We have an old Canon CanoScan 8800F flatbed scanner that Canon no longer makes MacOS-compatible driver software for. There’s an alternative product called VueScan Scanner Software that the maker, Hamrick Software (https://www.hamrick.com) says is compatible with the 8800F and many other old flatbeds. Wondering if anyone has given VueScan a try, and what you think of it. Any other recommendations would be helpful as well.
I have used VueScan since it was first released. It is excellent and has worked without any problems with every scanner I have owned (Canon, Epson, and HP). It is updated frequently to add new scanners. Support is also excellent.
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VueScan is the best application available to replace legacy software from manufacturers. If it says it supports your scanner then it does.
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I’ve used Vuescan w/ two flat-beds and one film-scanner. The last two, I used Vuescan even when the manufacturer still supported them. I’ve been using Vuescan since the first release of OS X when it allowed me to bring my UMAX (SCSI) scanner over instead of replacing what was actually a fairly new scanner at the time…
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I just purchased the full version of VueScan this week. I needed software to use my Epson Perfection V500 on Monterey. It worked great.
If in doubt, download and run the trial version. It will scan flatbed only (no film) and with limited settings. Your scans will be watermarked, but at least you’ll know.
Just to be clear, that may be true about the “trial version,” (haven’t used the trial version in literally decades), but I’ve been using the full version with a Plustek OpticFilm 8200i, slogging through my entire Kodachrome catalog for the last couple of months…but no, I’m a long way from done. I also use it with a film-capable flatbed.
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That’s why I pointed out it was the trial version. I have the full version as well. I suggested the trial version to MMTalker so money would not be wasted buying the full version and finding out it did not work for their needs.
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VueScan is great. Have been using it for years. Cannot speak to how well it does with newer systems as I am still way back. If VueScan says it supports whatever your current system is, you can’t go wrong getting it.
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Bought Vuescan 15 years ago. At the time it could be bought with permanent upgrades. Never repented. Have used it with SCSI scanners, Nikon film scanner, HP printer scanners and flatbed, and now I am using it with a Canonscan LIDE 400 flatbed scanner (iMac 2017 running Monterey). You can’t go wrong.
Francisco
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You should definitely skim this other thread, and based on the info and responses posted there, decide if it’s a company you want to support.
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I have used VueScan for years and it has worked with almost everything. I have had at least 3 Cannon flatbed scanners during that time and it worked perfectly with every one. I highly recommend their software and the developer regularly updates the program.
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ExactScan is a company I found when I was looking for an option when Fujitsu stopped supporting older ScanSnap models. VueScan is not compatible with them.
I was going to purchase a license but just before I did Fujitsu announced that it changed its mind, probably due to the overwhelmingly negative response from its customers and in the digital press, forums, etc.
I do not find the specific Cannon scanner in the ExactScan compatibility list. But there is a 14-day free trial and the developer suggests giving it a try with unlisted hardware.
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I bought VueScan years ago (perhaps working on decades now). I found that Epson Scan worked better for multiple negative strips on my new Epson scanner, but otherwise VueScan has exceeded all expectations for any of my scanners over the years.
Diane
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I was in that position as well, and thankfully Fujitsu changed direction and reinstated support for the excellent ScanSnap S1500M that has been on my desk since 2011. It was much better than their previous offer, which was to offer something like a 20% discount off MSRP on a new scanner that pretty much performed the same functions but had newer plastic.
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Yes, I’m still looking to purchase a scanner to do my dad’s slides and negatives but it will be awhile - they are sort of expensive. I’ve tried to sell our first born but since he and his wife are graduates of UNC (and both their daughters attend UNC) and I am a serious Duke fan, their hasn’t been a swell of purchasers so I’m going to have to find a better funding source ;-(
Epson is one of the units I have been looking at. Thank you Diane.
I’ll second that comment. I used VueScan for years and it does support almost any scanner. But the interface is convoluted and confusing, and support is, in my experience, “cranky”. I don’t use it any more - my needs are satisfied by Preview and Image Capture.
David
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I purchased the Epson V600 in February. I think it was $250 and I’m really happy with the scans so far (using Epson Scan).
I did about 7 rolls of slides (which sounds funny!). The scanner holds 4 slides at a time so I was able to put them in and just hit scan. I work from home so I could reload as needed.
I have rescanned some negatives that I had scanned between 1999-2003-ish with the Minolta (QuickScan?) and the Epson has done a much nicer job
Diane
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My ScanSnap S1300 was also purchased in 2011. I went with the brand because I kept seeing them being used in health care facilities where they really get hammered in daily use. In recent years I’ve seen more Panasonic scanners replacing the Fujitsu. I wonder whether the ScanSnap support fiasco scared them away?
My little scanner is lightly used so I expect it to outlive me hardware-wise. So far Fujitsu has been keeping the software updated; I’m using it with a Mac running Big Sur.
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I have an ancient CanoScan LiDE 30. It seemed crazy to buy VueScan for such an old scanner.
I happened to have a Raspberry Pi next to my desk which runs a webcam. I connected the LiDE 30 and installed scanimage on the Pi. Since the Pi is headless I had to run scanimage via an SSH session. Finding that to be inconvenient I wrote a shell script on the Mac that runs scanimage via SSH.
This simple command runs an A4 sized scan at 300 dpi:
ssh pi@raspsky 'scanimage -x 210 -y 297 --resolution 300 > scan.ppm';;
making it unnecessary to log in to the Pi. To make it even more convenient I wrote an AppleScript front end for the shell script. The pair of scripts allow me to select from several image sizes, converts the image from ppm to jpg, copies the image to the Mac and opens it in Graphic Converter. Nothing fancy and not many options but it does the job and saved an old, working-fine scanner from the scrap heap.
(Note that I also have a Canon ImageClass multi-function printer/scanner sitting on my desk, the scanner of which I’ve never figured out how to use.)
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The excellent reputation of VueScan is well covered here already. I’ve never used it, although friends successfully have.
I was lucky and got a used Epson for a small scanning project and then about two years ago upgraded to another used Epson V600. Craigslist. Both lightly used. This is to say that flatbed scanner technology seems to be rather mature and used scanners can be another option. Epson software is being maintained although it does leave much to be desired but it works. Except for slides I just use Image Capture.
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