Nikon Scan 4.0.2 Download
Adele Morss
The scanner features a Nikon lens with ED glass and a RGBI LED set for consistent backlighting of the Negative or slide film. It features Digital ICE for dust and scratch removal during scan, and colour restoration for faded and colour casted film. The LS4000 uses a FireWire 400 (IEEE1394) interface which works fine but might be a problem for people with computers without FireWire. Some of the other Nikon Coolscan scanners feature USB connectivity which might be more compatible with most current computer hardware.
Since the software has not been updated since 2007 it is not really compatible with todays operating systems. This is why people like to use third party software and drivers like VueScan or SilverFast to use the Nikon Coolscan scanners. I tried both software suites but still think the older Nikon Scan 4 software is easiest and gives me consistent and best results with the least amount of effort.
Since scanning and editing digitally is a little different from importing images from your SD card I will sketch the workflow from step by step. Read on so we can get more in depth into the whole process.
Now that we did our first time Nikon Scan 4 setup we can actually start scanning our Colour Negatives. There should still be a film strip with 6 negatives in the scanner; if not, put one in now and open Nikon Scan 4 again.
Since I am working on an old PowerBook G4 machine to drive the scanner I will now transfer the files from the PowerBook G4 to my Mac Pro over the network, but you can use a large thumb drive or USB/FireWire harddrive too of course.
Below you will find a few more shots taken with various cameras and film types but all scanned with the Nikon LS4000. I hope you have enjoyed reading and checking out the photos in my article and as always feel free to subscribe to my newsletter to receive an email when I publish a new article, or to leave your thoughts in the comments bellow. Donations are really welcome too since a lot of time goes into writing these articles. Donations can be made through Paypal contact me if you wish to donate. Thanks.
These ancient scanners and archaic software are temporary solutions either until something burns out or the old computer gives up the ghost. I had a Minolta that did not operate properly with VueScan because the USB port was too fast for the device. This might be the real killer of film when one or two scan solutions persist (all sub-optimal) and the concurrent cost of scanning at a lab rises.
You are quite right however, the scanner is fully compatible on Microsoft Windows machines. Worst case scenario you can just buy a cheap desktop computer or laptop running some version of Windows and keep using the scanner. If it dies it dies, but all electronics die eventually and there will always be an alternative. But for now I am most pleased with the results. And I think they are better than the currently available newer products by other manufacturers even if you go a price class higher.
I just wanted to say I just connected my Nikon LS-4000 to my Macbook 13, using Apple Thunderbolt 2 adapter $29 and the a 3 foot Firewire 800 to Firewire 400 cable $10 and using Vuescan 9.45 works great!
In the year 2009, Nikon has stopped producing film scanners. This is also the reason why there are no further updates for the NikonScan-software to expect. Apparently, NikonScan will not run anymore on the future operating systems of Windows Apple. As an alternative, the SilverFast Scan-Software is available that is permanently further developed, also for those scanner models that already disappeared from the market some decades ago. More detailed information about SilverFast is available in our SilverFast FAQ-Side.
Nikon releases its film scanners with the in-house software NikonScan, that is identical in all devices and automatically adapts to the possibilities of the device or the different film feeders or film adapters. It represents a quite high-capacity tool to enable a comfortable scanner handling. Moreover, the programe also offers some comprehensive possibilities for the image processing and the optimization already available during the scanning. A very visibly arranged handling guidance on the screen deceives at first the multifaceted features that are available in the background, in the pre-adjustments and the so-called pallet windows.
The scope of delivery of every Nikon-scanner includes the programe CD, which installation is accomplished by the auto start and the usual menu guidance on the PC's screen and also in MAC is easily done (German, English, French, Spanish). After the insertion of the CD, the almost usual autostart takes place that first guides to the language selection and after having chosen it, it offers the " simple installation". Without the autostart function, one chooses manually the overview of the files contained in the CD and clicks on "Welcome., exe". Now, the license agreement has to be confirmed with an "ok" and then the fast installation of NikonScan already starts.
After some few mouse-clicks, the file path, the scanner model and the colour space with which it has to be worked, are determined. At the end of the installation, a restart is recommended and/or automatically done. Currently, the versions 4.0.2 are installed either for Windows (from Windows 98) as also for Mac Os (OS 9.1 and 9.2 as also OS X from 10.1.5), in case of Windows Vista, the version 4.0.3 is installed automatically. In addition to the still manegeable handling instruction book, Nikon delivers with all scanners the reference manual in several languages (German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese) on an additional CD, which installation also works intuitively and is accomplished within some minutes by following the automatic menu guidance .
With its scan programe NikonScan, Nikon focuses primarily on manageability and an easy handling. If a scanner is connected and on, the software automatically recognizes the type of the scanner as also the different feeders, orifices or film dapters. During the start of the software, the device is shown in the scanning window at the left upper side. The scanning window is divided into a few but essential subdivisions. In order to start the programe, a double click on the NikonScan-symbol is enough, of course, provided the scanner is already switched on.
The first appearing main window is more or less rather the background window that does not have any significance, except some basic settings that can also be made later on and/or in the soon appearing task window. But the scanner-symbol holds an essential exception, as it helps to be able to open the task window at all, to recognize the connected scanner and to make all command and task windows visible at all. Also after a successful scan or scan job (for example in the case of several scans at once: after the last image )or a scanning error, the scanner can be reactivated over this symbol. Provided the aforementioned, we come now to the actual user interface (task window), that we will present in the following text.
The main part of the user interface of NikonScan is taken by the preview window that after the pre-scan permits the first view to the image to be scanned. Apart from the actual scanning area which size can be reduced either vertically or horizontally by a flexible frame, the window offers some rulers adapted to the display either at the left as also at the upper edge in pixels, centimetres, millimetres, inches, pica and dots. Moreover, it is possible to switch over a rider between "original" and "processed", which means that the original pre-scan with the pre-scan data is comparable with the image adjustments made in the pallet windows (more of that later ).
Between the option window and the pre-view window there is a small horizontal bar inconspicuously located that brings the image index display to the foreground if one points with the mouse on it. Depending on the scanner, film adapter or film quality, (e.g. film strips, APS-film, original material of medium format), by clicking on this bar, the image index display appears showing the possible number of images that are possible to scan in this modus. Another small pushbutton appears that helps to handle an index scan of all images contained in a film adapter or in a film strip. This button serves to revise some eventual misalignments of the image edges or cuts, but also to scan away in the batch modus all displayed images one by one.
A bargraph located at the upper area of the window shows if the scanner and how far the scanning processing is in progress, in the field underneath the scans that are still to be done are listed. By changing to the rider protocol, the jobs of the scan that are already accomplished are listed. The stop-button serves for interrupting all scanning procedures.
Once the basic pre-settings are done (more about this later on), the main task window pallets represents the apparently most important and comprehensive supportive appliance for the scanning and therewith an image quality that is already optimizable during the scanning. It is accessible over the round and pink coloured pallet button of the option field at the upper left side. It offers in total 11 main push buttons that, by clicking on the individual riders,make appear the individual submenus with their different possibilities of adjustment. These are as follows:
beside the help- and pallet button at the left, there is the blue button for the pre-settings, with which some comprehensive basic scanner adjustments can be done. After the appearing of the window, one has the possibilities to modify or adjust in the following menu the values and basic corrections:
Those who got frightened after having read all the possibilities and the technical terms can calm down. After a short time, even the beginners can achieve some scans of considerable quality. In the course of the time, the demand will of course increase and also the professional user will handle the technichal possibilities differently and with a different background knowledge that the software all-integratingly offers.
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