nightfly
Well-known
I'd like to set up something for film scanning but I don't currently own a digital camera that would be well suited for it.
Anyone have a recommendation for an inexpensive, likely used, digital camera and lens that will spend most of it's life scanning film?
Recommendations for the rest of the setup also welcome but figure I can find this elsewhere.
Anyone have a recommendation for an inexpensive, likely used, digital camera and lens that will spend most of it's life scanning film?
Recommendations for the rest of the setup also welcome but figure I can find this elsewhere.
raydm6
Yay! Cameras! 🙈🙉🙊┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ [◉"]
I presume you have seen this thread? I'd like to find a method myself and would need to purchase a rig for this but have not researched deeply yet.
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=161028
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=161028
css9450
Veteran
I use my D7000 and D750 but honestly there are probably many dozens of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras that would do just fine. An important feature to have, in my opinion, is Live View with the ability to zoom in close to aid in focusing. An articulating (flip up or down) screen is very nice to have assuming you're seated next to the table with your light pad and tripod.
I use a Nikkor AF 60mm/f2.8 macro lens which I got used from KEH, specifically for scanning (I'm not a macro shooter otherwise).
I use a Nikkor AF 60mm/f2.8 macro lens which I got used from KEH, specifically for scanning (I'm not a macro shooter otherwise).
NorpA
Established
I quote the suggestions from CSS. I am using an old Canon 5D + Macro (1:1) lens only for this scope, but it doesn't have live view nor flip screen and this a bit annoying. However, I cope shooting in tethering with Darktable.
titrisol
Bottom Feeder
Depending on the system you have, I'd buy a ~16MP camera and a manual macro lens (which allows for 1:1) as basic setup.
You can then use a LED drafting table and make a carrier with cardboard or from an old enlarger neg carrier
Check the thread pointed to you before. I did it first with a 6MP camera and was happy at the time, but now you can get much better sensors
I strted with a tripod/copypod, but now I use a bellows and a horizontal setup which is easier for me to use
If you like tinkering, check this 3d-printable setup: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3146065
You can then use a LED drafting table and make a carrier with cardboard or from an old enlarger neg carrier
Check the thread pointed to you before. I did it first with a 6MP camera and was happy at the time, but now you can get much better sensors
I strted with a tripod/copypod, but now I use a bellows and a horizontal setup which is easier for me to use
If you like tinkering, check this 3d-printable setup: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3146065
Godfrey
somewhat colored
I recommend a mirrorless body and a high quality, manual focus macro lens. A smaller than FF format is an advantage as long as the pixel count is high enough, and it has the advantage of requiring less magnification for most copy jobs. An APS-C or Micro-FourThirds body requires half the magnification to achieve a full frame 35mm negative or slide capture and has plenty of dynamic range at the typical ISO 100-400 setting used for such copy work.
My standard rig for negative scanning for the past few years has been a Leica CL body fitted with either a Leitz Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm f/2.8 or a Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5. I use them with a Novoflex Magic Stand copy stand and a flat panel LED light box, with both a couple of negative holders that I cobbled up myself from card-stock or, recently, a Negative Supply scanning film carrier (for 120 format negatives). This setup requires that I configure magnification, framing, and focus just once for each format when I set up a scanning session ... Done right, the film carrier allows moving the film in place with NO change to or adjustment of focus or framing required for a particular format set of film originals. It outputs up to 24 Mpixel raw files for 35mm originals and up to 16 Mpixel raw files for full frame 6x6 negative captures. That's good enough for my usual presentation and printing needs.
I've used as well:
All performed nicely, but the E-1, GXR-M, and K10D relatively low pixel count didn't quite give me the pixel density I wanted as a minimum. For high quality prints in the 11x14 to 13x19 inch range, I want 16 to 24 Mpixel capture as a baseline with film copying.
The Hasselblad 907x setup provides much higher capture resolution as well as vastly better dynamic range, but of course is a much more expensive solution; however, I'm beginning to use it more and more as most of the film I'm shooting nowadays is 6x4.5 or 6x6 format. The APS-C format Leica CL fits 35mm FF format better at a magnification around 1:2 and is the most convenient for 35mm format film.
