parallel to tbe BEOON's foot, tighten again.

[lawrencem10p]

For someone who has just purchased a Nikon 5000 - do you recommend Vuescan or Silverfast? I have a Mac

[Steve Ash]

vor 2 Stunden schrieb lawrencem10p:

For someone who has just purchased a Nikon 5000 - do you recommend Vuescan or Silverfast? I have a Mac

Go for Vuescan. I lost about 1000EUR on Silverfast. Especially theirs upgrade policy is a ridiculous rip-off. 

Edited July 27, 2020 by Steve Ash

[Guest]

6 hours ago, lawrencem10p said:

do you recommend Vuescan or Silverfast?

It depends on the type of emulsion you want to scan. The colour management of VueScan is minimalistic, it only understands matrix profiles, which is not sufficient e.g. for Kodachrome. The IR-based dust and scratch removal does not work satisfactorily for Kodachrome, since it corrects all over dark regions, even if there are no defects there. On the other hand, SilverFast still has severe bugs even 8 years after publication.

Hermann-Josef

Edited July 27, 2020 by Jossie

[stunsworth]

10 hours ago, lawrencem10p said:

For someone who has just purchased a Nikon 5000 - do you recommend Vuescan or Silverfast? I have a Mac

Vuescan. Buy the professional version and you get free lifetime updates - I bought it over 20 years ago and still get the updates.

It’s currently on offer...

https://www.hamrick.com/purchase-vuescan.html

[plasticman]

12 hours ago, lawrencem10p said:

For someone who has just purchased a Nikon 5000 - do you recommend Vuescan or Silverfast? I have a Mac

After comparing images from Vuescan and Silverfast over a very long period of time, I personally prefer the scans I get from Silverfast. 

BUT the interface is horrible and unintuitive, the application has bugs that are apparently never fixed, support is poor, and as others have said, the pricing is both outrageously high and is also based on the quality of your scanner, rather than on any specific features in the software itself.

The last time I updated the software it totally broke batch-capturing. When I finally got an answer from their elusive support team, they claimed that the way I described the original batch-capture had actually never been supported - but then I found the previous install on my hard-disk, and showed them exactly how it worked. As far as I know, the batch capture is still broken in the current iteration.

btw I'm using Silverfast with the Coolscan 9000 - so pretty much the same as your scanner.

Edited July 27, 2020 by plasticman

[jwr50]

On 7/27/2020 at 8:57 AM, plasticman said:

After comparing images from Vuescan and Silverfast over a very long period of time, I personally prefer the scans I get from Silverfast. 

BUT the interface is horrible and unintuitive, the application has bugs that are apparently never fixed, support is poor, and as others have said, the pricing is both outrageously high and is also based on the quality of your scanner, rather than on any specific features in the software itself.

I agree that the Silverfast interface is not intuitive -- there is a learning curve.  That said, I use Silverfast 8 Ai Studio on a Windows 10 machine, and it has worked fine with an Epson V850 flatbed scanner.  When I first started using Silverfast, I spent an hour or so with SIlverfast's customer support team, and after some further experience with the software, I am very pleased with the results I'm getting.    I've been getting 14x17 prints from scanned 35mm negatives that more than pass the "eye test."

[graphlex]

Silver fast produces excellent scans. But it’s an odious user experience. About as much fun as programming in octal.

Marc Segal’s “Scanning with Silverfast” is a sanity-saver if scan you must  

 

[bags27]

 Plustek just informed me that they are coming out with a new version of its 120 scanner, called "pro". This should be a big deal for MF photographers, I think.

 

[plasticman]

7 hours ago, bags27 said:

 Plustek just informed me that they are coming out with a new version of its 120 scanner, called "pro". This should be a big deal for MF photographers, I think.

 

I think it’s at least a year since this scanner was promised. If I recall correctly, this update to the original 120 still doesn’t include autofocus - which (aside from some reliability problems) was the main shortcoming of the first scanner. 

[Guest]

Am 27.7.2020 um 02:52 schrieb lawrencem10p:

For someone who has just purchased a Nikon 5000 - do you recommend Vuescan or Silverfast? I have a Mac

For my Nikon 9000 I bought a well preserved MacMini from 2004 for € 40.
I installed Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 and Rosetta as the last OS X version on which the original Nikon software Nikonscan is still running.
As a stand-alone device it optimally operates the Nikon scanner and delivers scans that can be processed on my newer Macs.

[John Robinson]

I was fortunate enough to get a brand-new Coolscan 5000 before they went out of production.  The Nikon software did a very good job (especially when scanning an un-cut roll of film up to 40 frames) but became problematic when Windows and Mac operating systems went to new versions but Microsoft did not update, hence moved to Vuescan (which is excellent).  Later on a colleague found a version of the Nikon software that runs on Windows 7 (sadly, now also out of date).  I haven't tested it on Windows 10 but there is a chance it would work.  The option of going to an old machine dedicated to scanning is one way to get around obsolescence.  Another colleague recommended I get an old PC running Windows 7 but don't connect it to the internet, similar to the MacMini option mentioned above.

I can dig out the instructions and the file (a revised driver) and post here if anyone is interested. 

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[John Robinson]

Just managed to find the link, which seems still to work including the download for Windows 64 bit.  I have tested this up to Windows 7 64.  It might work on Windows 10 but I have not tried it.

http://axelriet.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/nikon-ls-40-ls-50-ls-5000-scanners-on.html

It needs the "Windows Vista" version of the Nikon software that is still around on the web, including the 4.02 update.

Edited August 7, 2020 by John Robinson
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[robert blu]

On 8/5/2020 at 8:44 AM, mnutzer said:

For my Nikon 9000 I bought a well preserved MacMini from 2004 for € 40.
I installed Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 and Rosetta as the last OS X version on which the original Nikon software Nikonscan is still running.
As a stand-alone device it optimally operates the Nikon scanner and delivers scans that can be processed on my newer Macs.

I kept an old Mac Book Pro running Snow Leopard + Rosetta to connect to my nikon 5000 ED. Later I tried Vuescan on my Mac Pro and once learned (less intuitive than Nikon Scan becasue too many options) I found it works very well. Therefore I stay with that.

My only concern is if (or better when) one day the 5000 ED will die...have not found anyone able to work on it in Europe. I recently bought a BEOON to use with my M10 just in case...

 

Edited August 9, 2020 by robert blu