scanning with a Canon 5D (1st model 12.8 mp) and Novoflex Noflexar 105mm/f4 bellows

I shot mostly 120 in 6x6, some 6x9 and scan on Epson V700, sometimes wet on the bed with heptan and a plexiglass on top... I shot much less 35mm, and often 18 frames from bulk or regular 36 views rolls that i cut in the darkbag. I scan these with a Reflecta 10T. It is a single frame scanner, so you push the holder with 6 frames one after one. It's tedious but ok.

the other week-end I shot two rolls of 36 in one day, and I spent parts of three evening the following week in order to scan the 72 frames @4100 dpi ...

so I thought of either buy the Reflecta RPS 10 wihich processes full rolls, you feed it and do something else/go to work/etc. But it's costly, here around 10.000 NOK. I wanted to try DSLR scanning. I have one DSLR left, that I used once in the last six months, a Canon 5D. No not the mk IV, mk III not even mk II, but the first one Mark I, 12,8MP sensor. Of course there''s no liveview, focus peaking nor whatever fancy, it's for taking pictures with your eyes. I use it with M42 lenses moreover.
It happens I had around from I don't know where a M42 bellows with a Noflexar 105mm/f4.




this is the setting:
- a cheap LED lamp bought from the hardware store around:





- a regular tripod
- film holders, the Digitaliza ones I use on the Epson for 120 and the Reflecta 10T ones for 35mm

so, the 5D leveled on the tripod, with the bellows and Noflexar lens. Here a Reflecta 35mm holder is on the lamp:



I shot with 2s self-timer or cable, with light shut down in the room and a dark bag over:




this was just for testing. For regular use I will make a board with holders or holes for the tripod and lamp, set markers on the tripod and bellows for the focus for both kind of film, and rails for sliding the film holders on the lamp.

I just wanted to test with the 5D. I read mostly about recent DSLRs with a gazillon of MP, liveview, fancy focus peaking, bells, whistles and what not, and with tip top high-end macro lenses that cost more than my car. Anyway i only have that 5D.

I picked some 35mm strip from spring, which i manipulated few times since, and some 120 strip of film developed last week-end.
Here are web "optimized" jpg of the Reflecta 10 scans for the 35mm, V700 scans for the 6x6 and the Canon 5D scans. The Reflecta and Epson are used for getting the raw files, the Canon for the CR2 ie. raw too.
Scanning software Vuescan set with ICE/infrared scratch/dust removal at medium.
Inversion and colour processing done elsewhere (Negative Lab Ligthroom, rawtherapee, gimp, etc). And colour processing was quickly done, as I was interested to see the sharpness and dust/scratches

the 6x6 was shot with a Moskva-5 on Lomography-100, the 35mm on Ektar-100 with a Soligor-105mm mounted on a Spotmatic or a Zenit, don't remember.




Reflecta 10:



Canon 5D:




Reflecta 10T:



Canon 5D:




couple 6x6:

Reflecta 10T:




Canon 5D:



Reflecta 10T:



Canon 5D:




###################

so I found it acceptable to use the 5D, at least for 35mm, it will be much faster that the Reflecta.
I usually take good care of the negatives, but in case of dust or scratch I could resort to the Reflecta.

I am curious about results from a DSLR with more capabilities than the 5D, if I buy one it would be either the 5D mark 2 or a Sony a900/a850. This would cost me now 4000 NOK.
The alternative is to buy the Reflecta RPS 10, with motorized processing of whole rolls. It has autofocus and infrared defect removal and is said to be faster than the single-frame 10T I have. It costs ~10.000 NOK.
Dilemma.

I scan 35mm with a Fuji X-T20 with an adapted Nikkor 55mm macro lens and a distance ring (if that is the right word to call it). My scan rig is built out of Lego and I can scan a film with 36 images in less than 5 minutes. Dust is not an issue as long as I do not have had the negatives in a real film scanner before. I never had much dust on my prints when I did darkroom printing and that pays off when scanning via a digital camera. Here is an example ...


And a crop


This is good enough for my needs, I rarely print big and A3+ is anyway the biggest I can go.

Cheers
Ruediger

antonio_b said:

the other week-end I shot two rolls of 36 in one day, and I spent parts of three evening the following week in order to scan the 72 frames @4100 dpi ...

Click to expand...

That's pretty slow scanning that you can dslr scan color negatives and post process (including spotting?) faster then with a scanner!

Otherwise reasonable color results. How about the Nikon D850 with built-in color negative inversion?

I use a Canon EOS 6D MK2, 26 MP, with a Noflexar 60mm lens on a Novoflex bellows, mounted on a repro stand, and a Multiblitz dia-duplicator unit that can handle 35mm up to 6x7. Works really well, every little grain from a 100 ISO film shot is visible so it won't get any sharper than that. It works pretty fast, a 36 expo film takes some 7 minutes and than a few more in Lightroom.

