Color Negs with Vuescan

[ron_hacker]

I have been using Vuescan to scan my negs and slides for quite some time with great success. However I have run into a problem recently when scanning Fuji and Kodak color negs. I am scanning the negs with a Nikon Coolscan V with a desktop using Windows 10. When previewing the negs the colors are fine but when I then scan the negs the colors in the final scan to be saved are very muted and the photo looks as if there is a gray haze over it when it is saved by Irfanview.

 

Then when I open the photo in Photoshop CC 2020 and click on Auto Color the colors are restored and the haze is gone.

What is happening to the image between the preview scan and the final scan?

 

[Ed_Ingold]

Images saved in a wide-gamut color space, like Profoto RGB or Adobe RGB will look muted when viewed with a non-color managed program. Photoshop recognizes the color space embedded in the image, hence applies the correct colors for display. If you monitor is properly calibrated (photometrically) the colors will not only be brighter, but more accurate.

 

You need to determine which color space Vuescan is using, and the defaults used by Irfanview when opening then resaving the results. Auto-color in Photoshop maximizes the contrast in each color channel, a one-sized-fits-all solution (like cracking nuts with a hammer).

[rodeo_joe1]

I agree that it's probably a colour-space issue, but if it's only happening with colour negatives and not transparencies, that's a bit strange.

 

I'd also check the 'advanced' tab in Vuescan. There might be some additional adjustments set that aren't at their default position.

 

Also, crop the preview down to exclude any surrounding black border. Vuescan does a similar thing to PS 'autocolour' and takes the whole scanned area into account unless cropped.

[ron_hacker]

I agree that it's probably a colour-space issue, but if it's only happening with colour negatives and not transparencies, that's a bit strange.

 

I'd also check the 'advanced' tab in Vuescan. There might be some additional adjustments set that aren't at their default position.

 

Also, crop the preview down to exclude any surrounding black border. Vuescan does a similar thing to PS 'autocolour' and takes the whole scanned area into account unless cropped.

[Ed_Ingold]

Ah, the borders, so cherished by purists but so lethal to exposure and color balance when converting negatives.

 

Borders have little effect when scanning slides. Perhaps it is because negative inversion involves more steps, and each step is affected in some way. The best place to crop is when setting up frames for scanning. If that's not practical, then crop before beginning the inversion process.

[ron_hacker]

I have scanned many thousands of slides and/ or positive film without seeing this effect. The finished scan has always been the same as the saved image.I have also scanned in many color negatives over the years without experiencing this problem. For many years I traveled with a couple of 35mm cameras as well as 3 medium format cameras and I took negs and slides with the 35mm cameras and I used positive and negative film in the medium format cameras- color and B&W.. I developed my own film and placed the film in plastic film holders. Using Vuescan in both flatbed and 35mm scanners I was always able to get great results.

 

Vuescan has been great with frequent updates as new technologies have changed and have been incorporated into the program. Could one or more of these updates have affected the color scans that I am now getting? I would not thinks so but a recent Windows 10 update has really affected the WIFI in all my Dell laptops.

Now everytime I turn one on the WIFI adapter has to be reset. Very strange. Then too am I not setting up Vuescan for color negatives correctly? I have tried changing some of the inputs with no success. Again, the preview color is fine but when the final scan is saved the colors are muted and the photo is hazy.

 

I thank all who read this and offer some insight.