scanning software

[terry_5379]

what is best scanning software.

[Leonard Evens]

A lot of people like the full version of SilverFast. Myself, I prefer Vuescan. You can download an evaluation copy from www.hamrick.com. It is fully functional but produces a watermark in each scan. If you buy it, you get a serial number which removes the watermark. I would recommend the professional version over the standard version. It costs about $80.

[Eric Brody]

It may depend on the scanner. For my Microtek 1800f, I use the supplied Silverfast Ai, for my Nikon 9000, I prefer the Nikon software. I own and have spent quite a bit of time with Vuescan and never found it to work for me. YMMV. I scan almost exclusively Tmax 100 black and white.

You don't mention what scanner you are using, what film you are scanning and what you intend to do with the scans. With no more info than you supply, you'll get only subjective opinions such as mine and Leonard's.

Good luck.

Eric

[terry_5379]

I am using Epson v750 Pro, 5x4 and 8x10.
Interested in making handmade books, largest print size would be 8x10.

[Ted Harris]

With the v750, IMO, Silverfast Ai or Ai Studio is the way to go. Didn't your scanner come with Ai?

[Brian Ellis]

I've used both Vuescan and Silverfast Ai extensivley. Silverfast gives you more options for greater control but it has a fairly steep learning curve if you want to use all its features to best advantage (at least it was steep for me). The manual that comes with it isn't very good, I had to buy a book titled "Silverfast:The Official Guide" by Tally (about $30 from Amazon) to understand how to use some of the features. The other downside is that it's specific to scanner brand and model. If you change scanners you have to buy it again. Vuescan works fine and once you buy it you can use it with any scanner that it supports (i.e. no need to buy it again if you switch scanners). I didn't find it very intutitive to use and the information available on the web site wasn't all that great either. But it is easier to learn than Silverfast I think. Once you learn them either one does a good job.

[terry_5379]

yes scanner did come with silverfast, with epson software scans are awful, with silverfast I get better scans,just wandered if there is anything better out there.

[scrichton]

epson software scans are awful

I admit I jumped straight into Silverfast. I think the epson scanning is for people needing auto cropping and batching more than anything. I tried it te other night. I hated it and went back to silverfast.

[sparq]

I have a V700 and I use the OEM Silverfast SE. I only scan the unprocessed HDR formats - they give me most out of the scanner and let me properly process the pictures in an editor later.

[Rakesh Malik]

What are you using to edit the SilverFast HDR's? Can you open them in something like Lightroom or ACR?

[sparq]

What are you using to edit the SilverFast HDR's? Can you open them in something like Lightroom or ACR?

I think the term HDR is a product of marketing. At least in my case (single-pass scans), the output file is a 16 or 48-bit TIFF.

[Rakesh Malik]

I had wondered about that... I'd read somewhere that the HDRs were some proprietary thing that was supposed to require SilverFast HDR to open and process.

Thanks! :)

Now the debate is whether or not to upgrade to Ai Studio.

[terry_5379]

sorry i do not understand the question, i am new to scanning.