Converting Color Negatives: A Comparison of Negative Lab Pro Versus Vuescan

Every film photographer who digitizes their negatives at home has come across the same issue: which negative conversion software is the best?

In this video, Kyle McDougall does a pretty rigorous comparison of two types of scanning software: Negative Lab Pro and Vuescan. To do so, he takes four color negatives from four different types of 35mm film: Kodak Portra 400, Kodak Ektar, Fuji Pro 400H, and Cinestill 50D. Like several of the comparisons/experiments that McDougall has done previously, this one takes a deep dive into a topic that is really important to many film photographers. 

Personally, I use Negative Lab Pro at home, and I have really enjoyed using it over the software that came with my Epson scanner. In all honesty, I think that using Negative Lab Pro has really fueled my passion for shooting film with how easy it is to get negative conversions at home like I would expect to get back from a lab. Even in the comparison with Vuescan, I think it's night and day. 

What do you think about the results from McDougall's comparison? Did you have a preference? And if you shoot film, do you have a preferred software for converting your color negatives? 

James Madison's picture

Madison is a mathematician turned statistician based out of Columbus, OH. He fell back in love with film years ago while living in Charleston, SC and hasn't looked back since. In early 2019 he started a website about film photography.

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9 Comments

I wish Vuescan had standard curve and levels adjustment tools instead of what they've incorporated into the app, which I have never found to be remotely useful. I would use Vuescan exclusively for scans if I could adjust colors the way I can in any standard image editor.

The big differences of colors is the reason why, as don't always develop my films after shooting them, I shoot a photo with my phone. Always useful.

A color chart and gray scale on the film would probably help more. ;-)

Problem is that this way, you'll loose half the photos from your 120 film. Which in my opinion isn't a good thing at all.

I can't say I'm following that.

Well, if for you losing half of your photos isn't a problem, then go on ; ) $15 for 6 frames (with a 6x6 camera) on cinestill 800 120 makes a pretty expensive price then.

For fresh negatives "Neutral" setting in VueScan is the best option for almost all scenarios, but he isn't even trying it.
P.S.: this software seem to make harsh contrast, colors, etc. I don't think it's a good all-rounder, looks more like a tool for specific job. If so, it doesn't look good to pay $99 more since you'll need VueScan anyway to get these scans in the first place. And with enough patience and/or experience you actually can get the same look as Negative Lab Pro gives.
So, why should we pay the extra?

James thank you for taking the time to review the four films ..the 50 D really peaked my interest I heard the wow after you rescanned.. For many years I was a photo technician and processed film in the lab.
There is undoubtedly a few variables that show when the films are scanned in at a lab ..so we feel that our images are sidelined ..it could be anything from processing with slightly contaminated or stale dev to uneven lightening on the flat bed scanner..

The color difference is drastic. Could it be the color-profile? Watching your video, I noticed, that in Negative Lab Pro you used the Color Model "Frontier" . Was this your scanner, or could this be a reason for the noticable difference?