Has anyone had success with a APS-C sensor camera? I have a Canon 60D DSLR I'd like to use for scanning 35mm and 120 film, but before investing in a copying system I'd like to know if the resolution of 18MP is sufficient, as I'm not sure I can obtain 1:1 macro with my existing lenses.
"Sufficient" for what? That is, what do you hope to do with these digital files?
I have been satisfied with the camera-copies I've made of my 135 and 120 film using a 16MP APS-C Fuji mirrorless camera. I use an enlarging lens mounted on a bellows, usually one shot (no stitching). The files are adequate for my purposes: posting online and making photo books where the photos are printed up to a little less than 8"x10" - your needs may be different.
My current copy rig can be seen <here> - and you can see some sample shots of 35mm T-Max 400 film digitized with that rig <here>
BTW, if copying 35mm to APS-C, you don't quite need 100% magnification (1:1), but you do need more than 50% (1:2).
Your demonstration pages are interesting — the ability to move left and right over an image to see the differences between scanner vs an APS-C macro rig. There are visible differences, but that raises the question: which is more faithful to reality? Take the photo of the farm machinery — is the can this shade of green, or that shade of green? Is the machine this red, or that red? Did the scene have this contrast, or that contrast? Of course this is true of the entire photographic process, that it replicates reality in a malleable sense, as the final image is an interpretation of reality. I swipe one direction and the image looks nice, I swipe the other direction and that one has its own enjoyable aspects. So I’m interested to know how you are deciding which process is preferable?
I like your copy rig — very nice how you attached the bellows to what appears to be an enlarger column.
Has anyone had success with a APS-C sensor camera? I have a Canon 60D DSLR I'd like to use for scanning 35mm and 120 film, but before investing in a copying system I'd like to know if the resolution of 18MP is sufficient, as I'm not sure I can obtain 1:1 macro with my existing lenses.
I believe learning to copy your negatives with an APS-C digital camera should be well worth your time, especially for b&w negs and color slides. Color negatives can be more complicated, depending on what software you use to make the inversion to positive color. If your scanner software has been doing a satisfactory job of inverting color negatives for you, then keep in mind, your camera-copy workflow is going to requiire a new solution. Also, for color work, your light source becomes more important, so do a little homework.Thanks for all the replies and insights. I was thinking the effective resolution might not be that good unless the frame is mostly filled. I have several lenses available. One should be satisfactory. As to the purpose, the scans would be for online display and maybe printing. I’ve been using a V600 so far, but I’d like to have better scans.
Thanks for all the replies and insights. I was thinking the effective resolution might not be that good unless the frame is mostly filled. I have several lenses available. One should be satisfactory. As to the purpose, the scans would be for online display and maybe printing. I’ve been using a V600 so far, but I’d like to have better scans.
That is particularly interesting to me as I own the same camera and considering buying a macro lens to give DSLR scanning a go. What particular lens do you use (AI vs AF, etc...)? I seem to remember that 55mm has a 1:2 ratio, are you able get reasonably close to the negative for 35mm work?I use a 12mp Nikon D700 with a 55 mm macro lens. Perfectly adequate most of the time, and stitching is always an option for larger images.
That is particularly interesting to me as I own the same camera and considering buying a macro lens to give DSLR scanning a go. What particular lens do you use (AI vs AF, etc...)? I seem to remember that 55mm has a 1:2 ratio, are you able get reasonably close to the negative for 35mm work?
I use a 12mp Nikon D700 with a 55 mm macro lens. Perfectly adequate most of the time, and stitching is always an option for larger images.
So if your APS-C sensor is the same size as mine, there would be (23.6-18mm =) about 5.6mm of unused sensor width, and (15.6-12mm =) 3.6mm of unused sensor height.
Well, most of what I posted will be incorrect for full-frame, but you get the idea. You DO need 1:1 magnification if copying 35mm film, so be sure whatever extension ring you get will provide 1:1 with your lens. That way, your digital copies will have about the same resolution as your sensor, and very few pixels will be wasted.Thank you this was useful. My D700 is a full frame with "only" 12MP so it is possible that throwing away more than 50% of the frame will make land in the 5MP territory.
Extension tubes could be the right option.
I've stitched up to 4x5 with no issue.
You can try with Microsoft ICE, but it will be tricky with coarse grain.What do you use for stitching? I've done it manually and have no desire to do that. Also tried Hugin but could never get it right.
What do you use for stitching? I've done it manually and have no desire to do that. Also tried Hugin but could never get it right.
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