DSLR Scanning Hacks...

[ChristopherCoy]

I'm going to give this a go since I've got what I think is enough equipment to test the waters. I've got:

- The DSLR
- The tripod
- The iPad and lightbox app
- The negatives

What I don't have is a negative holder, or a macro lens. I've got a Nikon 24-70 2.8, 50mm 1.8, 70-200 2.8, and a 2x teleconverter. Is there anything I can do to attempt digitizing some of my favorite negatives without having to spend any money right now?

Maybe the 2x converter on the 50mm for the lens, and either a foamboard diy negative holder, or two pieces of thin frame glass?

 

[Les Sarile]

What is the DSLR that you will use and is it full frame or not?

 

[ChristopherCoy]

What is the DSLR that you will use and is it full frame or not?

Nikon D700, and yes its FF.

 

[Les Sarile]

With a Nikon FF dslr, you might look into the Nikon autobellows - PB4 and PS4 system. Been wanting to use mine with the D850 as it has color negative copying built-in but haven't gotten around to it.

 

[Chan Tran]

Buy a cheap negative carrier the one that used in enlarger.

 

[Chan Tran]

Any way I don't feel comfortable with term hack using in this manner.

 

[dnk512]

You did not say what kind of lenses you have... Lets start with the 50mm. Better if you can manipulate the aperture while the lens is not attached to the body.... now do this:
Flip the lens and hold it against the body (filter side on the mount of the camera). Put the lens on wide aperture... look through ... focus is now very close. There is a nikon ring for inverting a lens, but it is filter size limited.

Get a black tube ... if it can adjust length, better. Perhaps use PVC pipe, but you can start with cardboard ... paper town inner roll might do it. Diameter enough to see your negative. Cut it to length from proper focus for the magnification you want --- Different lenses will give you different magnification 24mm way close and like 2x... the longer the lens the less the magnification. You need to come up with a way to hold your negative flat on one end. A double thin glass device or hard frame will hold your negative flat.

Shine a light onto a white paper. Put your assembly to use the white paper as background light.
Depending on how bright your background is you may need to rig all this onto a table or tripod.

The assembly is: Camera body + (ring or manually hold) inverted lens + tube + frame -> white bright background


Hope this helps