I have a Nikon CoolScan 4000ED (4,000 dpi, 14 bit) but I now want to use a digital camera to scan 35mm. What inexpensive and successful setups for scanning 35 mm film with a digital camera that provide better quality scans are recommended?
What are your baselines for “better”?
Do you already have a camera and lens?
How will you view your images?
On screen or as a print? What size print?
Why do you want to change?
What is bothering you with your current setup?
What’s your budget?
These questions do not really answer your question, but your answers might help taylor a solution that is both better and inexpensive.
I explained what the baseline quality should be, at least as good as 4,000 dpi, 14 bits.
I have a Nikkor 55mm f3.5 macro lens.
Viewing will be as large as possible on a 4K or higher resolution OLED or similar screen.
Print size is at least 16 x 20.
Reason for change is more than just 35mm format, faster speed of acquisition, better resolution and overall quality.
Current setup is slow, limited to 35mm, possibility to increase resolution and quality of scan is impossible.
A reasonable budget, much less than what a Pakon F135+ or Nikon Coolscan 5000ED now costs. I can borrow a Sony alpha 7 but would rather buy a used full-frame camera which the macro lens I own will work with unless I should buy a different lens. I will also need a copy stand or tripod or something to mount the camera on and an light source of at least 95 CRI which is even to enable photographing up to 4"x5" negatives and 5-5.6K colour temperature. I have an Omega D2 enlarger which has film holders but they are cumbersome to use so I will probably also need 35mm, 2 1/4", and 4"x5" film holders to hold the film as flat as possible and probably not showing the film sprockets if showing them results in less flat film.
I suppose that these are inches…
Printing 20 in wide with 300 ppi asks for a width of about 6’000 pixels. Any camera delivering at least 24 Mpixels should do. Go to a higher Megapixel camera for easier handling - shots can often not be done in a way to precisely cover 1:1, specially if the negative h/w ratio does not correspond to the camera’s h/w ratio.
If you print at lower resolution, 24 Mpixels should do. 24 Mpixels (FF) correspond to 6K, so the “display on screen” requirement is covered. As for all other requirements, you’ll find lots of hints in the tech section of the forum here and here.
I also have the Nikon CoolScan 4000ED and it has become my “gold standard” as I develop my mirrorless digital camera rig. I think you will find it a challenge to match its sharpness and its color negative rendition particularly with old and faded emulsions.
But it is waaaaay tooooo sloooow.