scanning slides on a Nikon Coolscan 5000

[Sam Carleton]

I cannot get a good scan from my Nikon Coolscan 5000 to save my
life. I am using the Nikon Scan (NS). I do have profiling software
and a IT 8.7 scanner calibration target. I have created a profile
based on that calibration target (CA). When the CA was scanned in,
I turned off ALL of the NS options in the tool bar (they all have
X's in them). Then I create the profile and save it. Then I scan
in a normal slide with the same lack of settings, put it into PS
and assign it the profile and the image looks very flat compared
to the actual slide. Now where close to the real slide. Is there
something I am missing?

 

[Roger]

I cannot get a good scan from my Nikon Coolscan 5000 to save my
life. I am using the Nikon Scan (NS). I do have profiling software
and a IT 8.7 scanner calibration target. I have created a profile
based on that calibration target (CA). When the CA was scanned in,
I turned off ALL of the NS options in the tool bar (they all have
X's in them). Then I create the profile and save it. Then I scan
in a normal slide with the same lack of settings, put it into PS
and assign it the profile and the image looks very flat compared
to the actual slide. Now where close to the real slide. Is there
something I am missing?

At times the LS5000 does seem to have a steep learning curve, but I
currently leave the settings at default. I didn't even change them
when I went from a CRT to a LCD monitor and they appear very much the
same. With the monitor calibration I did not have to change any
settings with either the 19"CRT or 20" LCD.

I use both Nikon Scan and VueScan.
There are others on here who know far more about setting profiles than
I, but play around with it for a while and expirment. I've now gone
through more than 30,000 negatives and slides and am very pleased with
the results.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

 

[blumesan]

When the CA was scanned in,
I turned off ALL of the NS options in the tool bar (they all have
X's in them). Then I create the profile and save it. Then I scan
in a normal slide with the same lack of settings, put it into PS
and assign it the profile and the image looks very flat compared
to the actual slide. Now where close to the real slide. Is there
something I am missing?
--

You do not mention what choices you selected in the Preferences Menu.
Was Nikon Color Management System "on" or "off". Assuming the latter,
It seems to me that, after assigning the scanner profile in PS, you
need to perform a further step of converting the image to a device
independent RGB working space profile.

Mike.

 

[Sam Carleton]

You do not mention what choices you selected in the Preferences
Menu. Was Nikon Color Management System "on" or "off".
Assuming the latter, It seems to me that, after assigning the
scanner profile in PS, you need to perform a further step of
converting the image to a device independent RGB working space
profile.

Mike,

I had the Nikon Color Management system turned on. I will turn it
off and see how it goes.

Sam

 

[Raphael Bustin]

Mike,

I had the Nikon Color Management system turned on. I will turn it
off and see how it goes.

Sam

I think that is the problem. NikonScan's idea of CM doesn't
seem to encompass the notion of a custom profile for the
scanner. NS (NikonScan) is more than happy to convert/
tag your scans to a standard space like AdobeRGB.

But as I read it, in order to use or generate a custom scanner
profile, you'd actually need to turn CM *off* in Nikonscan.

99% of what I scan is Reala. Profiles for film scanners
never made much sense to me.

What do people think? Let's have a show of hands.
How many use scanner profiles, how many don't?

I could see how scanner profiles might make sense for some
folks who shoot chromes with a certain degree of
volume and consistency, eg. a studio.


rafe b
www.terrapinphoto.com

 

[Bart van der Wolf]

SNIP

What do people think? Let's have a show of hands.
How many use scanner profiles, how many don't?

The result is predictable, most in this group don't, but I do use
profiles.

The (tri-chromatic or full) gamut (of scanner+film) can be much wider
than e.g. Adobe RGB, so you would be underutilizing the scanner's
capabilities.
Of course, after postprocessing you may want to convert (with
perceptual rendering) to a smaller gamut such as sRGB for internet
display.

Bart

 

[tomm42]

Rafe,
I agree, let the scanner use the color space you have set, and all
seems to work. It seems to me the things that have to be calibrated are
your monitor and printer, all else can float, providing the color space
and working settings are correct.

Tom

 

[Roger]

You do not mention what choices you selected in the Preferences Menu.
Was Nikon Color Management System "on" or "off". Assuming the latter,

I had forgotten about the Nikon Color Management. That I have turned
off. After doing that the learning curve was not nearly as steep.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com