As per title
I’m sure I’ve read where good results can be got using a dslr to copy negatives and slides.
Can anyone explain in really simple terms how best to go about this - assume I know nothing.
I have macro lenses and extension tubes also have (somewhere?) a Ohnar slide copier attachment
Have lots of flash guns plus a few mains strobe lights (cheapo brands)
Probably a 1000 negs to copy
How’s then best to convert to positive? If possible don’t want anything subscription based.
Equipment is either canon EOS digital or Pentax digital
Anybody??
Oh, really would prefer to shoot JPEG’s… is that possible??
There's also a ton of info on methods to do this out on the wider internet. Have you done some reading on this already?
This forum works best when there's a specific concept you need help with. To answer your specific questions:
Software is available from four publishers that I know of that is not subscription based. However, the most popular one and the easiest one to use is Negative Lab Pro, a plugin for Lightroom, which is a subscription software. In your case, you could rent Lightroom for one month, do your 1000 negatives, and cancel the subscription. You'd retain the NLP license, in case you want to reactivate Lightroom and do it again later.
JPEGs are possible, but advised against. Because you will be transforming colors and contrast drastically during the inversion, you will benefit from the full color data provided in RAW.
Your equipment as stated is probably enough, or close to enough, to get you going.
Pixelpuffin wrote:
As per title
I’m sure I’ve read where good results can be got using a dslr to copy negatives and slides.
Can anyone explain in really simple terms how best to go about this - assume I know nothing.
I have macro lenses and extension tubes also have (somewhere?) a Ohnar slide copier attachment
Have lots of flash guns plus a few mains strobe lights (cheapo brands)
Probably a 1000 negs to copy
How’s then best to convert to positive? If possible don’t want anything subscription based.
Equipment is either canon EOS digital or Pentax digital
Anybody??
Oh, really would prefer to shoot JPEG’s… is that possible??...Show more →
Pixelpuffin,
I think you are referring to what is commonly called dslr scanning. To copy or duplicate a film slide or negative involves making another film slide or negative with a dedicated machine you can find by googling a "Honeywell Repronar Model 805 A" I've used them, and their lenses are amazing.
To scan with a dslr - thus making a digital copy - you basically put your digital camera on a copy stand, put your film in a carrier (holder) that you set on top of a light source. (led light panel, light box, even a cell phone) - then taking a digital photo of that backlit slide or negative. That digital photo is your copy. After that you asked about "best", and I don't want to go down that rabbit hole. I have an opinion, but so does everyone else. Needless too say - there about as many ways to do it as people that take pictures.
Jim
Pixelpuffin wrote:
As per title
I’m sure I’ve read where good results can be got using a dslr to copy negatives and slides.
Can anyone explain in really simple terms how best to go about this - assume I know nothing.
I have macro lenses and extension tubes also have (somewhere?) a Ohnar slide copier attachment
Have lots of flash guns plus a few mains strobe lights (cheapo brands)
Probably a 1000 negs to copy
How’s then best to convert to positive? If possible don’t want anything subscription based.
Equipment is either canon EOS digital or Pentax digital
Anybody??
Oh, really would prefer to shoot JPEG’s… is that possible??...Show more →
To do simple scanning you'll need
-Macro lens, one that is at least 1:1 magnification. The focal lengths I usually see for scanning are 55-105mm.
-Some kind of film holder. I personally would just get a JJC or ES-2 setup, they're fairly cheap but work well.
-Some kind of light; you've got a couple options. You can get an included light with some holders, like the JJC setup. You can also go with some kind of standalone light table. Or, you could go with the flash. I personally would go with the standalone light table, it's simple but gives you options. If you do, you'll want to look for one with a 95+ CRI/color rendering index. This doesn't have to be expensive; mine was $35 all said and done.
-Software. I think the general recommendation is Negative Lab Pro. It bolts onto Lightroom, and is a flat $100 fee or, if you've got a student ID, $50. I personally use Negative Lab Pro. There are other options but IMO this is the simplest.
-Tripod.
Putting this all together, you'd have your camera with your macro lens on it. Usually with a film holder they attach through the filter threading on your lens, either directly or with some kind of tube to connect your lens to the holder. Then you have it on the tripod and the light table is really close in front of the film holder to illuminate the film. You can also spend a bit more money to keep this all on the tripod and get a cheap tripod rail that lets both the camera and the light table sit on it. Once you've taken pictures of the roll, it's into Lightroom to convert with your software.
You could technically do JPEGs but because of the color issues that'd cause, it'd be more trouble than it's worth compared to finding storage for the RAWs. You can always import as RAW, export as JPEGs, and then delete the RAW files.
If you want to get more involved in terms of absolute quality this would add some expense and cost, but IMO this would give very reasonable results if you're just looking to digitize old negatives.
The biggest, easiest and quickest improvement to my film scanning was from using an AF macro lens and a camera that focuses in LiveView i.e. directly off the sensor.
Some DSLRs allow for LiveView AF, and of course all mirrorless cameras do. You will nail focus on the film grain in an instant using AF and LiveView, while doing it manually is far more fiddly, time consuming and inaccurate.
