Ok, so the forum is Nikon SLRs..... I borrowed a Nikon 4000 scanner to catch up on some old film. Downloaded newest software and a firmware update to 1.10 from Nikon.
Running on a newish windows macine XP pro, 2 gigs etc.
Scans of relatively normal slides are coming up horribly cyan. The cyan histogram only shows data in the bottom 50% of the screen (the darker areas). I've been over settings and such and can't see a problem. And of course "last time I used it it was perfect......"
Ideas anyone?
One other note: I tried to upgrade the firmware but can't, because "I need to have Nikon Scan 3 installed" When I downloaded current softsware I got NikonScan 4.....The PDF for the irmware says NS#3 or Later....
This probably sounds crazy, but I had an almost identical problem with my Minolta Scan Elite 5400, except the scans were horribley magenta. I shut down everything and restarted, and all was well. That's happened two or three times.
Are you saying that NikonScan 4 won't install, or it won't run the scanner? or just not update the firmware? FWIW, I bought Vuescan, and it does a beautiful job. The software on the Minolta CD would crash, and Vuescan worked well. 'course, you may not want to be buying any software for a borrowed scanner
The nikon software installed fine but the firmware upgrade....who knows? I'll ttry vuesacn's trial version...that should give an idea or two. Thanx...will get back to ya!
papageno wrote:
All the brilliance here and no one can add to this scenario? Shakes my faith......
I don't know about brilliance... Probably not too many people here still doing regular slide scanning. Haven't done any in about I year, myself, I think.
That said, I do have a Coolscan 4000, and have NOT encountered your problem, also on a newish windows machine running XP. I still use the 3.12 (I think version - first update that works with XP) version of Nikon Scan, and feel that it works very well. I also found no need to update the firmware. Did you make sure that you had your scan setting correct for film type? I found that that sometimes made a difference... Do your previews also look too cyan?
Do the scans appear like this just within nikonscan? What happens when loaded into photoshop or equivalent?
If it's just within nikonscan then check out your monitor colour profile. In windows, some manufacturer supplied colour profiles can cause problems with colour management aware apps, also I have known my default profile to change within windows without my realising. If you haven't already done so, you can generate a more suitable profile with tools like "adobe gamma".
papageno wrote:
I'm running a calibrated screen: 21 Viewsonic CRT/Monaco Puck n software.
Have only tried nikon scan in CS2; vuescan by itsself....
I've made several scans of color negs thusfar very unimpressed...Flat, washed out soft......
Maybe I have to change the plugs or do a ring job.....
I have gotten at best adequate negative scans with my Coolscan 4000. Fuji Velvia nd Provia scan very, very well. Provia really scans best because it has a little more dynamic range than Velvia, and you can always juice up the color more later once it's digital. I have scannned a few Kodachromes with good results, but that's hit or miss because you can't use ICE. Black and White is also very difficult for the same reason.
Bottom line, in my experience, if you want good scans you can enlarge to make nice big prints, use Fuji low ISO chrome films.
I have a Nikon 4000 super coolscan and a similar computer. The scanner was bought used and came with a 2.? version of Nikon Scan. It was sluggish and not too user friendly. I updated to 4.0 and things work much nicer. I was downloading the update via dialup and the first time I got a bad file, but on the second try it was okay.
I haven't scanned anything in a long time, but never had the color issues you are experiencing. As to Vuescan, it works okay, but I felt I got better results with the newer Nikon Scan.
Alan Klages wrote:
I have a Nikon 4000 super coolscan and a similar computer. The scanner was bought used and came with a 2.? version of Nikon Scan. It was sluggish and not too user friendly. I updated to 4.0 and things work much nicer. I was downloading the update via dialup and the first time I got a bad file, but on the second try it was okay.
I haven't scanned anything in a long time, but never had the color issues you are experiencing. As to Vuescan, it works okay, but I felt I got better results with the newer Nikon Scan....Show more →
I never tried Vuescan because there was no need. I felt the Nikon Scan software worked well, was easy enough to use and provided good output.
chemprof wrote:
I never tried Vuescan because there was no need. I felt the Nikon Scan software worked well, was easy enough to use and provided good output.
Gerald
I bought Vuescan for my Minolta Scan Elite 5400, because the minolta software wouldn't run on my XP machine. Their tech support was of no help, and they kindly referred me to their software warrantee "minolta does not guarantee this software will run" Anyway, after Minolta released an update to their software, it really does a fabulous job and I have stopped using Vuescan. I'm getting very good B&W scans of my old negatives, superb ones from my old chromes.
Gerald, I've got to get some Provia and try it Been trying to use up my supply of Ektachrome.
papageno wrote:
I should have noted that this is about scanning old negatives, so there is no choice of film to work with.....
What kind of light source does the Nikon scanner use? Just thinking, if it's cold cathode or something similar, could one of the lamps be burnt out? I had something similar happen to an old Pacific Scan scanner one time.
It's my understanding that it is leds which--normally--last very well.....
I've redownloaded the software (Nikon) and will reinstall and see where that takes me...
? I'll ttry vuesacn's trial version...that should give an idea or two. Thanx...will get back to ya!
Anyway, after Minolta released an update to their software, it really does a fabulous job and I have stopped using Vuescan. I'm getting very good B&W scans of my old negatives, superb ones from my old chromes.