35mm film magnifier advice

[Ron Montad]

I shot a roll of Velvia 100 with an Olympus 35 SP and had the roll processed and scanned. I chose the most expensive scan option (highest resolution). The results are disappointing. None of my images are tack-sharp, or even just regular-sharp. This is my first time doing this and it's also my first roll with this particular RF camera.

So, I'd like to rule out whether it is a poor quality scan. I have the film strips, but I need a good magnifier so I can really see the very small fine details in the image. What would people use for this? How much mag power do I need?

 

[Les Sarile]

I use a white balanced Gepe for light and a Carson MV-820 that is both an 8X loupe as well as a 40X microscope. This magnification allows me to check critical focus.

Is the sample you posted the fullsize scan or a smaller resized version?

 

[Hawkeye]

If you have a 50mm lens, give that a try. I believe it provides about a 5x magnification.

 

[faberryman]

What resolution scan in ppi did you specify. Their "highest resolution" may not be all that high.

 

[wiltw]

That JPG file was 1800 x 1194 pixels, only about 50 pixels/mm! Typical useless scan that results from 'scan with processing'...1-1.5 MPixels

 

[Les Sarile]

I shot a roll of Velvia 100 with an Olympus 35 SP and had the roll processed and scanned. I chose the most expensive scan option (highest resolution). The results are disappointing. None of my images are tack-sharp, or even just regular-sharp. This is my first time doing this and it's also my first roll with this particular RF camera.

Velvia 100 is an extremely sharp and high resolving film so I suspect the problem may first be in the scan (what scanner?), how you use the Olympus next or the camera itself last.

 

[Les Sarile]

That JPG file was 1800 x 1194 pixels, only about 50 pixels/mm! Typical useless scan that results from 'scan with processing'...1-1.5 MPixels

Not useless for everyone since there are different needs and prices that folks are willing to pay for.

Out of curiosity, I once responded to an ad by a bay area pro photographer who wanted great scans made of some of his work. Not even considering that this is the bay area but I was stunned how low of a price he was willing to pay. And he even wanted to review each scans too!

 

[Ron Montad]

Hi. Thanks for the tips. The Carson seems perfect for what I need. The image I uploaded is not the actual scan. APUG won't let me upload the full res version. The service bureau scanned it at 3339 x 5039 px. I have no idea what equipment they use. Nonetheless, the uploaded low-res version give a general sense of the image. For comparison, here is the same location shot with a digital camera (image found on the internet). The original digital image was also 3339 x 5039. I had to down sample it to be able to upload it here.

 

[Les Sarile]

Ron,
I can see from the EXIF data in your image that it was scanned by a Noritsu minilab scanner and it can provide usable files. Keep in mind when comparing exactly the same shot on film and digital sensor that there are inherent differences even under the most ideal conditions.

BTW, if the detail has been captured on film and you can optically verify with the Carson - or similar, may not be satisfactorily resolved by the Noritsu.

 

[Sirius Glass]

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