Best replacement for Nikon Scan?

calico

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So my old Mac Pro on which I had OS 10.6.8 so I could use Nikon Scan (for my LS9000) and Photoshop CS 6 died. Forced to get new computer.

I see Nikon Scan won't work on any recent operating systems.

However, VueScan will work with LS9000 on current operating systems. Is that what most people are using? I still have to look into Silverfast.

I remember trying VueScan and Silverfast a long time ago and decided I liked Nikon Scan better, so stuck with it.

What do people here use with their LS9000?

Thanks.

(BTW, I do have a laptop, too, which has recent OS on it.....so I haven't been stuck in 10.6.8 for everything.)
 
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John Wiegerink

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I got NikonScan4 to work on several PC's running Windows 10, but I tried everything I know to get it to run on my main Dell Inspiron running Windows 10 and failed. I finally broke down last night and bought Vuescan Pro. Likewise, I still like NikonScan better, but was very tired of trying to find a work-around for my Dell PC.
 

brbo

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I believe Nikon Scan will still work on a modern Windows PC with a FW card. If you want a modern Mac, you'll have to run it with Vuescan or Silverfast.

(get a an old Macbook for very little money and dedicate it to the scanner)
 

warden

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I think both of those newer scanning software apps are available for free trials, so I recommend trying them. I have both but use only Vuescan.
 
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calico

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brbo said:
I believe Nikon Scan will still work on a modern Windows PC with a FW card. If you want a modern Mac, you'll have to run it with Vuescan or Silverfast.

(get a an old Macbook for very little money and dedicate it to the scanner)
Click to expand...
I do have an external drive with the old Mac Pro OS 10.6.8 backed up and bootable. I wonder if I can attach that to current laptop, choose as startup disk, and then scan w/ Nikon Scan from that. I can try this after the firewire-to-thunderbolt adapters get here (both the external drive and LS9000 connect via firewire). No firewire ports on laptop.

I have considered getting something cheap to put OS 10.6.8 on (via my backup) for scanning (and also CS 6). Looks like I can get an old Mac Pro like mine which died for less than $300. But an old laptop would be nice and compact.

Then I think.....stop trying to hold on to the past : )
 

Paul Howell

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As a windows user it was easy, I kept my old PC, really old with XP on it so I can use my Minolta scanner with the board. It must be slow by current standards, resolution is not as high as using a DSLR with macro lens, but it keeps on trucking.
 
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calico

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Paul Howell said:
As a windows user it was easy, I kept my old PC, really old with XP on it so I can use my Minolta scanner with the board. It must be slow by current standards, resolution is not as high as using a DSLR with macro lens, but it keeps on trucking.
Click to expand...
That's what I was doing with my old (2010) Mac Pro. But now it has died. May get a used one to replace it, but how long will that last? Might be time to move into the present. Kicking and screaming.
 

warden

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calico said:
That's what I was doing with my old (2010) Mac Pro. But now it has died. May get a used one to replace it, but how long will that last? Might be time to move into the present. Kicking and screaming.
Click to expand...

If you can keep that kinda’ vintage scanner going on a modern computer I say go for it. I have an ancient Coolscan that’s still humming along on a new computer but it uses usb So that made the transition easier.
 

Paul Howell

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I have not looked into it, but I think XP will run on a new hardware, just need to keep a good copy of XP to load. Well then again, not sure if a new tower will work with the Minolta card?
 

gone

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Find an old computer w/ Win XP, that's what I used when I had your model scanner. Best OS Windows ever made too. You can pick one up for probably $50, shipped. Those are big files though, eats up a lot of memory. Lots of people used third party software for scanning w/ that scanner, Nikon Scan worked fine for me.
 

albireo

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I would not part with NikonScan. I find it incredibly valuable with C41 colour inversions. The ones Nikonscan produces are vastly better, to my taste, than those produced by overpriced, overrated third party tools like NLP.

Are you bound to your Mac? Can you just source a cheapish Dell workstation running Windows 10? They run Nikonscan 4.0.3 without any problems.

Once again: there are zero reasons to run Coolscan on obsolete Windows XP-based machines. A current Windows 10 64 bit PC fitted with a 20£ FireWire PCi-e board runs my Coolscan 8000ED beautifully with both Nikonscan and Vuescan.
 
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calico

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I've always used Macs. The thought of using a Windows PC is scary to me : )

I do see used versions of my Mac Pro which just died at used Mac sites. Strangely, sometimes $200-300, sometimes closer to $1000 for exact same thing. I wouldn't spend $1000 on an old computer (2010), but maybe I should try one of the cheaper ones. I was close to doing that, then I read a lot of bad reviews for the sites selling them. But I guess I can just order, and if a problem, return.

The other thing I can try is to select my bootable backup external drive (from the Mac Pro that died) as startup disk from my laptop. I read you can work from external drive like that, but it will be slow. I would only need to use it for scanning. I'm waiting for the firewire to Thunderbolt adapters to get here, so I can connect the external drive and scanner to laptop.

I will still get a new computer for working with the photos after scanned. My laptop not appropriate for that.

