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Where is everyone with your camera scanning setup for film?

DDTJRAC

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Are you thinking about getting into camera scanning? Have you already got a camera scanning setup perfected enough for you? Or are you still trying to perfect it?

I'm in the camp of working to switch from flatbed scanners to cameras. But only because of Epson's recent discontinuation of their film scanners. Otherwise, I probably would have stayed with Epson.

Where are you with your camera scanning setup for film?
 
I set mine up 2 years ago, it's still evolving. It performs very well for positive film, and high contrast B&W, most of the fine tuning centers around normal contrast negative. Due to space limitations, it all packs up into a box underneath my bed.
 

Presently, I am using a Fuji XT-1 camera mounted to Pentax screw mount bellows (K&F Concept M42>FX adapter), My lens is a Rodenstock APO-Rodagon D 75mm f/4.0-22 copy lens (39mm>M42mm adapter). All mounted on an ALZO Copy Stand. The light source is a Skier Sunray Copy Box II, which came with film / slide holders for both 35mm and 6x6-6x9 cm film.

I import the RAW files into Adobe Lightroom Clasic, and I use the Negative Lab Pro plug-in for Lightroom to convert my negatives to positive.

The Skier light and negative holders being sold now is version III, which has several improvements over my version II, BIT... I believe the present Skier 35mm negative holder is big enough to show the sprocket holes, which I think is a bad idea.

This is the third or fourth evolution of my setup, and I think it is good enough for me. Sure, I am intrigued by the possibility of a flash as the light source, or a 3-color RGB LED, and maybe a higher pixel camera, or a more solid and rigid copy stand. But I am satisfied to copy my film with this rig for now. (plenty of my results can be seen here: https://garywright.smugmug.com/Photography)

I have slides form the olden days, and today I mostly shoot b&w. No issues when copying slides and b&w, but when camera-scanning color negatives it is somewhat challenging to get natural looking color on the inverted image. There are many software solutions, but I think it is still accurate to say all of them require a certain amount of time and skill. In other words, we might wish for a one-button presto-chango conversion from color negative to color positive, but as far as I know, we are not there yet.
 
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I know everyone's secondhand market is different, but to me the pain in the behind aspect of this is copy stand prices. I would probably grab an old Leitz focomat and pull the head off these days.
 
ChrisGalway said:
They have in Ireland, only the low end V39 which does not scan negs or slides. The V600, V800/850 are not listed any more at Epson Ireland website.
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They may decide not sell them in certain markets, however they are still being manufactured and available to professional markets.
 
In Canada the V850 Pro and the 1300XL plus the optional transparency lid are the only two offerings for film on the Epson Canada site.
The Epson USA site is similar.
 
gbroadbridge said:
They may decide not sell them in certain markets, however they are still being manufactured and available to professional markets.
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Yes, I can see that. Anyway I'm sticking with my old Epson Perfection 3200 for MF, and use the Valoi 35 /Fuji X-T30 for 35mm. But converting the camera scans is a pain, I do not have Photoshop/Lightroom and have ended up using VueScan's neg-pos file conversion SW which is OK as a first pass.
 
MTGseattle said:
I know everyone's secondhand market is different, but to me the pain in the behind aspect of this is copy stand prices. I would probably grab an old Leitz focomat and pull the head off these days.
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I happen to have this Bogen Salon Special 6x6 enlarger for sale. As one might infer from the original brochure photo, one can quickly remove the enlarger head and have the nice basis for a copy stand. Product is in VG condition (only surface cosmetic scuffs in photo), I am the original owner (since the 1960's...it's now an 'antique', as am I!) and it has largely been stored without use since about 1970 (I purchased a Beseler 44VXL for myself when I resumed darkroom interest after 20 year hiatus). I am SF Bay CA and would prefer to sell to someone who can pick up the unit, since shipment (even broken down) is somewhat problematic....16x18 baseboard, 26" long column. Price $75, shipping cost needs to be added in. (I know there is a Classified section this should be put into, but this thread actually prompted the decision to finally offer it, simply as a copy stand!



 
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I switched to camera scanning a few years back and picked up a used Sony A7Rii, Sigma 70mm Art lens, and the Valoi Easy35. I nearly returned the Valoi after discovering its design flaws, but since there no other viable on-lens film holders at the time, I decided to try to make it work by removing the little video light that is included and using it against a larger Viltrox panel. This has worked well, but I have recently moved to using flash as a light source for color negs, which gives better color and cleaner conversions. I have recently ordered Jack's RGB Scanlight, and just yesterday traded in my 70mm for the 105mm Art. Really liking the new lens so far.
 
DDTJRAC said:
But only because of Epson's recent discontinuation of their film scanners.
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Where did you get that little chestnut from?

No, Epson have not discontinued their scanners and they continue to be available, albeit at considerably higher prices than when I purchased my V700 and V850 units.

Unless you have considerable baseline skills and experience in working to get the best results out of any scanning technique, the better option is to use a bureau to have your work prepared for you. As things stand, copy stands, digital cameras, scanners proper...nothing will be a magic bullet without a solid grounding in the science.
 

That's a beautiful setup. Can I ask what it cost?
 
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