G
My standard rig for negative scanning for the past few years has been a Leica CL body fitted with either a Leitz Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm f/2.8 or a Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5. I use them with a Novoflex Magic Stand copy stand and a flat panel LED light box, with both a couple of negative holders that I cobbled up myself from card-stock or, recently, a Negative Supply scanning film carrier (for 120 format negatives). This setup requires that I configure magnification, framing, and focus just once for each format when I set up a scanning session ... Done right, the film carrier allows moving the film in place with NO change to or adjustment of focus or framing required for a particular format set of film originals. It outputs up to 24 Mpixel raw files for 35mm originals and up to 16 Mpixel raw files for full frame 6x6 negative captures. That's good enough for my usual presentation and printing needs.
I've used as well:
- Olympus E-1 and E-M1 with ZD 35mm f/3.5 Macro lens.
- Ricoh GXR-M with either of the two lenses listed above.
- Sony A7 with either of the two lenses listed above.
- Leica SL and M-P typ 240 with either of the two lenses listed above.
- Nikon D750 with the Micro-Nikkor.
- Pentax K10D with SMC Pentax-A 50mm Macro.
- Panasonic GX9 with either of the two lenses listed above, or the ZD 35mm Macro.
- Hasselblad 907x with either of the two lenses above, and with the XCD 45P using a close up lens setup.
All performed nicely, but the E-1, GXR-M, and K10D relatively low pixel count didn't quite give me the pixel density I wanted as a minimum. For high quality prints in the 11x14 to 13x19 inch range, I want 16 to 24 Mpixel capture as a baseline with film copying.
The Hasselblad 907x setup provides much higher capture resolution as well as vastly better dynamic range, but of course is a much more expensive solution; however, I'm beginning to use it more and more as most of the film I'm shooting nowadays is 6x4.5 or 6x6 format. The APS-C format Leica CL fits 35mm FF format better at a magnification around 1:2 and is the most convenient for 35mm format film.
G
keytarjunkie
no longer addicted
I use a Sony A7RII for camera scanning at home - it is overkill for 35mm, but the high resolution is great to have for medium and large format. The camera has a cool feature where you can put your hand in front of the eyepiece sensor to trigger the shutter, so you don't have to touch the camera or use a cable release. I am using the new Sigma 105mm DG DN macro lens, which is incredibly sharp to the corners, and the Kaiser Slimlite Plano and FilmCopy system. I process with Capture One 20. You can see examples of my results with this setup on flickr.
I recently helped set up a system for a community darkroom. For this, we purchased a Sony A5000. This is a great camera for this purpose: 20MP APSC sensor, full time live view display, tilting LCD. A Micro-Nikkor 55mm or similar lens on a camera like this is a relatively inexpensive but high quality setup that can produce better results than a flatbed scanner. You can of course use a 16-24MP DSLR for scanning too, the market is pretty saturated with them, but having the live view and tilt screen are very useful features.
I recently helped set up a system for a community darkroom. For this, we purchased a Sony A5000. This is a great camera for this purpose: 20MP APSC sensor, full time live view display, tilting LCD. A Micro-Nikkor 55mm or similar lens on a camera like this is a relatively inexpensive but high quality setup that can produce better results than a flatbed scanner. You can of course use a 16-24MP DSLR for scanning too, the market is pretty saturated with them, but having the live view and tilt screen are very useful features.
monopix
Cam repairer
+1 for the live view and the flip up screen.
You can use an enlarger lens as long as you can adapt it to whatever camera you get. The enlarger lens will need a bellows to focus it. But a bellows and a reasonable enlarger lens will probably cost less than a macro lens capable of achieving equal result. Plus, enlarger lenses are designed for flatness of field which can be a problem with some macro lenses.
I started out using a Schneider Componon-S 80mm coupled to a Sony A7II. The results were very good at f/11 but sharpness at larger apertures was not so good. At smaller apertures refraction took over.
I switched to a Zeiss (Contax fit) 100mm f/2.8 Makro-Planar. Not the cheapest lens around but, oh boy, is it good. Even at f/2.8 it beat the Componon's best. And it focuses to 1:1 with no extra accessories required.
And this is the stand I use. Home made to save some cost.
You can use an enlarger lens as long as you can adapt it to whatever camera you get. The enlarger lens will need a bellows to focus it. But a bellows and a reasonable enlarger lens will probably cost less than a macro lens capable of achieving equal result. Plus, enlarger lenses are designed for flatness of field which can be a problem with some macro lenses.
