Ok, let’s see it! Pictures and/or descriptions of your current DSLR Scanning setup. Just reply to share it!
(Bonus points for sharing a few conversions using your setup!)
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Hi
This is my reproduction bench
Based on nikon D750 micro nikkor 105 mm and meike cheap flash
Philippe
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This was when I first got the Nikon ES-2 after about 6 months of it being on backorder. I had been using the ES-1. I typically don’t scan outdoors, but it worked fine nonetheless. Nowadays I’m tethering my 5D Mark 4 into LR Classic and I’m lighting with a Profoto B1. The scans on the MBP were old family Kodachrome shots from the 50s. I need to rig up my copy stand to shoot 120 and 4x5. Still deciding if I want to figure out how to strobe it, or just use my Macbeth light table under the film. I’m very excited to get started using NLP! Thanks Nathan!
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Thanks for sharing your setup. One thing I have to recommend for all Canon EOS users: Use live view via EOS Utility and control your camera to 100% via the computer. So there is hardly any shaking possible and you get a precise histogram on a large screen. Also - and this is the main benefit - you can focus in incremental steps forward and backward to achieve focus withour shaking the camera. And so the images get transfered in your library under the right file names. It’s really a benefit on so many levels.
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Nikon bellows works quite well for 35mm. Works for 1:1 or higher magnification and stitching for film or slide. Bellows keeps out stray light. Lens is a Rodenstock 75mm f/4 APO Rodagon D 1x copy lens.
This is a PB-4 with tilt/shift (which is overkill). Similar PB-5 without this feature would work just as well for camera scanning.
Holder is PS-4 which hold slides or film. Set up here for 1:1 with a full-frame Sony A7. This holder has shifts left/right up/down so I can use higher magnification, make four captures, and stitch. Nikon also made a PS-5 without the shifts. Place flash or any light behind the built-in diffuser.
(Mirrorless, so technically not DSLR.)
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@Richard1Karash - very cool. Can you tell me more about the holder that can shift left/right up/down for stitching together captures? Is that a part of the Nikon PS-4 bellows, or something different? I have a hard time in my current setup getting perfect multi-shots for stitching.
Awesome! What is the sweet spot for ISO / multi-capture and stitch in your opinion? I have to imagine with grainier films, add more digital pixels has diminishing returns at some point?
Copying Goals! When I grow up, I want to graduate past the ES-2 and get a Nikon PB/PS. And that glass must be sharper than a tack! Bravo!
Thanks for your info and feedback Lukas! My biggest issue is the focus ring on the EF 50mm Compact Macro has some dead spots like potholes driving down the road, and it seems to be right where critical focus is achieved. I had also tested a 55mm Micro Nikkor and it wasn’t much better. I bet having the Nikon bellows would alleviate this issue. I wonder/assume if the new TS-E 50mm has better IQ, albeit a huge filter thread to adapt.
My workflow is Av at f/2.5, Live view at 10x, grain focus with Hoodman loupe, close LV, Switch to M where it’s set to f/8, turn off modeling lamp, shoot B1 on either TTL or M and evaluate exposure. If a change is needed, switch B1 to M and adjust its power up or down. For very contrasty slides, I’ll bracket and Merge to HDR if needed. For negs I just shoot ETTR. What I do like about the Canon is that the exposure modes hold independent apertures. So I can quickly go back and forth between Av and M without readjustment. I’ll have to try the EOS Utility if I can focus thru it. I’m not worried about camera shake with the strobe. That’s not been an issue.
EOS utility uses the auto focus of your lens, but you can control it much better than with a focus ring. It’s really an eye opener.
Thanks for this tip!
Nate, the Nikon PS-4 slide holder is an accessory for the PB-4 or PB-5 bellows. Loosen the thumb-screw in photo and you can move the slide/negative L-R and up-down. This does a fine job of position for four images to stitch when I shoot with an crop-sensor body. The PS-5 slide holder is similar, but without the shift feature.
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Sweet spot for multi-capture and stitch? Good question. Needs further work.
I did a test for my chromes from the late 70’s. Kodachrome 64, shot hand-held, Nikon gear and prime lenses. You have to look very hard to find the 4-way stitch better than a single 24MPx capture. Maybe a little. Maybe different for other films, different for C-41 vs. chromes? Surely depends on the film and on the image. 24MPx may well be enough for most 35mm.
And even if it is out of NLP, here was my bench for positive slides
Main issue was heat of the 150 W lamp ! And old slides that had ugly colors because of their age
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I’m doing similar for slides with a Kodak Carousel projector. I assume you added a diffuser; what did you use?
Hi Richard
I removed the second block of lens between lamp and slide ( I let the first closest to the lamp) and added several layers of 5 mm white PVC.
The issue is that i had to replace often as plastic self destroyed because of heat.
This is also a security for the DSLR as the 150 W lamp is far too powerful
But this was a good compromise between light efficiency and the smallest amount of vigneting.
Regards
Philippe
LED bulb with high CRI works well for chromes as well as negatives. I’m using 8-watt (50 watt equivalent).
My setup, from the table up: Kaiser Slimlite Plano, Leica BEOON copy stand, Beseler Negatrans, Nikkor EL50/4, Fuji X Pro 2.
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