VueScan software (1 Viewer)

Is anybody using the 3rd party software VueScan, for use with slide scanners such as the Nikon Coolscan range of scanners. Does it provide better scans than Nikon's own software.
Comments would be appreciated.
Thanks
Dave

Dave Adshead said:

Is anybody using the 3rd party software VueScan, for use with slide scanners such as the Nikon Coolscan range of scanners. Does it provide better scans than Nikon's own software.
Comments would be appreciated.
Thanks
Dave

Click to expand...

I used it with a Nikon LS30 and yes it could give better results. But with other scanners I didn't think much of it, at least for slides. It is said to be most useful for colour negative film. Apparantly the Nikon software clips the highlights and shadows of negative film. I still have Vuescan, and have used it with my Minolta 5400 to scan slides, but I get much better results with the Minolta software. There is a lot of discussion of Vuescan on Photo Net. In its favour it is cheap, and I have been allowed to upgrade for the last 4 years or so without charge which is unprecedented.

Leif

I've used Vuescan for my film stuff for several years. I've had good results from both negs and slides using it, but wonder now if manufacturers' software has caught up in the years since (I can't be bothered to change now as I use digital and only scan once in a blue moon when someone wants one of my old images).

It's handy for me that Vuescan allows you to use more than one scanner with the same software (I use film and flatbed scanners). It has plenty of control (levels, curves etc). One problem I've had recently is that Vuescan has settings from each film manufacturer and film version. Often I have no recall of exactly which version of which film I am scanning with my old negs and so miss out on the fine-tuning Vuescan can provide.

Overall, Vuescan works and is worth the cash if you use it regularly (i.e. it's not a rip-off), but check you like the results more than the free stuff your scanner has with it. I'd suggest you try a demo and see if you like it compared with your manufacturer's software.