Macro lenses for scanning film with dslr

lukajaku · Feb 21, 2024

Hello,

I'm considering to start "scanning" film with my Nikon D800 and I'm not sure which lenses could perform better in terms of sharpness from corner to corner. At the moment I'm trying to decide between:
1. Sigma EX DG macro 50mm f/2.8
2. Nikon AF-D Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 (older version)
3. Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED (newer version)
4. Laowa 100mm f/2.8 Ultra Macro APO

As I did some research, I've found that Sigma performs better than Nikon older version but I haven't found comparison between Sigma and Nikon newer version. Maybe anyone did used some of these lenses and can share their opinion, experience about "scanning" film with dslr?

Thanks!

koraks · Feb 21, 2024

A relevant parameter will be the intended magnification, i.e. the negative size you'll want to digitize. Will this be 35mm exclusively, or also larger formats?

In general, I'd expect the longer lenses around 100mm to perform better in terms of esp field flatness than the 50mm. Whether the difference is significant and if it's perhaps overwhelmed by other factors is a different matter. Diffraction comes to mind, too.

lukajaku · Feb 21, 2024

koraks said:
A relevant parameter will be the intended magnification, i.e. the negative size you'll want to digitize. Will this be 35mm exclusively, or also larger formats?

In general, I'd expect the longer lenses around 100mm to perform better in terms of esp field flatness than the 50mm. Whether the difference is significant and if it's perhaps overwhelmed by other factors is a different matter. Diffraction comes to mind, too.

Mostly I want to focus to digitize 35 mm film. Of course I don't rule out the possibility that later I might want to digitize larger film formats such as 120 mm. As I understand lenses with 1:1 magnification ratio are better for digitizing 35 mm film and lenses with 1:2 magnification ratio are good for digitizing 120 mm film. Is that true? If that's true then it's probably difficult to find single best lenses for digitizing 35 mm and larger formats without losing resolution (cropping).

Since my Nikon D800 sensor size is: 35.9 mm width x 24 mm height, with 1:1 magnification ratio lenses I should get high resolution images.

koraks · Feb 21, 2024

lukajaku said:
As I understand lenses with 1:1 magnification ratio are better for digitizing 35 mm film and lenses with 1:2 magnification ratio are good for digitizing 120 mm film. Is that true?

You will need 1:1 magnification to fill the sensor of your D800 with aa 35mm negative/slide. You can use a lens with a lower magnification, but you'll have to crop the digital image and thus not use all of your digital sensor. When 'scanning' larger film formats, you'll need less magnification.

The argument about magnification is separate from the quality of the optics. You may end up with a poorer scan from an abysmal 1:1 macro lens compared to a macro lens that only goes to 1:2 but has very good optics.

Dan Fromm · Feb 21, 2024

Why not use a 55 or 60 mm lens? 55 and 60 MicroNikkors are outstanding and there are slide copying devices that work well with them and that just won't work with a 105. Remember, at 1:1 sensitive surface to lens' rear node and lens' front node to subject distances are 2 focal lengths.

I use a Nikon PB-4 bellows and PS-4 slide copier, also a Nikon ES1, with a 55/2.8 MicroNikkor AIS to digitize 35mm slides with my D810 and get good results. These days use 55/2.8s and /3.5s are quite inexpensive.

In the US English dialect of photographer, you want to photograph 35 mm slides, not scan them.

xkaes · Feb 21, 2024

As Dan says, "copying" 35mm slides/negatives is typically done with a "slide copier" set-up -- fairly inexpensive -- which has a bellows and a 50/55mm macro lens. But a bellows means manual focus. You can use an auto-focus lens instead, but you will have to devise some sort of copying system yourself.

bdial · Feb 21, 2024

i’ve found that the camera is prone to do a lot of “hunting” for correct focus when doing slides or negatives with an autofocus macro. So, having AF doesn’t give much advantage. Since the subject distance doesn’t change, there isn’t much focusing to do, once you’re set up. Setting the camera to not use shutter button focus is helpful too.

