Color Negs with Vue Scan

[Frank Petronio]

I've grown quite fond of speedy, fairly idiot proof Vue Scan with my Epson 4990. It scans B&W nicely so long as I play with the film profiles. Chromes are pretty decent in default mode too. But my Portra 400NC negs (and other C-41 film) looks like crap - noisey shadows, way wrong color, etc.

I guess I'll just install the Epson scanner software for the occassional color work (I am trying to do less color these days) but am I missing something with Vue Scan? The interface and help is strange... but boy, I sure like its speed and simplicity for scanning B&W - just wish I could get better color with it.

(I know, get SilverFast and profile the scanner... but I am pretty lazy)

[tim atherton]

As long as you aren't on a mac... get a RAW scan from vuescan and apply NegPos

(also weird interface and a bit of a learning curve - as someone said, if you loved DOS 3.1 you'll love vuescan and NegPos....) - great for B&W too

http://www.c-f-systems.com/Plug-ins.html

[Frank Petronio]

Gotta Mac Tim.

[tim atherton]

poor soul...

okay one useful thhing is john brownlows colour neg thingy workflow (he's also a mac sufferer so he has to do it by hand)

http://johnbrownlow.com/streetphoto/viewtopic.php?p=8206#8206

http://flickr.com/photos/pinkheadedbug/sets/72057594101216070/

[Henry Ambrose]

What's the problem with Epson software - is it that it comes for free?
It works fine.

[tim atherton]

I find the epson software awful for colour neg

[Frank Petronio]

I just installed the Epson software and got a decent scan in a few minutes -- at least it is far nicer than the VueScan one. Maybe the Mac version is better in this case?

[Henry Ambrose]

It must be a Mac thang - I've never understood the complaints about it. But then I've never understood why anyone would buy a microsoft machine.

; >)

[paulr]

the profiles built into vuescan work great, if there's one for the film you use. the interface is clunky compared with silverfast, but the results are excellent. no need at all to flagellate yourself with windows-only software

i must say, i've never been able to get a decent color neg scan out of the epson software.

[Kirk Gittings]

After extensive testing, I personally found NegPos, Vuescan and Epson Scan inferior to Silverfast for color negs. Silverfast has decent profiles for color negs. I am currently using a Imacon 949 and wish to hell they had Silverfast for it.