Brilliant setup. And thrilled to see you using Negative Lab Pro! I need to add more documentation about the color balancing tools, but it makes me happy to see someone using the hue and strength sliders as you do (to subtract out color cast.) Beautifully done!
Nate Photographic I was nervous to make the jump by negative lab pro is my jam now. The color I’m getting is vastly better than Epson, major game changer. And the mentality of subtraction comes from my days audio engineering... better to remove EQ than to add it most of the time. Definitely curious to see how all this progresses too cause photography is such a constant evolution
this was really helpful, especially the discussion about using strobe and shooting blank images to determine evenness. I'll definitely be doing that. The way you're tethering and your live view on your screen is excellent. Only thing that would slow me down is the fact that I have cut all my film into strips of 5 or 6.
Nigel Rumsey I’ve made some changes since this video too, such a constant progression and evolution. Color consistency mode will be essential if using flash but tungsten lighting has a great 100 CRI for true color & has made quite a difference. That said, I’m at a standing desk now so it’s easier to have enough room for heat dissipation from the 640 watt tungsten fresnel fixture. Won’t be a popular set up, but the colors... are REALLY good and I’m not reading anything excessive in terms of heat, it’s actually reading cooler than my epson v800 so I feel very comfortable with it.
That´s a great setup and insight, thanks for sharing!! I´ll build an horizontal rig with a speedlight as ligtht source for scanning my 35mm negatives. I agree flash/speedlight has its advantages compared to regular LED backlights.
Great video! Thank you! I have been trying to figure out a similar setup but could never get there. Your method is just what I've been looking for. Much appreciated.
This is an excellent setup you made, very inspiring, thank you! I am testing out an old Beseler Slide Duper with a failed continuous light source but strobe still works.Seeing your setup I am thinking to ditch it and build a similar studio strobe setup (I have a dynalite) as it will give me the flexibility to scan my 4x5's too. I use a Nikon D810 and ordered a UT-1 so I can use the D810/UT-1 built in http server to do live captures - after the UT-1 purchase, no additional software should be needed, just have an extra step to import into lightroom, no biggie. Kudos on an excellent workflow.
Thanks for the tips... I’m almost done with my negative film duplicator jig... used a piece of 1/8” white plexiglass for diffusion and it provides very even lighting. Another provisional way I experimented with was to bounce the flash at 45deg to a white reflector underneath. On another note and the 1/60th shutter speed... I have two of the FP300 Studio Strobes and have noted (probably because of the electronic design of this strobe) that using shutter speeds above 1/100, the light is uneven - top to bottom - in the picture frame. This strobe takes a long time to fully dump its light output (longer than modern cameras sync speeds). Initial testing with FP Lithium-Ion Speed-light seems to be providing proper/even exposures with these settings: ISO 100, F8, 1/160th...
Great video - thank you for taking the time to post it. I'm about to begin my process of digitizing many, many thousand of 35mm slides, negatives and photos. I have a Sony A7IV full frame SLR. My question: I don't know if I should use a 50mm or 90mm Sony MACRO lens. Can you suggest the lens I should purchase and the focal length?
@@DavesFilmLab Thank you Dave. Watched the content again and noticed that you tether your computer to set up. Can you explain how this is done? I have some tether cables lying around and would love to use them. Manly, I have trouble focusing on the grain of some negatives. This would make my life so much easier.
@@rocky39a Use the software that’s for your camera. In my case, I’m using canon eos utility. Other than that, it’s basically just operating the camera with a computer. You’ll have to review your cameras specific tethering options to get more in depth. Use live view, focus on the grain, and capture the negatives / positives.
I’d much rather spend money on a nice digital camera and light source and do it myself like this than pay $$$ for scans I have to wait for, only to wonder if they tone them well. You’ve given me some ideas!
Chase The Wind My pleasure! Hope this inspires others to try new things. The speed of this set up has given me my personal life back, since I shoot so much every week
I bought a film scanner, but I am not satisfy with it, I get the filling that the quality en the focus is very poor. I will like to try what you do. It is a wonderful idea!
