You are definitely looking for some high class equipement. Here are my thoughts on things…
Camera: Fuji GFX 100s
Great choice. Using a GFX50 myself. The 50 will outresolve the negatives already, so basically it depends on how big you want to print later. If printing is not your thing, the GFX50 is the better choice for colour vs. the GFX100. The 50 has been rated “exceptional” for colour reproduction. See “lens options” for further thoughts.
Lens: Nikon Rayfact 2x (95mm, F2.8)?
This is a beast of a lens, no doubts, but the Rayfact won’t work well for you for two reasons: (1) painful to work with at f/2.8. The DoF is razor thin, no margin for error if your film is not 100% flat (and by 100%, I mean no movement at all). (2) It has the wrong magnification ratio for your needs. Last but not least, I’m not sure the image circle will work with a digital MF sensor.
A better choice and designed for this matter is the Schneider Kreuznach Macro Symmar 120. There are different types, mainly differentiated by the fact that one line is made for consumers, the other for industrial use as line scan lens. Both have the same optical performance (the industrial version is cheaper used and easily available from South Korea)
Copy Stand: Kaiser Copy Stand RS 1 with RT-1 Arm? (Open to suggestions)
The RS1 is wonderful (as a bonus you may want to have one with microdrive, though not necessary), the RT-1 arm sucks. It won’t work for both the weight and the devices you’re going to attach to it. You may want to look for the RA-101 arm. That’s the rock solid thing in Kaiser’s line-up.
Light Source: Undecided
I went for the negative supply 5x7 99CRI. If you want to digitise your negatives as single shots, it will be too small for your needs. See below for further info.
Film Holder: Digital Transitions Film Stage? (Open to suggestions)
I’ve been looking for that thing too. It’s a dream device. Alternatively the Phase One Capture Stage (same same but different, Phase One’s holders looked better to me). After all, I went all in with negative supply (Pro 35mm and 120 holder + 5x7 99CRI Light Source).
Different lens options, depending on the capture process
- Capture as one negative (use the GFX100s)
SK Macro Symmar 120 (version 0061/0161 / magnification 1:3) - Capture to stitch (use the GFX50)
SK Macro Symmar 120 (version 0059/0150 / magnification 1:1.33) - Rodenstock Apo-Rodagon D 2X 75mm/4.5
An alternative to the Schneider Kreuznach (v0059) with shorter focal length. Needs to be stopped down to 7.1 for the same performance as the SK. This Rodenstock is basically the lens that has been used in the Hasselblad Flextight X5)
I own both the SK v0059 and Rodenstock to do all my 35mm and MF digitisations (6x6, 6x7, 6x4.5).
Further devices I own to make this all work:
- Novoflex BALPRO 1 bellow system
- Novoflex PRO50 extension tube
- Novoflex PROLEI lens adapter (to screw the SK Macro Symmar onto)
Hope this helps!
One more: Should you already have a setup in place, please share your devices here too. Happy to learn what you went for and get ideas of other people’s setup. Thanks!