VueScan--how to do a Raw scan?

[robert goldstein]

I am using a trial version of VueScan 8.3.17 with my Minolta 5400 scanner and cannot

figure out how to do a Raw scan. According to the user's guide, there should be an option

to save a Raw scan on the "output" page, but I cannot find it. Help, please.

 

Also, is there any strong advantage to using VueScan rather than the Minolta software if

my preference is to do Raw scans? I am considering this, because with VueScan, I can use

infrared cleaning without grain reduction, which really slows down the 5400. I have

discovered that VS takes a very long time to process a 5400dpi scan (approx. 223Mb file)

in standard mode.

[william_john_smith]

You have to click on the "Advanded" button then you will see" Raw file" near the bottom of

the menu.

[William Kahn]

Be careful what you wish for. :) I discovered that Silverfast AI6 "raw" scan is not a RAW file in the digital camera sense. It's simply an image of the negative as is, no conversion or adjustment.

 

BTW, I found that Silverfast AI software is superior to Minolta's in my Dimage Scan Multi II, but it's a much earlier machine than the 5400.

[ghuczek]

The question was about Vuescan, not Silverfast ;)

 

Go to the Output tab, set Options to Advanced, then select the Raw File checkbox. The raw file gives you the raw CCD data. You can batch scanning RAW files, then do the image editing later, either in VueScan or an image editor.

[robert goldstein]

George,

 

I cannot find a Raw File checkbox on the output/advanced page. What am I missing?

 

Rob

[ghuczek]

You have to register the program first. In the trial version, several of the features are disabled. If you try to follow the manual with the trial version, it gets very confusing because of this. The RAW file format will show up in the Output tab when you register. Other features which are disabled (like those you probably now see greyed outin the menubar) will also become enabled once the program has been registered.

[mendel_leisk]

Hi Robert. Like George said, raw scan output is diabled in trial version.

 

I also use Vuescan with the first gen Elite 5400, but in a limited way.

 

Vuescan's ability to do cleaning with the infrared data, with the Grain Dissolver turned off, is a *very* mixed blessing. I found Vuescan's cleaning inferior to ICE, to the extent of being unpractical. It is much less complete, and much less seemless than ICE, in my experience with old slides with moderate to heavy dust and scratches.

 

Also, while it would be nice if Minolta Scan Utility offered the option of using ICE sans Grain Dissolver, so you could make up your own mind on the subject, I do think the Grain Dissolver is a net plus, and would likely use it with Vuescan, *if* I was scanning with that program. It causes next to no overall softening, yet does just what it's namesake claims, dissolves grain, *and* takes the edge off blems, giving ICE a big help.

 

With all this, I've opted for a workflow where I scan through MSU, using ICE and GD, and output 16 bit linear, which I use as a Vuescan Raw File. Works fine, gives the superior cleaning of ICE/GD, avoids the hassle of working with a 64 bit Vuescan raw file (extra 16 bits of infrared data).

 

I've also scanned an IT8 target per above (with MSU), and gone through the Vuescan scanner profile process with this file. Works fine, apart from a bug if you use Vuescan's preview. If you do scan, the profile *is* applied correctly. If you first preview, it does not.

 

Cheers, Mendel.

[custom film holders for fl]

Also, you have to have purchased the Professional version. RAW is not available on the Standard version. I didn't see this mentioned during my skim of the posts here (sorry if I just overlooked it!).

<p> Doug<p>

<a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~dougfisher/holder/mainintro.html">Dougs

MF Film Holder for batch scanning of 120/220 medium format film with flatbeds</a>

[bobmichaels]

May I suggest an alternative that may work even better and be just as fast?

 

Do your preview scan at the desired final scan resolution, fine tune

cropping, endpoints and anything else you may do, then save the preview. If you know that some exposure compensation is usually needed, insert that before the preview. (click "lock exposure" and insert the number)

 

Almost all of the adjustments Vuescan makes are done within the CPU to the raw data once captured. So there is no need to repeat the scan capture process with a preview and final. And that's what eats up time doing it twice. There is only one thing that Vuescan adjusts when doing the final scan and that's the exposure adjustment. Sometimes it's not needed at all. But you can get very close to perfect by dialing in the factor for a normal neg or chrome. (all this paragraph confirmed by Ed Hamrick in a private e-mail)

 

Or, the equivalent of your desired raw scan is just to save the unadjusted preview scan. Just click save by the preview.

 

Bob Michaels

[mendel_leisk]

Bob, there was (and I believe still *is*) a bug in Vuescan: Raw Files saved "at save" will have their color balance affected by having any other profile than "built-in" set.

 

There is another (sort of the inverse) bug: if there is a preview in your workflow, either "scan from preview", or doing a preview prior to scan, any custom ICC profile you have set will *not* be applied properly. At least, the color balance in the output is markedly different than if you have just done a straight scan.

[bobmichaels]

Mendel: very interesting. I don't do raw scans as they don't fit into my workflow. But the concept of not using the icc.profile is something I'm going to have to test. (sorry but I'm an old crumedgon who has to check everything myself) I frequently scan b&w negs this way but can't remember if I've done chromes where my icc profile would make a difference.

 

Rob: actually none of this relates to my posting about how to do the equivalent of a raw scan. Simply saving the preview still accomplishes the equivalent of a raw scan with a few adjustments.