What am I doing wrong?

[Dave Jenkins]

I've been scanning slides for the last 20 years with a Minolta-Dimage 5400 with great results. However, my wife and I are downsizing as we get older and I no longer have room to store or set up the scanner, so I'm going to try scanning with a camera.

To that end, I have a Fuji X-H1 camera, a set of Meike extension tubes, a Fuji to Olympus OM adapter, a 50mm f3.5 Zuiko macro lens, and a Nikon ES-1 slide holder. I cannot get the rig to come into focus with or without either or both of the extension tubes. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Timmyjoe]

I don't know your exact set up Dave, but I would try first the lens on just the camera, and see how close you can focus. Then ad the shortest extension tube and see how close you can focus, and continue that way to see which set up gives you the right reach from the camera to your negative holder. I would suspect that maybe you have too long of an extension, and can't reach the negative.

Just a thought.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Dave Jenkins]

Thanks for the suggestions, Tim. I think the problem may be that the Nikon ES-1 does not hold the slide at the proper distance to work with this setup. I gave my copy stand away when we were downsizing. That was probably a mistake.

 

[Takkun]

Dave—
The ES-1 and ES-2 are designed specifically for the 60mm Micro-Nikkors. A shorter focal length theoretically would work, IF it focuses 1:1m it would just be very close to the lens.

Your Zuiko, as far as I can tell, gets down to 1:2, so as-is the ES-1 is holding the negs too close, probably. The extension tubes probably aren’t getting the focal plane close enough and even then, you might not get a sensor-filling image.


I hear you on the copy stand, which is why I built my own with T-slot aluminum but its still a pain to level and put away. For your setup, you might find a bellows-style slide copier useful, though then the issue is holding filmstrips..

Edit: I just saw you’re using an X-system camera...that throws all my math off. I think maybe you actually need less extension, but the problem is still with the negative too close to the lens.

 

[Dave Jenkins]

With my extension tubes, etc., I can place the slide on a lightbox and bring it into focus by moving the camera back and forth. I think the ES-1 holds the slide in a fixed position and too far away.


I think I'll return the ES-1 and get this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NDAZMW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A17MC6HOH9AVE6&psc=1

 

[keytarjunkie]

As it is, the ES-1 is probably holding your film at the distance needed for 1:1 reproduction with a 55/60mm macro lens. But you are using a crop sensor camera, which is reproducing the crop sensor area of the slide at 1:1! So if you focus on the image, you'll only be getting the middle bit.

To reproduce the full 35mm slide onto a crop sensor camera, you will actually need to be at a repro ratio of about ~1:1.6 but the exact figure depends on the size of your sensor and the film gate of your 35mm camera. This repro ratio is closer than the 1:2 your lens is capable of on its own, but adding a short extension tube will do the trick (you won't know exactly where 1:1.6 is, but you can try to guess by focusing on the naked slide...it probably won't be at minimum focus). Then you will need a spacer to move the ES-1 away from your lens - probably about 20mm, as noted here. You could also forgo the slide holder entirely, just elevate it off the lightbox and make sure your camera remains parallel. Don't spend $200 to fix what is a small problem.

 

[PaulDalex]

I use a bellow.
And focus moving the lens the rail.
With tubes it seems hopeless to me

 

[zuiko85]

This is the type of set up that is usually cobbled together, or built, depending on how handy you are and what tools and materials are available. My own preferred construction material is hobby plywood. Bought a 12x12 inch milk white sheet of plexiglass as diffusion background, .125 in. thick and easy to score cut to size, ok if you keep it scratch free.
Have a Spiratone (remember them?) focusing rail to fine tune magnification and use a OM mount Sigma 50mm f2.8 that focuses to 1:1 to copy my half frame 35 on a micro 4:3 camera.

 

[lukx]

The answers so far were good. I use a similar setup with a Fuji XT-2, a Micro-Nikkor 55 2.8 and the ES-1. You need about 26mm worth of macro tubes behind the lens, as well as ~20mm additional distance between the lens and the ES-1. I found two spacing rings with male/female 52mm threads at their respective ends that helped me with this.


