NEW! Affordable Test Negative for Cam-Scan and Scanners

[ColSebastianMoran]

A friend and collaborator in NYC, Vladimir Serebryany, has produced a quality high resolution test negative in Adox CMS II high res film. I think this will be VERY useful for testing and adjusting camera-scan setups and lenses.

This black/white negative has nine USAF test patterns good to about 90 lp/mm

Why would we care? The alternative is the glass USAF 1951 test target from Edmund Scientific or a test slide from LaserSoft. Glass target has higher detail (to 224 lp/mm), but these are expensive $100 and have only one test pattern, in the center. This film has test patterns at center, edges, and corners, where you want them.

Vlad's suggestions:
- Load in your setup, focus, and shoot
- Look for uniform resolution across the frame, check your alignment
- Compare corners to center, is your lens performing
- Easier to focus on this high-contrast detail, focus on this test frame, then keep that focus for your camera scanning (if your setup is rigid).
- Compare lenses. Publish your results to compare to others.

Additional notes:
- Focus and defocus. Look for changing colors, a sign of LOCA in your lens.
- Note: the calculation for lp/mm for this negative is NOT the usual USAF table. Instead use table shown in next item in this thread.

Here's a starter comparison: 24MPx Sony body, good macro lens at good aperture. All sharpening turned off, with a touch of sharpening those look better. Screen grabs at 400% from Lightroom.

- Left is the USAF glass target reading Group 5 Element 6 = 57 lp/mm, just about the max I see on 24MPx sensors.
- Right is the new film negative, at same magnification and display. From Vlad's calculator Group -1 Element 6 = 50 lp/mm.

 

[punkzter]

very cool. i'd be interested.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

How to obtain this film negative? Pricing is VERY reasonable.

I suggest ordering a strip of 3 frames for ease of use in our film holders.

Online order form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScpbw1z744s6tFYCe-4KYXN-zl8kqazhRV-Bqwx7q0lPXQRdA/viewform

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Is this film target good enough?

- Yes, for 24MPx bodies and single shot capture (I get 50-57 lp/mm max on this sensor).
- Yes, for 50MPx bodies and single shot capture (you should get able to get 75 lp/mm)
- Maybe not for higher resolution captures, but do you have any films with such detail?

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

AND... I have no financial interest whatsoever in this.

 

[hap]

Is this film target good enough?

- Yes, for 24MPx bodies and single shot capture (I get 50-57 lp/mm max on this sensor).
- Yes, for 50MPx bodies and single shot capture (you should get able to get 75 lp/mm)
- Maybe not for higher resolution captures, but do you have any films with such detail?

Not sure I understand your question. Data I find on Kodak TMAX is between 125-200lpmm

 

[CameraQuest]

Is this film target good enough?

- Yes, for 24MPx bodies and single shot capture (I get 50-57 lp/mm max on this sensor).
- Yes, for 50MPx bodies and single shot capture (you should get able to get 75 lp/mm)
- Maybe not for higher resolution captures, but do you have any films with such detail?

it would probably be a good idea if you explained exactly how these are used, and their advantages / disadvantages to other possibilities

 

[jzagaja]

Alternative:

https://www.danes-picta.com/

up to 200 lpm, with good 24mpix setup you will get 5000dpi better than worn drum scanner
Benchmark scanner is Minolta Elite II.

 

[hap]

Alternative:

https://www.danes-picta.com/

up to 200 lpm, with good 24mpix setup you will get 5000dpi better than worn drum scanner
Benchmark scanner is Minolta Elite II.

Not an expert but it seems if this is correct, the possibility of reaching similar resolution (as measured by lpm) of a good film with a fairly common digital sensor standard. I guess that rules out my Nikon 1 v1. However, it would put my D7100 back in service. Now I only need a macro. How would a Nikon 105 macro AFD work?

 

[hap]

A friend and collaborator in NYC, Vladimir Serebryany, has produced a quality high resolution test negative in Adox CMS II high res film. I think this will be VERY useful for testing and adjusting camera-scan setups and lenses.

This black/white negative has nine USAF test patterns good to about 90 lp/mm

Why would we care? The alternative is the glass USAF 1951 test target from Edmund Scientific or a test slide from LaserSoft. Glass target has higher detail (to 224 lp/mm), but these are expensive $100 and have only one test pattern, in the center. This film has test patterns at center, edges, and corners, where you want them.

Vlad's suggestions:
- Load in your setup, focus, and shoot
- Look for uniform resolution across the frame, check your alignment
- Compare corners to center, is your lens performing
- Easier to focus on this high-contrast detail, focus on this test frame, then keep that focus for your camera scanning (if your setup is rigid).
- Compare lenses. Publish your results to compare to others.