Ron789 said:

I use a Canon EOS 6D MK2, 26 MP, with a Noflexar 60mm lens on a Novoflex bellows, mounted on a repro stand, and a Multiblitz dia-duplicator unit that can handle 35mm up to 6x7. Works really well, every little grain from a 100 ISO film shot is visible so it won't get any sharper than that. It works pretty fast, a 36 expo film takes some 7 minutes and than a few more in Lightroom.

Click to expand...

A few more minutes per frame or for the whole roll? If for a whole roll then I would say you should market your process!

I've only done a few dslr scanning of color negatives and I've also seen many post their processes as well as YT videos so I am very familiar with how much time it takes. I have autobellows with film adapters and that is as quickly as it can possibly take in handling 35mm film after initial setup as focus and lighting stays constant. Seconds to take a shot but easily minutes to post process and spot in best case scenario. Of course this is probably because I am only trying dslr scanning negatives that I've already scanned with the Coolscan+Nikonscan so trying to come close to those color/contrast results may be adding more hardship then it should be.

Les Sarile said:

A few more minutes per frame or for the whole roll? If for a whole roll then I would say you should market your process!

I've only done a few dslr scanning of color negatives and I've also seen many post their processes as well as YT videos so I am very familiar with how much time it takes. I have autobellows with film adapters and that is as quickly as it can possibly take in handling 35mm film after initial setup as focus and lighting stays constant. Seconds to take a shot but easily minutes to post process and spot in best case scenario. Of course this is probably because I am only trying dslr scanning negatives that I've already scanned with the Coolscan+Nikonscan so trying to come close to those color/contrast results may be adding more hardship then it should be.

Click to expand...

I do B&W only and use the images only for archiving and selection purposes; the real processing is done in the darkroom. So all I need to do in Lightroom is reversing the images from negative to positive and maybe some other minor adjustments. That indeed takes a few minutes for a whole roll.

rst said:

I scan with a Fuji X-T20

Click to expand...

Ron789 said:

I use a Canon EOS 6D MK2, 26 MP

Click to expand...

the Fuji X-t20 @24MP and the Canon 6Dmk2 @26MP ... my Canon 5Dmk1 @12.8MP is twice less pixel resolution I am trying to find out if that sensor is good for extracting enough of a 24x36 format. I won't print more than A3+. I have little clue how to do the maths. Film resolution is measured in ppi, digital sensors in pixels but the structures are differents, sensors use grid segmentation like the most used Bayer "filter". Then with a very fine emulsion, the lens must be able to resolve to ithis level of detail.
Basically, I'm trying to figure out how much I could gain in scan resolution if I get a DSLR in you ~24/26 MP category.... If the 5Dmk1 (or "Classic" as it has been nicknamed) does a good enough jobb I'll keep it. Focusing without liveview is ok with the macro lens full open and is done once. I nail it on a negative and screw tight everything. Shot with a cable release and the 2s delay with MLU.

Les Sarile said:

How about the Nikon D850 with built-in color negative inversion?

Click to expand...

the point is that I became feed-up with digital couple years ago, sold two DSLRs I had and bought the Canon 5D for when I may have time to play with it with a bunch of ZM39 and M42 lenses I have. If I buy a DSLR now for scanning it must also be compatible with M42, and be full frame, so basically Pentax-K1 but it's overkill in other features and over the money I want to put, or a Canon 5Dmk2 or the Sony A900/A850. I won't use a Nikon, because all these M42 lenses that I use on Zenit, Spotmatic, Start, Praktica ...

color processing isn't my worry. In my mind a scanner is for scanning. They all do their own embedded color computation, but I just use the raw file and process on desktop with Negative Lab pro, or Rawtherapee, some PS procedures, etc.

rst said:

Dust is not an issue as long as I do not have had the negatives in a real film scanner before

Click to expand...

yes, mostly the same here. My routine is right after the developed film have dried I store in sleeves. For old strips stored more or less cautiously over the years or some accidentally damaged film once in a while I can still use the Reflecta scanner on Vuescan. That for colour only of course, makes no difference for BW. But also, I have been playing with LaserSoft (of Silverfast infame ) standalone PS plugin SRDx for software only repair and it's a viable alternative.

Ron789 said:

a Noflexar 60mm lens on a Novoflex bellows

Click to expand...

that's interesting. Mine Novoflex is with the 105mm. I had it around for a while without paying much attention to it but in fact it appears it may be a little gem

couple more 24x36 scans. I picked a strip of Ektar. The Reflecta-10 @4100dpi has an edge over the 5D, but not so much.
Sorry, these are heavy pictures, side-by-side jpg of whole frames and side-by-side detail crops in png from the original tiff (out of the raw).

Reflecta-10 on the left, Canon 5D on the right:












have printed the Engebret picture scan with the 5D on A3 and it's ok to hang on a wall yet a bit soft.
I found around here couple guys renting a 5Dmk2, will try one, I guess it should outperfom the Reflecta-10 scanner... The old 5Dmk1 is acceptable for web or small prints

For most purposes 12MP is plenty. I use a Nikon D700 with 55mm Macro Nikkor for my DSLR scanning.