Scanning Software

Hello everyone,

I have an Epson V500 scanner that has been working fairly well. I am interested in upgrading, but I first want to get the most detail out of my scans as possible. The question is, will using a different scanning software package (VueScan, Silverfast, etc) give me a better quality scan than the built in Epson software? I have been fairly impressed with the Epson scanner, though the scans are a little soft if I scan at a useful resolution for prints.

Will better software make the images sharper, or am I doing something else wrong? Is this just a hardware limitation of the scanner? I am looking to get a proper film scanner later on, but I simply can't justify spending the same amount of money I'd spend on a DSLR on a scanner, at least not at this time.

Thanks!

Perhaps the Epson scanner does not have the necessary resolution for the size and quality of prints that you desire. The maximum practical resolution is less than the advertised optical resolution. Also, applying sharpening to the image after scanning may improve it slightly.

Third party scanning software can't make your lens any sharper/increase the true resolution of your scanner model. They do have software setting to adjust things like contrast and sharpening to increased perceived sharpness but that can also be done during post processing, often with more flexibility. Implementation of things like auto exposure, ICE, descreening, multi-pass function, etc., can be better implemented in one software package compared to another though. The two main third-party software providers provide free demo versions of their software so why don't you download them and give them a try?

Doug

I think the biggest issue when trying to get a good sharp film scan from the Epson flatbed scanners is the height of the film from the glass. I know the Epson 700 and 750 have little height adjuster built into the film holders so you might check yours. Or look into these adjustable holders Film Holder Holders and Products for the Epson V500