When I first got my Z, I did a lot of testing with various lenses, from an enlarging lens on a bellows to a 55 nikkor, a nikkor 60mm and a Zeiss macro. My best result on some slides was with the enlarging lens, worst was the Zeiss, and the Nikkors were pretty much indistinguishable. The differences were pretty subtle. I later got a Nikkor 105 macro, it works well too.

I’ve since bought a D850, and the increased resolution has made a bigger difference than any of the lenses did. The 850 and a 60mm macro shows sharp definition of the film grain, and a 55 macro shows a similar result. So, I’ve concluded that obsessing over the lens choice isn’t necessary.

YMMV.

I’ve found it helpful to be able to go a bit over 1:1 for working with 35mm slides or negs. At 1:1, the lens is at its mechanical limit so you’re stuck with moving the original back and forth to focus, if you want the maximum magnification. It can be hard to fine tune the focus, depending on how the slide is held. A short extension on a 1:1 lens gives you some movement with the focus ring.

Dan Fromm · Feb 21, 2024

bdial said:
I’ve found it helpful to be able to go a bit over 1:1 for working with 35mm slides or negs. At 1:1, the lens is at its mechanical limit so you’re stuck with moving the original back and forth to focus, if you want the maximum magnification. It can be hard to fine tune the focus, depending on how the slide is held. A short extension on a 1:1 lens gives you some movement with the focus ring.

My bellows setup, also the ES-1, with 55/2.8 MicroNikkor let me fine tune magnification. Both will easily go over 1:1.

Grim Tuesday · Feb 22, 2024

bdial said:
i’ve found that the camera is prone to do a lot of “hunting” for correct focus when doing slides or negatives with an autofocus macro. So, having AF doesn’t give much advantage. Since the subject distance doesn’t change, there isn’t much focusing to do, once you’re set up. Setting the camera to not use shutter button focus is helpful too.

When I first got my Z, I did a lot of testing with various lenses, from an enlarging lens on a bellows to a 55 nikkor, a nikkor 60mm and a Zeiss macro. My best result on some slides was with the enlarging lens, worst was the Zeiss, and the Nikkors were pretty much indistinguishable. The differences were pretty subtle. I later got a Nikkor 105 macro, it works well too.

I’ve since bought a D850, and the increased resolution has made a bigger difference than any of the lenses did. The 850 and a 60mm macro shows sharp definition of the film grain, and a 55 macro shows a similar result. So, I’ve concluded that obsessing over the lens choice isn’t necessary.

YMMV.

I’ve found it helpful to be able to go a bit over 1:1 for working with 35mm slides or negs. At 1:1, the lens is at its mechanical limit so you’re stuck with moving the original back and forth to focus, if you want the maximum magnification. It can be hard to fine tune the focus, depending on how the slide is held. A short extension on a 1:1 lens gives you some movement with the focus ring.

Interesting report! Did you find the Z camera hunts for focus as much as the D850?

bdial · Feb 23, 2024

Grim Tuesday said:
Interesting report! Did you find the Z camera hunts for focus as much as the D850?

They both do it about equally.
If you're looking to get as close as possible to 1:1 reproduction, then you're working at the limit of the 60's focus range, plus slides or negs seem to confuse the AF.

Grim Tuesday · Feb 23, 2024

bdial said:
They both do it about equally.
If you're looking to get as close as possible to 1:1 reproduction, then you're working at the limit of the 60's focus range, plus slides or negs seem to confuse the AF.

Interesting, that makes sense. Was the problem as bad at 1:2, for scanning 6x6? I ask because I mostly shoot medium format and would love to get quality scans without stitching and am thinking of upgrading from my 55 2.8 to the 60 2.8 G ED

Acere · Mar 2, 2024

My favorite is the Nikkor 60mm f/2.8 for a 1:1 no ext tubes needed. I use it with an D700 and ES1 duplicator

Macro lenses for scanning film with dslr

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Macro lenses for scanning film with dslr

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