p.2 #1 · What camera do you use for film scanning?
For the sony mirrorless scanning folks: do you find the sony fe macro lenses will autofocus on the film? Or are you still doing manual focus?
I ask as I use a manually-focusing ttartisan 100mm macro, and using focus magnifier to zoom for every roll I go to scan is a pain. The body I use for scanning is taken on and off the stand regularly for normal shooting (A7iii), plus I scan both 120 and 35, so I’m often adjusting copy stand height. If the sony macros magically autofocuses, maybe it’s time to get one.
p.2 #2 · What camera do you use for film scanning?
Cloud75 wrote:
For the sony mirrorless scanning folks: do you find the sony fe macro lenses will autofocus on the film? Or are you still doing manual focus?
I ask as I use a manually-focusing ttartisan 100mm macro, and using focus magnifier to zoom for every roll I go to scan is a pain. The body I use for scanning is taken on and off the stand regularly for normal shooting (A7iii), plus I scan both 120 and 35, so I’m often adjusting copy stand height. If the sony macros magically autofocuses, maybe it’s time to get one.
p.2 #4 · What camera do you use for film scanning?
Cloud75 wrote:
For the sony mirrorless scanning folks: do you find the sony fe macro lenses will autofocus on the film? Or are you still doing manual focus?
I ask as I use a manually-focusing ttartisan 100mm macro, and using focus magnifier to zoom for every roll I go to scan is a pain. The body I use for scanning is taken on and off the stand regularly for normal shooting (A7iii), plus I scan both 120 and 35, so I’m often adjusting copy stand height. If the sony macros magically autofocuses, maybe it’s time to get one.
I use a Canon Ef 100mm f2.8 macro on a Sony A7r III via a Metabones adapter. It nails focus using AF.
p.2 #5 · What camera do you use for film scanning?
Cloud75 wrote:
"until I bought a FE90 2.8 Macro that changed my life" -- because it nailed autofocus on the film?
When I was using the Micro-Nikkor, there was a lot of time spent on checking focus. The Sony 90 Macro focuses on the grain and it’s instant. I also like that the Sony focuses internally, I tried a Sigma 70 Macro but it took longer for the focus to settle.
p.2 #8 · What camera do you use for film scanning?
I'm late coming to this party and compared to many of you I'm a novice, though I've been taking pictures for over 55 years. Regardless, and you can ignore this note if you wish. After buying a digital camera I wanted to scan over 1000 35mm slides from the early days. Then for fun I revived my film camera (and was given two others) to shoot color negatives.
For the slides first I found a rig by ProMaster which has a USB-powered light source and a tripod mount to hold my camera. The whole thing mounts on a tripod for convenience. The ProMaster did not have a slide holder so a co-worker used his 3d printer to make a 2-slide holder for me. The ProMaster included a film holder for a 6-exposure 35mm strip, and a medium format holder which I don't need.
The camera is a Nikon Z5ii with FTZii which I bought so I could use all my old F-mount lenses. For scanning I found an autofocus F-mount Tamron 90mm 1:1 macro. Because it was F-mount it was inexpensive. The FTZ won't let it do auto-focus but it still gives me the in-focus indication. So manual focus is quick and accurate.
Mostly I've been shooting to jpg. Some people here have told me that's a bad idea but when I've tried raw the results take more work and don't end up any better. So I have been generally been satisfied with the slide scans. The color negative scans are a bit trickier, usually w.r.t. picking up the film base color automatically. Auto-WB generally works unless the image has a color cast that needs to be preserved, in which case I can set WB manually. I've tried guessing at the light source WB and got decent results but I probably should just measure and save it. There are subtleties in the end results that could be tweaked this way and that but I couldn't tell you which is "better". The process is precise enough to maintain film grain and seemingly the color textures in the slides. The main subjects work out great, and that's what the viewer's eye is drawn to.
So I have a hard time understanding what all the fuss is about. It's all a matter of perspective, I guess. JMHO but I'm open to suggestions.
p.2 #9 · What camera do you use for film scanning?
jimmuller wrote:
I'm late coming to this party and compared to many of you I'm a novice, though I've been taking pictures for over 55 years. Regardless, and you can ignore this note if you wish. After buying a digital camera I wanted to scan over 1000 35mm slides from the early days. Then for fun I revived my film camera (and was given two others) to shoot color negatives.
For the slides first I found a rig by ProMaster which has a USB-powered light source and a tripod mount to hold my camera. The whole thing mounts on a tripod for convenience. The ProMaster did not have a slide holder so a co-worker used his 3d printer to make a 2-slide holder for me. The ProMaster included a film holder for a 6-exposure 35mm strip, and a medium format holder which I don't need.
The camera is a Nikon Z5ii with FTZii which I bought so I could use all my old F-mount lenses. For scanning I found an autofocus F-mount Tamron 90mm 1:1 macro. Because it was F-mount it was inexpensive. The FTZ won't let it do auto-focus but it still gives me the in-focus indication. So manual focus is quick and accurate.
Mostly I've been shooting to jpg. Some people here have told me that's a bad idea but when I've tried raw the results take more work and don't end up any better. So I have been generally been satisfied with the slide scans. The color negative scans are a bit trickier, usually w.r.t. picking up the film base color automatically. Auto-WB generally works unless the image has a color cast that needs to be preserved, in which case I can set WB manually. I've tried guessing at the light source WB and got decent results but I probably should just measure and save it. There are subtleties in the end results that could be tweaked this way and that but I couldn't tell you which is "better". The process is precise enough to maintain film grain and seemingly the color textures in the slides. The main subjects work out great, and that's what the viewer's eye is drawn to.
So I have a hard time understanding what all the fuss is about. It's all a matter of perspective, I guess. JMHO but I'm open to suggestions. ...Show more →
The best way to learn about using a digital camera to scan is to start using a digital camera to scan. If your goal is to digitize your slides to make them more accessible, JPEG is fine. As you become more familiar with the work flow, you'll figure out where or of you need to make changes. I switched to using a digital camera in 2019 and I'm still learning and trying new stuff.
p.2 #10 · What camera do you use for film scanning?
madNbad wrote:
The best way to learn about using a digital camera to scan is to start using a digital camera to scan. If your goal is to digitize your slides to make them more accessible, JPEG is fine. As you become more familiar with the work flow, you'll figure out where or of you need to make changes. I switched to using a digital camera in 2019 and I'm still learning and trying new stuff.
Gotit. That more or less describes my learning process. Do it, judge, do it again if necessary.
p.2 #11 · What camera do you use for film scanning?
I have lots of slides and negatives going back to the 70s as well as a recently purchases Leica M4. I don't want to scan them all just some highlights. I just ordered a Valoi EZ35V2. I plan to use it with the almost 46 megapixel Nikon Z7II as a dedicated scanning station along with either an F mount Tokina 100mm f/2.8 AT-X M100 AF Pro D macro on a simple adapter or a 50mm Sony Macro on a Viltrox E-Z AF, or a 50mm F mount Nikon macro on a simple adapter or if I don't like any of those I'll look into some other lenses.
If anyone has done a comparison of shooting slides/negs with AF vs. manual focus and has some advice that would be great.
p.2 #12 · What camera do you use for film scanning?
treacle wrote:
If anyone has done a comparison of shooting slides/negs with AF vs. manual focus and has some advice that would be great.
I have not done a comparison, only manual focus. But my dedicated scanning lens has an in-focus indicator so focusing is easy and accurate.
The question you have to consider is what you intend to do with your scans. If you want to print them then is 300dpi sufficient? If you want to distribute them on the Internet for display on a computer screen or phone, then is 1200 or 1600 pixels across sufficient?