This website has a lot of useful information regarding camera scanning with the ES-1 and a crop sensor. It also includes amazon and ebay links for the extension tubes:
https://www.scantips.com/es-1b.html

 

[PaulDalex]

Actually there are two bellow in my setting
There it is

Nikon PB4 + Micro Nikkor 55 + Nikon Ps4

For me it is not just focusing, but also exploiting all the frame.
A setting based on tubes is not enough flexible.
One has to adjust framing moving the lens and the film holder on the rails thanks to the bellows.
Same for focusing.
Focusing only with the lens is not enough for me

 

[Nitroplait]

I think I'll return the ES-1 and get this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NDAZMW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A17MC6HOH9AVE6&psc=1

Just be aware that the 199 only get you the front part. Not the whole kit pictured.

 

[lukx]

For me it is not just focusing, but also exploiting all the frame.
A setting based on tubes is not enough flexible.
One has to adjust framing moving the lens and the film holder on the rails thanks to the bellows.
Same for focusing.
Focusing only with the lens is not enough for me

Nice setup.

 

[Dave Jenkins]

Sorry I didn't see your post before I ordered the thing, Nitroplait. Got it today and returned it immediately. I'll have to jerry-rig some other way of doing this.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

You can make up one of these with a little DIY. This is one rig I use, set up here for 1x to a FF body, but very similar setup, shorter dimensions, for 0.67x. The idea is from Peter Krogh, author of the very good "DAM Book" (Digital Asset Management).

For your 50 Zuiko you'll need a little bit of extension to get to 0.67x for copying 35mm film.

Basis for the set up is a slide copier adapter (Nikon PS-5 for example) and a "Lens Support Rail" like this one:

 

[peterm1]

I digitized a lot of my old slides using the setup depicted below - its for Pentax M42 mount. Because the bellows provides extension between the lens and the camera mount (in this case there is also an M42 -Sony adapter in the mix) I did not need to use a macro lens - a Pentax SMC Takumar 55mm f1.8 works perfectly well. I must confess that I initially had the same problem as you - getting it to focus on the slide when it is in the slide holder just bamboozled me. No combination of distance from lens to slide holder or distance from lens mount to camera would work and allow focus. It seems that these set ups are very sensitive in terms of the combination of above settings that will work. The manual for the bellows should tell you precisely where to set you slide holder (in terms of distance from the lens and where to set your lens in terms of its distance from the camera). This varies with the focal length of the lens being used. You may find that in fact you not need to actually use your lenses macro capabilities as bellows outfits are usually designed to work with ordinary lenses. In fact I think my lens had to be focused at infinity. (I cant recall - its been a few months).

In the end I downloaded a manual from a web site that provided info about the settings required for slider scanning using my bellows outfit. This following link may help you, I am not sure but if it does not you can search " user manual Olympus bellows slide copier " you will find some other alternative downloadable manuals which may give what you need as to the required settings for your lens and bellows.

PS I used a simple LED battery powered "worklight" bought from a hardware store for under $20 as my light source and it worked perfectly to illuminate the slides. The light may not have been all that bright especially considering that I stopped the lens down to f11 to provide maximum DOF and ensure sharpness but slow shutter speeds are not an issue with this kind of outfit given everything is locked down and stable - especially if you put your camera on 5 second delay for the shutter release (or whatever delay works to eliminate camera shake from pressing the shutter button).

https://esif.world-traveller.org/om-sif/macrophotogroup/manuals/auto_bellows.pdf

PS possibly this may help too. http://www.alanwood.net/olympus/slide-copier.html

 

[vlad_silver]

Dave, the simple rule of thumb is that for 1:1 copying the optical center of the lens should be at the distance twice of the focal length of the lens 100 mm in your case. The original (slide/transparency) should also be located at 100 mm from the lens' optical center. For APS-C with 1.6 crop factor (sensor is smaller than your original slide) the distances become 1.65*f=82 mm from sensor to center of lens and 2.6*f=130 mm from center of lens to the original slide. HTH

 

[JohnBeeching]

Dave,
May I suggest that your existing scanner takes up less space that the alternative suggestions. Also, you are familiar with its use and it will probable give you better results more conveniently.

 

[Dan]

Dave,
May I suggest that your existing scanner takes up less space that the alternative suggestions. Also, you are familiar with its use and it will probable give you better results more conveniently.

Exactly this ^

 

[rfaspen]

Exactly this ^

Yes this. Seriously.

 

[analoged]

Yes this. Seriously.

What I'm thinking!