Additional notes:
- Focus and defocus. Look for changing colors, a sign of LOCA in your lens.
- Note: the calculation for lp/mm for this negative is NOT the usual USAF table. Instead use table shown in next item in this thread.

Here's a starter comparison: 24MPx Sony body, good macro lens at good aperture. All sharpening turned off, with a touch of sharpening those look better. Screen grabs at 400% from Lightroom.

- Left is the USAF glass target reading Group 5 Element 6 = 57 lp/mm, just about the max I see on 24MPx sensors.
- Right is the new film negative, at same magnification and display. From Vlad's calculator Group -1 Element 6 = 50 lp/mm.

Looks like Russian collusion....or is that collision.

 

[hap]

I like how this looks on one of my medical grade monitors.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Alternative:

https://www.danes-picta.com/

up to 200 lpm, with good 24mpix setup you will get 5000dpi better than worn drum scanner
Benchmark scanner is Minolta Elite II.

Looking there, they have one 35mm film target, FSR1, but it is not included in current price list. All items in the price list are 100 Euros or more.

Jack, can you confirm that a 35mm item is available from these people?

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Not an expert but it seems if this is correct, the possibility of reaching similar resolution (as measured by lpm) of a good film with a fairly common digital sensor standard. ... it would put my D7100 back in service. Now I only need a macro. How would a Nikon 105 macro AFD work?

FWIW, in my opinion, 24MPx camera-scan with a good macro lens, gives pretty much the potential from 35mm negatives and slides.

Also, FWIW, this applies for both APS and FF, 24MPx on either does well.

Your D7100 will do a good job. I can recommend the AF 60 Micro, or one of the manual Focus 55 micros with a short extension tube.

I have the 105 Micro Nikkor AF D, and I don't think it's as good as the shorter micros.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Looks like Russian collusion....or is that collision.

RCA, Sarnoff. Those are classic BW tv test charts.

 

[David Murphy]

Wow, what an excellent ideal. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[Freakscene]

Looks like Russian collusion....or is that collision.

And Vladimir, the guy making them, is in Banja Luka/Бања Лука in the Republika Srpska/Република Српскa part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Not Russia.

Banja Luka is where Kurt Waldheim, later the President of Austria and President of the United Nations, spent his WWII service in the Nazi Heeresgruppe E as an Intelligence Officer, while 35 km away the Nazis and their collaborators murdered thousands of Serbs, jews, Roma, Sinti and political opponents, by primarily manual means. Waldheim’s voice is recorded on the Voyager II golden record as a representative of humanity for whatever extraterrestrial intelligence might some day find it.

And, during the wars in Yugoslavia, I spent some months there. The whole Banska Krajina Region is beautiful. I’ll try to find some photos.

I should add that this is about the best tool I have seen for calibrating 35 mm scanning by whatever means. It is not a resolution test, like the other similar tools, it is a flatness and evenness of field test.

Marty

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

Great stuff - it's about time I got my scanner accurately calibrated, so I've ordered some.

I've also got a Pixllator (one of those Kickstarters from the late 19th century that is now close to shipping) on the way (soon, ish, sometime), so this will do the job with that too.

 

[KenR]

US Air Force Museum

US Air Force Museum

These things show up in the strangest places. If you Google map the US AF Museum in Dayton, OH, there is a test pattern painted on a disused runway to the left of the Museum. Probably for testing the resolution of satellite spy cameras. How many lines per meter can your camera resolve, comrade?

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

And Vladimir, the guy making them, is in Banja Luka...

I should add that this is about the best tool I have seen for calibrating 35 mm scanning by whatever means. It is not a resolution test, like the other similar tools, it is a flatness and evenness of field test.

Hi Marty -

Vlad is in Brooklyn, NY. He's been here for a long time, and is a great guy.

Yes, it's good for alignment, checking that you have even resolution in all corners.

It's useful as a lens test or basis for comparing lenses.
- Center resolution (but that's pretty good with most any len)
- Corner resolution close to center (that separates good from not so good)
- Maybe look for LOCA by deliberately tilting the strip or purposely un-focusing
- Look for CAs in the edges and corners.

The line patterns are not as clean as the $100 glass target, but are clearly distinguished to 80+ lp/mm.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

These things show up in the strangest places. If you Google map the US AF Museum in Dayton, OH, there is a test pattern painted on a disused runway to the left of the Museum. Probably for testing the resolution of satellite spy cameras. How many lines per meter can your camera resolve, comrade?

Here's a photo:

Thanks for this reminder... Here's the article:

https://www.dpreview.com/articles/4116179904/giant-camera-resolution-test-charts-around-the-us