70mm Sigma Art or FE90 G 2.8 Macro for scanning?

[madNbad]

For the last few years, I've been using a Sony FE90 G 2.8 Macro on a A7II to scan negatives. I recently upgraded the original Negative Supply Carrier MK1 to the Pro Carrier 35 and there is much to like about the new carrier over the previous version. The much improved mounting system places the negative a bit higher, just enough the 90 at 1:1 is a bit close and the negative doesn't quite fill the frame. I found a Sigma 70 Art Macro for a good price and decided to give it a try hoping the slightly shorter focal length will allow the capture to fill more of the frame. I realize the Sony is far ahead of the Sigma optically but I thought this is worth a try. The Sigma will arrive next week and as always, suggestions are appreciated..

 

[pwadoc]

I own both the Sigma 70mm and the Sony 90mm for DSLR scanning with my A7r IV and I'd say they are about the same optically. The big differences between the two (and the reason I use the 90mm macro almost exclusively) is down to ergonomics and, most importantly, the far superior autofocus on the 90mm. The Sigma really struggled to focus on the grain whereas the 90mm nails it pretty much every time.

 

[madNbad]

Thank you. The FE90 is a phenomenal lens, not just for the optical quality but both the build and ergonomics as well. I like the design of the manual/autofocus selector. The main thing I'm looking for is a little more working space at 1:1. The Sigma will arrive next week and I'll see if it works out. Thanks, again.

 

[John Wiegerink]

I think subscriber "Adrian Bacon" uses or used the Sigma 70mm macro. I have the older Sigma 70mm Macro and have zero complaints, but I only use it for taking pictures and not scanning.

 

[madNbad]

The Sigma arrived yesterday. So far, I’ve only had a chance to mount it on the Sony and try a few test images. Later today I’ll change to the full border mask in the carrier and see how well that combination works.

 

[madNbad]

After some experimenting with the Sigma, the FE90 is back on the camera as my primary scanning lens. The Sigma works well enough that if I had bought it first, it would be perfectly fine for my purpose. It is a bit better for full border scans but the extra length of the 90 fill the frame better with standard borders. Also the Sony focus is faster and doesn't lose focus. The Sigma takes a bit longer to settle down but is fine once it does. I'll keep the Sigma and continue to learn how to best incorporate it into the scanning workflow.

 

[Adrian Bacon]

I think subscriber "Adrian Bacon" uses or used the Sigma 70mm macro. I have the older Sigma 70mm Macro and have zero complaints, but I only use it for taking pictures and not scanning.

Yes and no. There are two 70mm Sigma Macro lenses. I use the newer ART one, or at least I used to until this past thanksgiving weekend where my shop was once again burglarized and I lost it along with most of the other cameras and electronics I had on site at the time.

Optically, the newer ART version is very good, however, it's been replaced with Canon's new 100mm RF mount macro with a Canon EOS R5. I also got the lens collar for the 100 so I can rotate the camera for the smaller 120 formats and also to scan 35mm half frame easier.

 

[Philippe-Georges]

For economical reasons, you can choose for an other solution: try to reverse mount a standard lens, reverse mounts, and tubes, are much cheaper than macro lenses...

Negatives are so small that a reverse mounted (full frame-) lens will be perfect for the job...

 

[MattKing]

Yes and no. There are two 70mm Sigma Macro lenses. I use the newer ART one, or at least I used to until this past thanksgiving weekend where my shop was once again burglarized and I lost it along with most of the other cameras and electronics I had on site at the time.

So sorry to read this Adrian.

 

[Adrian Bacon]

So sorry to read this Adrian.

It is what it is. I have business insurance, so more than anything, it's just a disruptive nuisance. The lease on my current spot is up at the end of march, and the building just recently came under new ownership and they've been less than responsive about getting the damage that was done fixed. It's been over a month and I still have a broken door. At this point, I'm pretty likely to be either moving or shutting down operations that would require me to have a space to operate a film processing lab out out of. I don't really want to be shutting stuff down, but I can't justify staying in my current space and renewing the lease for any significant amount of time, and I've started looking for a new place, but it's not looking that promising. I may have to either expand the search north to Santa Rosa or south into Marin county as Petaluma just doesn't have a very large area that has the correct zoning, and most of the currently available space is either way too much floor space, or doesn't have water and sewer in the space, or, is way too small. So we'll see how it goes the next few months.

 

[Kankle]

Considered the sigma for a long time and ended up with the Nikkor 55/2.8 Macro and a PK13 extension tube.

The 55 is great for 120 and can get 1:1 for 35mm with the attachment.

Using an Urth F > E adapter for the lens and couldn’t be happier with image quality and the cost effectiveness

 

[GLS]

I also use the Sigma 70mm ART, and can attest to the quality of the results.