I started out using a Schneider Componon-S 80mm coupled to a Sony A7II. The results were very good at f/11 but sharpness at larger apertures was not so good. At smaller apertures refraction took over.
I switched to a Zeiss (Contax fit) 100mm f/2.8 Makro-Planar. Not the cheapest lens around but, oh boy, is it good. Even at f/2.8 it beat the Componon's best. And it focuses to 1:1 with no extra accessories required.
And this is the stand I use. Home made to save some cost.
nightfly
Well-known
Going to be scanning mostly negatives from my Mamiya 7 though some 35mm as well.
Seems like when starting from scratch, something like the Sony A5000 might be the call.
Want to keep things as simple as possible.
Seems like when starting from scratch, something like the Sony A5000 might be the call.
Want to keep things as simple as possible.
madNbad
Well-known
I used a Sony A5100 for about a year. It was a bargain at a local shop and added a 55 Micro-Nikkor. Once I got the right extension ring to compensate for the APS-C sensor, the 24mp was more than enough. I exchanged it for an A7II, mostly because I wanted to try full frame.
twvancamp
Thom
I've tried to wade through the large digi cam scanning thread, but it's become a bit overwhelming, so since this is active I'll ask here.
Does one need bellows to get a good image of the negative? That is, how important is to block out external light when taking your image?
I have an X-pro1 I'd like to rig up, but even with a macro lens there is open space between lens and negative.
Does one need bellows to get a good image of the negative? That is, how important is to block out external light when taking your image?
I have an X-pro1 I'd like to rig up, but even with a macro lens there is open space between lens and negative.
cjm
Well-known
Blocking out external light is important. You can do so with a bellows or scanning in a relatively dark room. I do that latter and it works fine for me.
twvancamp
Thom
raydm6
Yay! Cameras! 🙈🙉🙊┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ [◉"]
For something down and dirty, this is my poor man's scanning workflow for now:
Lay negative on old iPad 4 as light table (Pages app set to blank white page) -> iPhone 11 scan/snapshot -> upload to iMac Retina 5K and use Photos app to invert/adjust
Kodak 118 negative (3 1/4" x 4 1/4") my Dad took of my sister and cousin's later 50's - Kodak No. 3 Folding Hawk-eye Model 9 w/Bausch & Lomb Rapid Rectilinear Lens:
Sis & Cousins late 50's by rdc154, on Flickr
Lay negative on old iPad 4 as light table (Pages app set to blank white page) -> iPhone 11 scan/snapshot -> upload to iMac Retina 5K and use Photos app to invert/adjust
Kodak 118 negative (3 1/4" x 4 1/4") my Dad took of my sister and cousin's later 50's - Kodak No. 3 Folding Hawk-eye Model 9 w/Bausch & Lomb Rapid Rectilinear Lens:
Sis & Cousins late 50's by rdc154, on Flickr
Russell W. Barnes
Well-known
For 6x6 negs I use a Sony RX100 II set as follows:-
f8 > Manual exposure with display on 'play' set to histogram > 100 ISO > RAW > focus peaking level set to 'mid' > 2 sec timer set to on > manual focus.
I mount the camera on my sturdy BENBO tripod with the bush screw set 4 3/4" above the film plane. Camera and lightbox - the traditional fluorescent type - checked with a two-bubble spirit level. I've used an iPhone level function in the past for this.
Negs are placed on top of the lightbox diffuser then a sheet of glass is placed over the top to hold the negs flat. On top of that is a cardboard mask with a square aperture 58mm x 58mm. Focussing on the grain is possible and shows on the peaking level. Works for me!
For 35mm I use ancient Canon EOS 5D Mk.1 (no liveview) with a 42mm adaptor and one of those Elicar slide duplicators popular in the '70s, less the carrier. Neg placed on the lightbox and a mask cut from a sheet of printed-circuit board placed on top of it. Then I stand the duplicator and DSLR upright on top of the neg, camera set to 'manual' and RAW, 100 ISO, and I use a remote release and lock the mirror up.
I have an enarger lens, 42mm tubes and bellows but I don't have a copy stand - yet - which I reckon would make all the difference and allow me to use enlarger lens, tubes and / or bellows rather than the duplicator. That said, I don't think the results are that bad.
