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Author Topic: Digitizing old medium format negatives  (Read 7128 times)

smthopr

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Re: Digitizing old medium format negatives
« Reply #20 on: September 20, 2020, 02:52:52 pm »

The camera scan technique works very well with b&w negs.
  But not so well with color negatives where there is color crossover with the color filter array in the camera.
For color negs, the scanner is still a better option.
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Doug Peterson

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Re: Digitizing old medium format negatives
« Reply #21 on: September 20, 2020, 10:34:30 pm »

The camera scan technique works very well with b&w negs.
  But not so well with color negatives where there is color crossover with the color filter array in the camera.
For color negs, the scanner is still a better option.

That's definitely the case with lower-end cameras. We've had no issues at all using the Phase One iXH 150mp with Capture One CH and DT Photon; really well designed CFA, great bit depth, and great color engine in the raw processing.

Cornfield

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Re: Digitizing old medium format negatives
« Reply #22 on: September 21, 2020, 08:58:11 am »

A great setup for shooting negatives and transparencies can be built for a modest budget.  For me, this was around £300.

I use a very robust mount used to support a computer display monitor to a desk with VESA 100mm mount.

A homemade camera support (with VESA mount) and adjustment from 18mm hardwood painted black and a standard Arca Swiss type clamp.

On the desk I have a small lightbox built into a 12mm MDF box this is sized to allow negative carriers from a 5x4 DeVere enlarger to be dropped into the top.

The lightbox is only used for focussing and alignment as I have a flash unit mounted on the side of the lightbox with a diffusing screen.

For my Nikon Z, I bought an excellent old lens the 105mm AI f4.0 macro and the dedicated extension tube for this lens to obtain a perfect 1:1 shooting ratio.

This setup works perfectly and using a flashgun for the light eliminates any camera movement.
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TSJ1927

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Re: Digitizing old medium format negatives
« Reply #23 on: September 21, 2020, 11:58:50 pm »

Had an old Sinar P lying around from film days ( the "P" was purchased in 1987).  Made good use  of it as a film to digital conversion unit.  35mm to 4x5 films and Medium to 4x5 can easily be shot in sections. Strobe light source.  Currently using a Nikon 850 as the copy camera.

Here:  https://pbase.com/tojo123/image/162598014
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D White

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Re: Digitizing old medium format negatives
« Reply #24 on: September 23, 2020, 01:48:26 pm »

I retained an older Mac to scan with my Coolscan 9000 using the original Nikon software.

Having also tried copying with my A7R4 and 90mm macro, I feel the 9000 is significantly superior.
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Dward

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Re: Digitizing old medium format negatives
« Reply #25 on: September 23, 2020, 10:11:33 pm »

I've had the same experience as D. White:  the Nikon 9000 gives me a significantly better result than using the A7RIV with either the Sony 90 or Voigtlander 65.

David V. Ward, Ph. D.
David V. Ward Fine Art Photography
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kers

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Re: Digitizing old medium format negatives
« Reply #26 on: September 24, 2020, 04:49:18 am »

Scanning with a camera is just so much faster; If that is important.
i did 10.000 slides - try that with a flextite/ nikon 9000 scanner...
Every grain is captured using the camera- - most problematic is that the film has to be perfectly straight, and never is. In that sense the flextite wins hands down.
I would recomment f11-f13 for scanning to get everything sharp without taking hassle and  with the backlight plateau at some distance from the film to prevent dust on the plateau to be seen.

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red2

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Re: Digitizing old medium format negatives
« Reply #27 on: September 28, 2020, 10:31:07 pm »

Peter Krogh (author of the DAM Book) has a video on digitizing photos. It's a bit long (more than an hour) but incorporates a lot of information and advice about digitizing film, prints, etc.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxmFjvFLPu4
The video is a B&H Photo Video production.
Worth looking at if you are just getting started with this, or if you just want to check and possibly improve your procedures.
He also has a book on the subject that can be purchased and downloaded. Lots of good information there.
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Bob D.

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Re: Digitizing old medium format negatives
« Reply #28 on: September 29, 2020, 01:15:58 pm »

I am using a Soligor lightbox (5000 Kelvin), a Pentacon Copy stand  and a 5D IV with a Voigtlaender 2.5/ 125 Macro. Competely satisfying digi files from 35 mm to 6x9 slides.
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BobShaw

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Re: Digitizing old medium format negatives
« Reply #29 on: September 29, 2020, 07:20:00 pm »

I had an Epson V700 scanner for a while. It was good when I had a film camera to scan.
I sold it because eventually it just becomes a thing taking up space.
If you only have the occasional negative to scan I made a cardboard mask for the negative and just shoot that with a camera and macro lens with a flash behind the mask, like shooting through a window.
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