What you say about quality of scans from Nikon Scan reminds me of why I stuck with it many years ago after trying other scanning software. You are right -- I need to figure something out so I can keep using it. Thank you for encouraging me in that direction.

And I will keep the Windows PC in the back of my mind, too.....
 

brbo

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Macs usually can't run OSX versions that were released before their time. So, running 10.6.8 on any Mac released after 2009/2010 most probably won't work...
 
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calico

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brbo said:
Macs usually can't run OSX versions that were released before their time. So, running 10.6.8 on any Mac released after 2009/2010 most probably won't work...
Click to expand...

Yes, I know. That's why I would be stuck buying ancient used computer to run 10.6.8 and why I kept my old Mac Pro going so long.

I must say, 10.6.8 may have been Apple's most stable operating system. At least that is what I've read, and it seemed that way to me.

Seeing how to keep my Epson 3880 printer, my monitor calibrator, my LS9000 scanner+Nikon Scan going on a new computer has been a real maze of checking OS + application + hardware driver compatibilities!

I had to give up on Photoshop CS6 and Lightroom 3. That was obvious. But I've been using Affinity Photo on laptop for a while, and I think I can get used to using that on a new computer. I refuse to pay Adobe every month for the rest of my life to use their products.
 
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Paul Howell

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Have had tech look at your current mac laptop to see if can fixed? If repairable then can buy a new laptop for general use and keep the old system just for scanning.
 
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calico

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Paul Howell said:
Have had tech look at your current mac laptop to see if can fixed? If repairable then can buy a new laptop for general use and keep the old system just for scanning.
Click to expand...

It's my desktop (Mac Pro 2010) which seems to have died. From the way it's acting, I suspect it can't be repaired. But the main reason I haven't taken to tech is that I had a lot of private info on the system drive which I don't want to hand over to stranger at repair place.

Also, the situation seems a bit like when you have a really old car, and you get to the point where you are better off buying a new car than sinking money into the old one. Would probably cost at least $100 just to have it diagnosed. But if I didn't have the private info on there, I would probably have it checked.

I'm hoping it will work to use my backup system drive connected to laptop for scanning with Nikon Scan. Or I can consider getting a used laptop or desktop that will work with 10.6.8 moved from backup external drive.

Thanks for input.
 

brbo

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Buy a Mac Mini 2010 for less than $100 and place it on your CS-9000 and be done with it. You can connect to the Mini remotely (no need for display, mouse or keyboard after you are finished setting it up) to scan with Nikon Scan (which I guess you prefer to Vuescan/Silverfast or at least you are used to) and then do everything else on your new computer...
 
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calico

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That sounds nice....using a mini instead of a huge old Mac Pro again. But what do you mean by "connect to the Mini remotely" so no need for monitor, etc?

Also.....I probably can't clone my backup OS to a Mac mini as it was from a Mac Pro. I have the installation disk of OS 10.6.4 for the Mac Pro, but I bet that is specific to the Mac Pro. I vaguely remember running into this problem before.....trying to use installation disk from one computer on another. It can be really hard to find old OS's on the internet.

Maybe this is getting into software issues too much for this forum. I do like the idea of a mini, though. Checking internet to see what's out there. Some I've seen so far have more recent OS on them.

Thanks for your and everyone's help.

Later...... Just found this in a forum: "The Mac OSX Install CD's are machine specific and would not work on other machines."
 
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brbo

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Your hard disk from Mac Pro can most probably be cloned to the Mac Mini disk, but Mac Pro startup/installation disk will not work with Mac Mini, so for setting Mac Mini to run 10.6 will require suitable installation disk. If you are lucky the previous owner would still have the original installation disks for the Mini which will be 10.6. If not you can get the Mini 2010 10.6 install disk or universal 10.6 install disk on internet or on eBay.

Remote connection - google or search on youtube for "mac screen sharing" and there should be many guides how to set that up. Basically, if you have two computers on the same network you can control one computer from the other (share screen, files...).
 
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calico

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Thanks for all of this info.

When I saw I would not be able to use my OS installation disk for Mac Pro with the Mac Mini, and this added to fact I've had really hard time finding old OS's on the internet, I checked Ebay for Mac Pros.

(Maybe I could clone my OS back up to a Mac Mini, but maybe not. Maybe things in there specific to Mac Pro?)

Found a company at Ebay with 100 percent positive feedback and had sold thousands of used computers. They had my exact model of Mac Pro. Ordered it. $200 including shipping, returnable if not working.

I was discouraged by bad reviews of a lot of the web sites that sold used Macs. But this company on Ebay inspired confidence.

The Mac Pro I ordered has a more recent OS on it, but I should be able to clone my backup system to it. If this works, I can be back in business and not even buy a new computer right now. Can be happy scanning away with Nikon Scan and working in Photoshop CS6. Not to mention Lightroom 3, print from my Epson 3880, and use all the other vintage things. Sure hope this works.

I will look into the mac screen sharing in case I need to do that sometime.

Thank you for your help. And thanks to everyone who offered input re my computer crisis!
 
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Alan Edward Klein

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