I just ordered a new Nikon Coolscan IV ED (LS-40), it should arrive in a few days.

Anyone have any tips, suggestions, etc.?

I am looking for opinions on the software, or a better solution, and some ideas on how to get the most from my new toy. Thanks in advance for any insight.

-- Kevin Baker (kevin@thebakers.org), June 08, 2002

Answers

Kevin, I have a Coolscan 4000. It gives good results, but it's slow if you scan at the best resolution, in 14 bits, with several passes. Be patient. Scanning takes a lot of time and effort. Software that comes with it is Nikon Scan 3.1. I guess it's the same with the IV ED. Steep learning curve. But it's worth it. Read the (not very friendly) manual from front to back. 1) - Never use "Ice" on B&W negs. Clean and blow them free of dust thoroughly. 2) - Scan your B&W negs in color and convert them later in your imaging software. 3) - If you use Photoshop and you have the acquisition plug-in that allows you to scan directly in PS, my advice is: don't use it. It's known to be buggy. Save on your hard disk and then open the scan in PS. 4) - Always save your parameters once you're satisfied with a specific preview. Then you can apply them to the whole film or subsequent films of the same kind. 5) - I don't know how the labs operate in your corner of the woods, but here, in Montreal, they cut your negs in four frames strips. Try and remember to ask them to cut them in six if you use the automatic feeder (does the IV ED comes with it?) You'll save some time. I wish I had the adaptor that feeds an entire roll of film, but it's awfully expensive.

That's about all I can tell you for now. Keep us posted once you start using it, if you need help. Have fun. Scanning and printing one's own pics can be very rewarding.

-- Olivier (olreiche@videotron.ca), June 08, 2002.

Great scanner! My tip would be to get familiar with the scanner using Nikon Scan but then look at VueScan. Personally, I found Nikon Scan to be rather unreliable. It was fine on my Mac but crashed regularly on my PC. Others I spoke with had the same experience. I know that since then, Nikon has released a newer version of Nikon Scan that may have fixed the problem.

I also believe that VueScan has much better color managment than Nikon Scan. I was always a little disappointed with the shadow detail I got from my Nikon scanner (an LS-4000; optically, the same as your scanner). This improved dramatically when I switched to VueScan. VueScan is definitely more complicated than Nikon Scan but I think it's worth the time learning how to use it.

Have fun with your new scanner!

Regards,
Fergus

-- Fergus Hammond (fhammond@adobe.com), June 08, 2002.

Vuescan is the best.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), June 08, 2002.

Thanks to all for your insights. I'll post my results when I'm up and running with the LS-40.

-- Kevin Baker (kevin@thebakers.org), June 08, 2002.

I have been using the latest Nikonscan release as a plug in with PS 6 on a Mac without problems - although previous versions before 3.1.2 were very 'buggy' I simply don't like the way Vuescan handles neg film though - it places far too much emphasis on the shadows at the expense of midrange and highlights - this gives a characteristic 'scanned neg' look that bedeviled the previous LS2000 scanner. IMO the neg handling of my LS4000ED combined with the Nikon software is the best I have ever seen - you simply cant tell from a scan if it came from a neg or a tranny! - It's even better than my other scanner - an Imacon precision 3! By all acounts the Nikon coolscan 1V gives almost identicle results for half the cost - on this basis I would give it thumbs up! As for tips; Always use a multiple of the native scan resolution (as with any scanner) digital ICE is a must ( except Kodachrome and silver B&W), with very high contrast scenes do two or 3 scans at different exposures via analog gain and combine them in PS. With B&W neg - sometimes scan as a pos and invert - it shifts the emphasis from shadow seperation to highlight seperation. Use the film strip holder rather than the auto feeder as it holds the film flater. Finaly I let my film 'mature' in the neg sleeves for a week or two after processing to take the curl out of them - these scanners have very little DOF and a slight curl of the film - esp at the end of a strip will lead to a softening of resolution.

-- Johann Fuller (johannfuller@hotmail.com), June 08, 2002.

Hi Kevin, I have the Super Coolscan 4000ED. I agree with the other posts, except that I have a hard time to get good results with Vuescan - but I did not spend enought time on it I guess - I am used to Nikon Scan now... I just found a little trick to scan B&W: I scan in 48 bits colors with sometimes different ANALOG gains on the different channels (blue/green/red). I am able that way to control the curve of each channel and be sure there is no truncation of the spectrum for any channel. Of course you get an image that is not grey but then, using photoshop, you can mix the channels and desaturate at the end (convert to greyscale). It is also posible to discard two channels (for example to keep only the green) in order to keep the one with less noise, but I found that not so interesting for B&W negative. Good Luck.

-- Alain Maestrini (alain.maestrini@att.net), June 10, 2002.

Hi Kevin,

I have a Coolscan IV. It's the best 35mm film scanner short of the LS-4000 - and half the price of the LS-4000. See this link:

http://www.imaging-resource.com/SCAN/CSIV/C4A.HTM

Good luck,

Doug

-- Doug Landrum (dflandrum@earthlink.net), June 10, 2002.