GFX100 + GF120 Macro Lens: With Tubes for 1:1 but higher ISO, or without but less than 1:1 macro?

[cayenne]

Hello all,

I've been slowly building a set up to use my GFX100 to "scan" my photo negatives. The film I shoot is usually to get an interesting aspect ratio.

I shoot MF film from 6x6 up to 6x17

My 35mm is pretty much limited to pano shots that approach the Xpan size, I"m using both an old Russian metal HorizonT swing lens camera and a PressPan custom camera using a gutted out, widened Nikon FE body fitted with a Mamiya 50mm Press lens via a 3D printed mount.

Anyway, so, my negatives are generally much larger than just standard 35mm images.

I have Negative Supply for "normal" sized 120 film negatives, and have rigged up something for the 6x17.

My question is...using my GFX100, with the GF 120 "macro" lens....which natively only has a magnification of 0.5x...is it better to use this set up, OR....add in some extension tubes to get to 1:1, but likely have to crank the ISO up on the camera a bit due to light loss using the tubes?


For the larger negatives, like the 6x17, I'm debating maybe trying to capture the whole image in one shot, possibly via pixel shifting and then using all that data to crop in as needed?
I was hoping to avoid needing to stitch images.
Thoughts?


By the way, does anyone have the equation you use to figure out the magnification of a set up given a lens mm, plus Xmm added tube extension?


Thank you in advance for any thoughts, suggestions or links!!!

cayenne

 

[Oren Grad]

The GF 120 macro performs poorly at 1:1 - it's not a good choice for that use.

https://blog.kasson.com/the-last-word/fuji-120-4-gf-at-11-with-tubes/

Put "GFX" in the search box at Jim Kasson's blog and you'll find several recent posts in which he reports on tests of other lenses for GFX repro work.

 

[bags27]

For scanning, I paired my GFX-R with a 1:1 Mamiya 645 120 f/4 Macro (best at f/11) and get nice results. Important to get the original lens, not the auto-focus model made for Phase One. It's a very inexpensive approach.

 

[McDiesel]

@cayenne GF 120 macro is not great for scanning film. It's just OK at 1:2 and gets awful at 1:1 with extension tubes. I was getting much better results with Sigma Art macro lens on Sony mount. The absence of native 1:1 autofocus macro lenses is why I moved back from GFX to FF.

 

[bags27]

Jim Kasson has done a great number of technical studies on macro/scanning and Fuji. He's really a superb engineer of all this.

You can search for his work here:

Medium Format Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Expert news, reviews and videos of the latest digital cameras, lenses, accessories, and phones. Get answers to your questions in our photography forums.

www.dpreview.com

He'll also happily answer PMs over there as well.