Here's a 35mm example:-
Alberta Cumbria by Russell W Barnes, on Flickr
And here's a 6x6 example:-
Ouse Bridge by Russell W Barnes, on Flickr
f8 > Manual exposure with display on 'play' set to histogram > 100 ISO > RAW > focus peaking level set to 'mid' > 2 sec timer set to on > manual focus.
I mount the camera on my sturdy BENBO tripod with the bush screw set 4 3/4" above the film plane. Camera and lightbox - the traditional fluorescent type - checked with a two-bubble spirit level. I've used an iPhone level function in the past for this.
Negs are placed on top of the lightbox diffuser then a sheet of glass is placed over the top to hold the negs flat. On top of that is a cardboard mask with a square aperture 58mm x 58mm. Focussing on the grain is possible and shows on the peaking level. Works for me!
For 35mm I use ancient Canon EOS 5D Mk.1 (no liveview) with a 42mm adaptor and one of those Elicar slide duplicators popular in the '70s, less the carrier. Neg placed on the lightbox and a mask cut from a sheet of printed-circuit board placed on top of it. Then I stand the duplicator and DSLR upright on top of the neg, camera set to 'manual' and RAW, 100 ISO, and I use a remote release and lock the mirror up.
I have an enarger lens, 42mm tubes and bellows but I don't have a copy stand - yet - which I reckon would make all the difference and allow me to use enlarger lens, tubes and / or bellows rather than the duplicator. That said, I don't think the results are that bad.
Here's a 35mm example:-
Alberta Cumbria by Russell W Barnes, on FlickrAnd here's a 6x6 example:-
Ouse Bridge by Russell W Barnes, on FlickrDennisM
Established
Scanning Film w digital camera
Scanning Film w digital camera
Take a look at the two links below; the second is embedded in the first. I'm about to embark on doing the same thing, i.e., scanning B&W negs with a digital camera
https://www.keh.com/blog/how-to-scan-film-with-a-digital-camera
https://www.diyphotography.net/how-...lm-with-your-digital-camera-and-a-copy-stand/
Scanning Film w digital camera
Take a look at the two links below; the second is embedded in the first. I'm about to embark on doing the same thing, i.e., scanning B&W negs with a digital camera
https://www.keh.com/blog/how-to-scan-film-with-a-digital-camera
https://www.diyphotography.net/how-...lm-with-your-digital-camera-and-a-copy-stand/
dourbalistar
Buy more film
The a5000 would work great I think. I use the Sony NEX-5T (a predecessor of the a5000) for digitizing my negatives. I find the tilting screen to be really useful, especially for longer digitizing sessions. Here's my setup, top to bottom so to speak:
Sony NEX-5T with a Voigtlander VM-E close focus adapter on a Leica BEOON copy stand, an EL-Nikkor 50mm f/2.8 enlarging lens, and a Huion L4S light pad from Amazon. 35mm film is a single shot that doesn't quite fill the APS-C frame. Cropped down, I get ~11-12MP of resolution, which works well enough for me for web sharing. For 120 film, I take two (or three for 6x7) overlapping frames, and merge them in Lightroom 6.4 using the "Panorama Merge" function.
You can replace the BEOON with a tripod or copy stand, and use another taking lens of your choice. A lot of people get excellent results from the Micro-Nikkor 55mm. In any case, the majority of the photos on my Flickr are digitized with this setup, so you can get an idea of what to expect.
I do the same as Chris, and digitize at night with all the lights off. I also mask off stray light from my LED lightpad.
madNbad
Well-known
This is my current setup. The Ambico shade blocks most of the external light but I still close the shade and turn off the lights:
Negative Supply Pro Riser II
Negative Supply Pro Riser II
benlees
Well-known
For something down and dirty, this is my poor man's scanning workflow for now:
Lay negative on old iPad 4 as light table (Pages app set to blank white page) -> iPhone 11 scan/snapshot -> upload to iMac Retina 5K and use Photos app to invert/adjust
Kodak 118 negative (3 1/4" x 4 1/4") my Dad took of my sister and cousin's later 50's - Kodak No. 3 Folding Hawk-eye Model 9 w/Bausch & Lomb Rapid Rectilinear Lens:
Nicely done for the tools on hand!
Takkun
Ian M.
