Bloody silverfast and their scanning software

menthel

menthel

Messages
6,732
Name
Jim
Edit My Images
Yes
It doesn't work with OSX lion! They are only upgrading at the end of the month and then will charge for anyone who didn't buy after June 2011. For their overblown prices I think its time to try vuescan!
 
Buy Vuescan Professional Edition and you get free upgrades for life - and it's only $79.95.

I find Silverfast's licensing schemes far too confusing.
 
Musicman said:
Buy Vuescan Professional Edition and you get free upgrades for life - and it's only $79.95.

I find Silverfast's licensing schemes far too confusing.
Click to expand...

That is exactly what I have just done! ;) Shame its almost as confusing as silverfast. I think I need a book...
 
menthel said:
That is exactly what I have just done! ;) Shame its almost as confusing as silverfast. I think I need a book...
Click to expand...

Vuescan does take some getting use to. And the arrangement of the the scanning settings is due to being multi-platform. But once you figure it out, you'll find only a few controls that you'll be playing with.
 
AlanSmithee said:
Vuescan does take some getting use to. And the arrangement of the the scanning settings is due to being multi-platform. But once you figure it out, you'll find only a few controls that you'll be playing with.
Click to expand...

I spent some time with it last night. Scanned as DNG and was surprised about how much more detail and range was scanned in from the pictures (mind you these were slides). Once imported into lightroom a hell of a lot of detail was able to be rescued from both blown highlights and the deepest, darkest shadows. So far impressed!
 
menthel said:
I spent some time with it last night. Scanned as DNG and was surprised about how much more detail and range was scanned in from the pictures (mind you these were slides). Once imported into lightroom a hell of a lot of detail was able to be rescued from both blown highlights and the deepest, darkest shadows. So far impressed!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I scan to DNG all the time too and import into Lightroom. Also, if your scanner supports it, you can set Input->Number of samples for multi-sampling scanning. That takes longer but helps increase captured tone range and noise reduction. I've found a value of 4 yields a good compromise between speed and quality. A max value of 16 is suppose to eliminate grain noise but on my scanner that takes 2 forever's and 1 eternity to scan.

Also, for medium format, I set the scanner to its highest optical resolution and use "size reduction" of 2. That both reduces the file size/pixel size without in many cases reducing the image quality. It does an averaging with the higher resolution and helps reduce noise.
 
menthel said:
It doesn't work with OSX lion! They are only upgrading at the end of the month and then will charge for anyone who didn't buy after June 2011. For their overblown prices I think its time to try vuescan!
Click to expand...

Bugger. I prefer the output of Silverfast to Vuescan [got Ai and Vuescan Pro]. I haven't moved on to Lion yet, but I may have bought Ai sometime in June so fingers crossed...
 
Just been arguing with vuescan. Its not very intuitive and nowhere in the instructions does it tell you the way to save raw negatives so that they are inverted. Bloody silly but sorted now. Hopefully.
 
menthel said:
Just been arguing with vuescan. Its not very intuitive and nowhere in the instructions does it tell you the way to save raw negatives so that they are inverted. Bloody silly but sorted now. Hopefully.
Click to expand...
One thing that drove me mad--and I still haven't figured it out--was how to add extra frames to the multi-crop preview. Sometimes it doesn't recognise all six frames on a film-strip and I have to selected them later individually.
 
this has probably been brought up in other threads, but would you guys recommend vuescan/silverfast over bog standard epson software?
 
paleblue said:
this has probably been brought up in other threads, but would you guys recommend vuescan/silverfast over bog standard epson software?
Click to expand...

I use a canon so I can't help you there, sorry! :)
 
paleblue said:
this has probably been brought up in other threads, but would you guys recommend vuescan/silverfast over bog standard epson software?
Click to expand...

An early review of the Epson V600 noted that there was no way to calibrate it for colour scans using Epson scan. An updated version of Vuescan included the ability to calibrate it. At the time of the review they felt that the additional cost of Vuescan meant that the V750 was a better option. It should be noted that the review was American and some time ago so the pricing was different to now and in the UK. I checked the price of Vuescan recently and even when adding a new V600 it was still considerably less than a V750.
 
I have either a Gen 1 or 2 iMac dual core plus I run Nikon CoolscanIV and the Microteck scanners which uses Silverfast. The above need Rossetta to run which Apple with Lion release has dropped all support for.

I have tried Vuescan and did not get on with it.

I can see why they have done it but still narks me about Apple not supporting older stuff.
 
Checked last night and I bought my licence for Ai on the 11th of June so I should be OK for an upgrade when I move on to Lion. Sucks for anyone else though...
 
paleblue said:
this has probably been brought up in other threads, but would you guys recommend vuescan/silverfast over bog standard epson software?
Click to expand...

Well Vuescan and silverfast are so unfriendly I just can't be bothered to use em, so for me I'm very happy with Epson software with Photoshop for tweaking after the scan.
 
excalibur2 said:
Well Vuescan and silverfast are so unfriendly I just can't be bothered to use em, so for me I'm very happy with Epson software with Photoshop for tweaking after the scan.
Click to expand...

I agree. I actually downloaded a trial version of Vuescan yesterday. I selected the correct film setting (160nc in this case) but wasn't happy at all with the end result. Epson did a much better job, and the user interface is much more user friendly for my needs. Anyway, sorry to divert from the initial subject of the thread.
 
Does the ability to do multiple scans not make either of these two programs worth getting or in are the results too small to justify the cost in reality?
 
Chris L said:
Does the ability to do multiple scans not make either of these two programs worth getting or in are the results too small to justify the cost in reality?
Click to expand...
If you're scanning slides, it might be worth it, but the good dedicated film scanners usually come with good software. Vuescan additionally offers support for older scanners under modem operating systems.
 
Cistron said:
If you're scanning slides, it might be worth it, but the good dedicated film scanners usually come with good software. Vuescan additionally offers support for older scanners under modem operating systems.
Click to expand...

I doubt I'll be shooting slide. Most of it will be black and white also. I'm not sure if the V600 is classed as an older scanner but I don't think it is. If they don't offer a significant difference in image quality over Epson Scan then I guess I'll save my money :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top