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Thread: Software for Converting Scanned Color Negatives

  1. #1

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    Software for Converting Scanned Color Negatives

    What software exists for converting scanned color negatives, that's not tied to Adobe cloud products?

    I've been reading about Negative Lab Pro, which sounds like a good product. But it's a plugin for Lightroom or Lightroom Classic, and Adobe cloud products will not run on my machine, which runs High Sierra.

    I gather that ColorNeg (Color Perfect) is a similar product that runs as a plugin to Adobe cloud products.

    It appears that FilmLab is a stand-alone product that converts scanned color negatives. Is this a decent product? It's a bit expensive: $249 per forever license. (But, worth it to me, if it works well.)

    What other software products come to mind for converting color negatives?

    And while I'm on the topic, I view cloud software applications as absolutely insidious. They put users on a treadmill that forces them always to have only the latest products and versions of software. For example, High Sierra isn't that dated; yet, "it's no longer supported." And, to get a more recent OSX, I need a more recent computer! And of course, that same dynamic cascades to so many other products. Really makes me burn! Talk about planned obsolescence.

  2. #2

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    Re: Software for Converting Scanned Color Negatives

    Phase One's Capture One. Since you have a Mac, have you tried processing scans in the Photos App? I think that it's more capable than people give it credit for, and it's bundled with the operating system.

  3. #3

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    Re: Software for Converting Scanned Color Negatives

    Color perfect is not tied to Adobe Cloud, you can run it on CS6 or for example. I run it on a Mac G5 for one of my scanners. There is also NEGMASTER which is a photoshop plug-in, but I just thought I would mention it.

  4. #4
    Peter
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    Re: Software for Converting Scanned Color Negatives

    Although I haven't converted scanned color negs in Darktable, I have been using Darktable for about a year and find it to be extremely capable for all of my post-processing. It is free open source software and will work on your mac. It is often compared to Lightroom, but more powerful. There are lots of tutorials for nearly all aspects of darktable on YouTube. Here is one I just found for converting scanned color negs ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8dlM_bCtig&t=3s

  5. #5

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    Re: Software for Converting Scanned Color Negatives

    Quote Originally Posted by neil poulsen View Post
    And while I'm on the topic, I view cloud software applications as absolutely insidious. They put users on a treadmill that forces them always to have only the latest products and versions of software. For example, High Sierra isn't that dated; yet, "it's no longer supported." And, to get a more recent OSX, I need a more recent computer! And of course, that same dynamic cascades to so many other products. Really makes me burn! Talk about planned obsolescence.
    This has been discussed before -- here and everywhere else. A look at all software over the last few decades shows lots of consolidation, and movement toward subscriptions only. Often with a free trial period, people are drawn in, and in the end have to pay or lose everything.
    This is also happening to the operating systems -- which has greater significance. If you give up your free upgraded trial operating system (i.e., Windows 11) you are totally stuck -- unless you pay up in a year for new software, and sometimes new hardware.
    The good old days of a permanent license are fast disappearing. I have lots of older software that is "permanent" -- for "life". But it's really only the life of my hard drive. If I need to be re-install the software, I can't do it because the licensing service on the INTERNET is no longer maintained by the company. This is true for older versions of Microsoft Office, SPSS, Adobe Acrobat, and many more.
    Buyer beware!

  6. #6

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    Re: Software for Converting Scanned Color Negatives

    And, right on the tail of Apple announcing their new Studio computer. Hmm.

  7. #7
    Alan Klein's Avatar
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    Re: Software for Converting Scanned Color Negatives

    Quote Originally Posted by xkaes View Post
    This has been discussed before -- here and everywhere else. A look at all software over the last few decades shows lots of consolidation, and movement toward subscriptions only. Often with a free trial period, people are drawn in, and in the end have to pay or lose everything.
    This is also happening to the operating systems -- which has greater significance. If you give up your free upgraded trial operating system (i.e., Windows 11) you are totally stuck -- unless you pay up in a year for new software, and sometimes new hardware.
    The good old days of a permanent license are fast disappearing. I have lots of older software that is "permanent" -- for "life". But it's really only the life of my hard drive. If I need to be re-install the software, I can't do it because the licensing service on the INTERNET is no longer maintained by the company. This is true for older versions of Microsoft Office, SPSS, Adobe Acrobat, and many more.
    Buyer beware!

    '...You load 16 tons, what do you get?
    Another day older and deeper in debt
    St. Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go
    I owe my soul to the company store..."
    16 Tons
    sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRh0QiXyZSk

  8. #8
    Les
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    Re: Software for Converting Scanned Color Negatives

    Neil, I'm looking into ColorNeg and was told that my Elements PS (20) can handle it....an not sure if my Lightroom 5 can deal with this. My interest mostly stems from thousands of mot. picture film stills (5247). I'm with you on being anti-cloud.
    Les

    On occasion I noticed there is real life outside the GG/viewfinder.

  9. #9

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    Re: Software for Converting Scanned Color Negatives

    Quote Originally Posted by neil poulsen View Post
    And while I'm on the topic, I view cloud software applications as absolutely insidious. They put users on a treadmill that forces them always to have only the latest products and versions of software. For example, High Sierra isn't that dated; yet, "it's no longer supported." And, to get a more recent OSX, I need a more recent computer! And of course, that same dynamic cascades to so many other products. Really makes me burn! Talk about planned obsolescence.
    Are you sure that Creative Cloud won't run on macOS High Sierra? Two months ago, Adobe said that it does support High Sierra: https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/...atibility.html

    Adobe doesn't appear have said anything differently since. It does appear that Adobe users have been talking for some time about how much longer High Sierra will be supported.

    At Apple's end, the ability to upgrade one's operating system depends on the architecture and capabilities of the computer. Apple's current operating system, macOS Monterey, supports, and is running on, my eight year old 2014 Mac mini. I don't know how old your computer is, but I gather that Apple stopped supporting it with operating system updates five years ago.

    I suspect that this is the last year that my 2014 Mac mini will run on the latest Mac operating system, and I can't say that I'll be surprised or annoyed if it doesn't make this fall's supported list.

    One option for you is to install Linux and run Gimp. I haven't looked into the suitability of Gimp for working on scanned photographs, but it has a good reputation generally, and an active, supportive user base.

  10. #10

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    Re: Software for Converting Scanned Color Negatives

    [/QUOTE]One option for you is to install Linux and run Gimp. I haven't looked into the suitability of Gimp for working on scanned photographs, but it has a good reputation generally, and an active, supportive user base.[/QUOTE]

    I dumped Windows in 1998 after installing Red Hat Linux, which came with the Gimp. It's all I have ever needed. Linux distros usually also incude SANE (scanner access now easy) support for many dozens of scanners, including older SCSI models. Linux still has full SCSI support.

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