To compare the standardised Nidek EAS-1000 densitometric analysis of the lens with clinical assessment of the nucleus at an early stage of cataract development, 1,200 eyes of 1,204 participants of the VECAT study were assessed at the baseline using both subjective and objective lens grading. Standardisation of the automatic slit image analysis was achieved using a custom-designed EAS-1000 Software version 3.01c. Among 6 measurements of nuclear optical density, the mean pixel luminescence of integrated anterior nuclear density correlated best with clinical assessment (R = 0.662, p < 0.001). Variance components that interfere with the assessment are defined.