nikon scan 4.0.3 purple tint

I have been using Vuescan with a Nikon Coolscan LS4000 scanner for slides. Then I compared some Vuescan images (4000 dpi 16bit/channel) to some Nikon Scan 3.0 images (2000 dpi, 8bit) done 15 years ago. The old Nikon scanned images won hands down in terms of detail. Vuescan images also tend to be overly dark. So I resurrected Nikon Scan (version 4.0.3 for Win 7) and cranked it up. Unfortunately it is producing scans and output with a deeply saturated purple tint.

 

Any thoughts on how to get a color correction at the time of scan without going into post processing? The tint is so deeply saturated, that even aggressive postprocessing can''t completely remove it without washing out the overall color

Vuescan and NikonScan should give essentially identical results as far as resolution and detail are concerned. These properties are mostly determined by the hardware. Your older scans may look sharper, because the resolution is lower. As for the purple cast, we need to see sample images, and all of the settings you made in the software.

Thank you for the reply, wogears, I appreciate you having a look.

 

This is a Nikon SuperCoolscan 4000ED with Nikon Scan 4.0.3 on Win 7. The attached sample image is not the most egregious example.

 

All Post-processing settings off

Color management is off.

Color space is RGB

Multi-exposure on

The attached image is off Kodachrome, but film type and settings seem largely irrelevant as the issue persists for Kodachrome and generic transparencies.

16bit/channel, 4000 dpi

 

It seems counter intuitive that increased resolution will lead to decreased detail

 

Lower resolution images can look like more detail, especially if at the same magnification percentages.

 

What driver is NikonScan using? I would try making a scan on an E-6 film using the default settings for the software. Does the preview scan look like the final version?

Nikon's last version of their scanning software was for Windows XP and they never released an updated driver for later operating systems. I've used several non-Nikon drivers (Vuescan, Silverfast and others). All returned the purple hue, although Vuescan's driver (used for the sample image) was a wee bit less intense.

 

I don;t have any E-6 negativeson hand to try, but I have tried scanning slides as a negative. The output is yellow-green, the flip side of purple. I've also ran scans at factory/default settings.

 

One thing I liked about Nikon Scan is the color and exposure consistency across preview, postscan and output. So the preview scans all carry the same purple tint

There was a NikonScan release for Vista, that worked on 7 IIRC.

My mistake: you are correct about the Vista release and that is the version (4.0.3) I'm currently using

I just found an old roll of negatives and scanned one. Much the same result: still a heavy tint, though more pink than purple.

The next step would be completely uninstalling any and all scanner software you have, then cleaning the registry. If you use something like C-Cleaner, ONLY remove scanner related entries. Then re-install one of the applications (I recommend Vuescan) from a freshly downloaded installer. Then try a scan.

Nikonscan won't run in Windows 7. I have heard that drivers for Vista may work, but I've had no success. Vuescan should work, and I know that Silverfast works, because that's what I use. I've seen a purple or magenta cast when processing some raw files, but never for something from a Nikon scanner. The settings may be badly skewed, and need to be reset. Nikonscan "raw" files are not the same as raw files from a digital scanner. They're designed to be processed off line using Nikonscan. Silverfast has a similar functionality.

THanks again, wogears. Running CCleaner has merits even if it doesn't resolve the "purples". But....

 

With my laptop and from my recent experience, although Vuescan has many fine features, it does a 2nd rate job of rendering detail, particularly in dark/shadowed areas and it often outputs files a stop or two too dark. It has far more features than Nikon Scan, but anyI'm rarely using those way

Hello Ed,

 

Nikon Scan can be coaxed into running on Win 7. The image vouches for it. There are a number of websites with explicit instructions and amended .inf files. Nikon Scan has an output option for a .nef format which is Nikon's proprietary raw version. Working with this format using non-Nikon software is somewhat problematic.

 

I have already deleted and reinstalled Nikon Scan back to default settings. No effect.

 

With respect, this is simply not true. Where are you setting the endpoints in Vuescan?

The image posted is from scans (Vuescan on the left, Nikon on the right) preceding any post-processing. Note that detail in the shadowed areas is much more apparent with the Nikon scan.

 

Vuescan endpoints are default (0,1) for my use. I've altered them, but didn't see any improvement. This isn't an indictment on the overall merits of Vuescan (because it does many things well), but judging from postings on various discussion sites, what I have experienced is a widespread, longstanding and consistent issue that detracts from getting a "scan and done" archive quality image. Hence my enduring the aggravations of resuscitating Nikon's software.

 

Yes, I have Nikon Scan 4.0.3 running on Windows 7 and Windows 10. It takes a little work to get it running on the 64 bit versions, but it's doable. I've always had good success with the Nikon Scan software, and it's pretty easy to use.

Hello Daniel,

 

What drivers did you use with your Win/Nikon setup?

I believe Nikon Scan "shares" the VueScan drivers.

Thanks Daniel. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something.