Took me about a year of experimenting with different light sources, film carriers and stands, but I’ve got a good setup now. At one point I was using a film mask made of matteboard and a light box made out of taped-up foamcore with a speed light inside, but here’s my setup—
Camera/lens—Nikon FX body (D800 I think), Micro-Nikkor 60mm AFD. Shorter lens is nice, since you don’t need to rack out the camera as far for 1:1, even more so for medium format. I don’t think the modern version of this lens has VR; the 105 does but it’s too long to be practical. As others mentioned there’s really no advantage to sensor size, I just inherited the camera more or less.
Negative holder/stage: I splurged on Negative Supply. I was an early Kickstarter backer. Really, really solid product that is nice for bulk/batch scanning. There’s a few other commercial products that are really nice (the guys at 35mmc have a very simple one). Much easier than an enlarger/scanner strip holder (like the one Lomography sells)—moving the filmstrip instead of the carrier speeds things up.
Light source: I searched high and low for something adequate. Unless you build some sort of reflecting/diffusing box (like I tried and failed at), strobes don’t work well in a vertical copy-stand type setup. Small light pads/tables were just too dim and giving me 1 second long exposures stopped down. A thread on the Negative Lab Pro boards examined a number of sources for output and CRI and someone recommended the Raleno video hot light panels. So far, so good, I get around 1/100 shutter speed at f/11 and I adjust according to density.
Support—also was using a tripod with an inverted column but it was a real pain to make fine adjustments, along with the legs getting in the way of the negative stage and the camera itself. Couldn’t find a copy stand at a reasonable size or price, and my old Omega enlarger in storage doesn’t allow the lamp house assembly to be removed.
I ended up building a stand very similar to the one Negative Supply themselves offer, out of T-channel aluminum. I adapted plans for one axis of a CNC router/3D printer from OpenBuilds. Stuck a cheap pan/tilt head on it, and it works very well, making for quick fine adjustments when swapping between 35/6x6/6x8. Plus, it’s very easy to stow.
And most critically—software. Camera is tethered to Capture One transferring RAW files, and I’m using a standalone app called Analogue Toolbox that commands C1 to flip the levels/curves.
I’m heading to my workshop later tonight or early tomorrow and I’d be glad to share photos of the setup. It might be a bit overkill for some but it’s working well for me tackling some very large archiving projects.
Camera/lens—Nikon FX body (D800 I think), Micro-Nikkor 60mm AFD. Shorter lens is nice, since you don’t need to rack out the camera as far for 1:1, even more so for medium format. I don’t think the modern version of this lens has VR; the 105 does but it’s too long to be practical. As others mentioned there’s really no advantage to sensor size, I just inherited the camera more or less.
Negative holder/stage: I splurged on Negative Supply. I was an early Kickstarter backer. Really, really solid product that is nice for bulk/batch scanning. There’s a few other commercial products that are really nice (the guys at 35mmc have a very simple one). Much easier than an enlarger/scanner strip holder (like the one Lomography sells)—moving the filmstrip instead of the carrier speeds things up.
Light source: I searched high and low for something adequate. Unless you build some sort of reflecting/diffusing box (like I tried and failed at), strobes don’t work well in a vertical copy-stand type setup. Small light pads/tables were just too dim and giving me 1 second long exposures stopped down. A thread on the Negative Lab Pro boards examined a number of sources for output and CRI and someone recommended the Raleno video hot light panels. So far, so good, I get around 1/100 shutter speed at f/11 and I adjust according to density.
Support—also was using a tripod with an inverted column but it was a real pain to make fine adjustments, along with the legs getting in the way of the negative stage and the camera itself. Couldn’t find a copy stand at a reasonable size or price, and my old Omega enlarger in storage doesn’t allow the lamp house assembly to be removed.
I ended up building a stand very similar to the one Negative Supply themselves offer, out of T-channel aluminum. I adapted plans for one axis of a CNC router/3D printer from OpenBuilds. Stuck a cheap pan/tilt head on it, and it works very well, making for quick fine adjustments when swapping between 35/6x6/6x8. Plus, it’s very easy to stow.
And most critically—software. Camera is tethered to Capture One transferring RAW files, and I’m using a standalone app called Analogue Toolbox that commands C1 to flip the levels/curves.
I’m heading to my workshop later tonight or early tomorrow and I’d be glad to share photos of the setup. It might be a bit overkill for some but it’s working well for me tackling some very large archiving projects.