Huss
Veteran
Nikon N2000, 45mm 2.8P, Kodak ProImage 100
Scanning with a digital camera
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RainDance
Member
What is a decent film negative holder to use? Are the omega rapid shifts good? I am currently using a 3d printed negative holder and I am having issues with curly negatives.
XTOL121
Newbie
I'm not familiar with the omega rapid shift, but I had great success with the Beseler 67 holders for both 35mm and 120. I never had film flatness issues while scanning full rolls, but sometimes had a bowed edge on the first/last frame when scanning strips of 5 or 6 at a time. To fix that I put a strip of camera light seal foam on the top plate where the sprocket holes would sit. That gave enough pressure to flatten out the film and remove any curvature. Hope that helps!
Huss
Veteran
I use the Nikon ES-2 for 35mm, and the Lomo Digitiliza holders for 35mm pano, 120, and also 110.
Before the Lomo product I was using enlarger film holders.
madNbad
Well-known
I was using the Lomo before switching over to the Skier Copybox. It's a good design and holds the negatives very flat.
Huss
Veteran
Nikon F4, 50 1.4D, Fuji Superia 400
Mark C
Well-known
I've experimented with camera scanning for a long time but really need to find a good light source. I've read everything in the threads here, but information changes so fast. I'd like to hear some recommendations for currently available light sources that are known to give even light to at the very least medium format. Links are appreciated.
I have the Beseler Dual-Mode Slide Duplicator and it works great except for uneven light. That is probably the ancient mixing chamber, but this is more complicated to get to than I'd like to deal with. A fairly thin source is better for this rig; my old fluorescent light box is just too big.
I've tried my old iPad Mini, but it is not even. I think I tried my iPhone 11 with similar issues. I can try to diffuse those more, but would prefer something ready to go, and a bit brighter than the Apples would end up being when diffused. I want really even light.
Any help will be very appreciated by me, and I think useful in general.
I have the Beseler Dual-Mode Slide Duplicator and it works great except for uneven light. That is probably the ancient mixing chamber, but this is more complicated to get to than I'd like to deal with. A fairly thin source is better for this rig; my old fluorescent light box is just too big.
I've tried my old iPad Mini, but it is not even. I think I tried my iPhone 11 with similar issues. I can try to diffuse those more, but would prefer something ready to go, and a bit brighter than the Apples would end up being when diffused. I want really even light.
Any help will be very appreciated by me, and I think useful in general.
Huss
Veteran
Rolleiflex 2.8GX, Ilford Ortho Plus 80, Cinestill DF96 Monobath, Z7 scan
Roll# 18 from first bottle.
I use a $20 LitEnergy A4 Tracer Slim LED Tracing Light Box from Amazon.
As for the 120 image above, and all my scanned film from 110 to 6x10.
Mark C
Well-known
Thanks. I'll check that one out. Amazon is easy and $20 is a cheap experiment. I still like flatbeds for seeing a lot of negs at once, but am getting pretty frustrated with performance and reliability.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
I finally figured out a great system for scanning with my Z7. Initially I'd been using a tripod set at a crazy angle and secured with sandbags in order to have it properly overhang my Dracast LED 1000 light, and I had to adjust the light so that it was completely parallel with the back of the camera. It took up a heck of a lot of room in my office, and I was ready to give up on this whole process. But I found a solution that - at least at the moment - seems to be working great. I got a Novoflex MagicStudio Repro bracket (it mounts to a tabletop) as well as a Huion LED light pad. Addtionally, I have the camera hooked up to my iMac and am using Nikon Camera Control Pro 2. So not only is the camera scanning setup taking up a very small footprint, it's also a direct-connect to my computer and I can look at and work on the image immediately. No more card removal or even touching the camera for that matter - I can even line up the neg/glass plate simply by looking on my computer screen, as well as focus, shoot, adjust aperture and shutter speed with a simple mouse click. Only issue I'm having at the moment is that I'm noticing the camera being reflected in the neg/glass plate that I'm scanning. I'll have to see if scanning from the emulsion side might be a better way to go.
madNbad
Well-known
Vince, take a look at the Lomo Digitaliza: https://shop.lomography.com/en/digitaliza-35mm-scanning-mask?country=us
It holds a strip of six negatives and uses a magnetized plate to flatten the strip before scanning.
It holds a strip of six negatives and uses a magnetized plate to flatten the strip before scanning.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
I have one, seems to work okay. With the glass plates, of course, I don't need to worry about keeping it flat 🙂
No the big issue I had was just my whole setup itself - I wasn't crazy about having to use the tripod, my big LED light, and the massive footprint that it took up in my office. Not very efficient. This new setup is a joy, and being that it's now connected to my computer makes it even easier. BTW I figured out one way to eliminate the camera reflection - I just put a large piece of black matboard on top of the camera and it seemed to do the trick.
Just did this one from a glass plate - you'll notice that one image isn't as sharp as the other. That's the left stereo camera lens itself which is the cause - the camera is currently out for repair and will be (hopefully!) resolved.
Monobloc Stereo Test3a by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
Huss
Veteran
Vince, I just use a copy stand I bought off ebay (new) for $150. Camera snaps onto the stand, light pad underneath it. For when I am not copying 35mm film.
The stand comes apart with one screw if I need to put it away, but I just leave it on the corner of my desk because I can still put stuff on it when its not in use.
The stand comes apart with one screw if I need to put it away, but I just leave it on the corner of my desk because I can still put stuff on it when its not in use.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Are you connecting your camera directly to your computer?
Huss
Veteran
No. I use the rear screen.
Huss
Veteran
Leica M7, CV 40 1.2, Arista 400, DF96 Monobath.
RainDance
Member
I may have misunderstood this but does the digitaliza come with a glass plate, like an ANR glass? The copy stand route is the easiest I think, I repurposed an old durst m600 enlarger. For the light source I am using a kaiser slim plano, very bright and the light is good. For negative holders, I asked a while ago but I am still using my v600 negative holders, I will tackle the other holder options next week.
madNbad
Well-known
No glass, it’s an open holder. You open the holder, place the strip of negatives, close it. There is a plate that aligns with four notches on one side of the holder. A second magnetized plate is placed on the other side, flattening the strip. The plates are removed and you’re ready to scan.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
No the Digitaliza is just a frame - it’s kind of an odd duck, actually. You put the new in the carrier with the metal plate on the bottom, then you put the black top cover on (it has little round magnets on it’s underside), and it creates almost like a vacuum seal. You then put the whole shebang on your light table, remove the top cover, then remove the frame from the bottom plate, and it ‘should’ render the film strip nice and flat. Mostly it works.
Huss
Veteran
Nikon ZoomTouch 800, Arista 400 Premium, DF96 Monobath
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