This is awesome Dave! I just started using my camera to digitize film instead of my epson, and my setup is kind of similar to yours, as I also have a strobe under the table. I have a table with a frosted glass top, so it works great to diffuse the light. I need to get one of those holders, it looks like it really simplifies the process!
Great setup, it fantastic the innovation I have seen in digitizing, quick question, can you explain a little about your air blower, I read you have it filtered? What make and what was the cost?
Thanks! It’s just a cheap air compressor that I got from harbor freight. It’s really loud but works well. They sell desiccant filters that you run right before the output nozzle (no idea what to call this stuff, was my first experience with an air compressor)
so maybe I can try the old 120j flash that's sitting in storage instead of spending $ on a light box setup. Use a phone light or another small source to focus then flash. Hmmm
Hey, do you feel this is better than the scanner..?I am thinking to scan my films as they are really expensive. 🤣I am still analysing which meathod is really good quality wise.. your feedback would be very helpful.:)
Hey Dave! Super interesting set up with the flash photography. What would be the minimum distance from your flash to the diffusion? You flash manually, not TTL? Thnaks!
I have not. Using a lens hood is recommended and photographing the emulsion side as opposed to the reflective non emulsion side. That said, the flash I’m using allows for the light to remain both directional and powerful. Using an LED light table, it’s much more necessary to have a dim environment so there are no reflections from windows, overhead lights, lamps, etc.
@@DavesFilmLab Thank you Dave! I’m going to buy a used digital camera and macro lens since I got rid of my digital cameras when I went to film exclusively. The Epson scanner is slow and problematic. I typically get at least one vertical line across the scan and I’m fed up with it. Wish I had gone to the digital camera method before I bought the scanner about 6 months ago. Do you have a recommendation on digital camera and lens? Thank you!
@@baggerrider8073 Anything with around 20mp or more. I prefer canon but Nikon gives you some flexibility on using some older glass. For a crop sensor camera, 50mm macro is ideal. For full frame 90-105mm macro is ideal. Needs to be a macro lens so it has low distortion and a flat field of focus. Don’t overthink it. 20mp scans should yield a 16x20 print no problem. Best to go cheap / used and set up a good infrastructure in terms of your copy stand / light source. The best cameras with the most expensive lenses, will yield very problematic scans if you light source isn’t even enough / powerful enough and if it doesn’t have a high CRI rating. This is why I prefer strobe instead of LED. 100 CRI from xenon flash tube & tungsten light sources. Hope this helps
@@DavesFilmLab Thanks Dave for this detailed information. I was thinking Canon because they are plentiful and fairly cheap. Lots of used lenses out there as well. I can see I will need to build a table, which is not a problem. Lots of studio lights on Craigslist as well. I sure appreciate the information! Thank you!
Dear Dave, I have some questions I have an APCS camera and do a lot of analog film on the side, would this digital be enough to photograph ? Where exactly did you get the film transporter ? What lens should you use for abphotographing ? How can you set the live mode on the PC from the camera image ? Are the results really better than with the Epson?
Ok. I’m gonna try my best to answer these questions. Most 20mp DSLR cameras will do much better than an epson scanner. For APSC cameras, use a 50mm MACRO lens. For full frame, use 100mm MACRO lens. Macro lenses are flat field in their focus, achieving a very sharp focus across the entire image with no distortion. Negative supply makes negative holders for a few formats, and their basic holder is an economical way to hold 35mm film flat. This will be significantly better than using an epson scanner, both in its sharpness and tonality. As far as live view goes, you’ll have to check with your specific camera model. My canon 5dsr uses a program called “EOS Utility” that allows for tethered shooting. Hope this helps!
Hello, I also have a lot of 35mm film. And they’re are all cut into 4-6 frames. Some of these are cut into 2-3 frames. Can you also scan the front and end frames of these 4-6 and 2-3 frames perfectly? Thanks for the useful video.
Thanks for showing the setup. One reason for shooting medium format film instead of DSLR is for the much higher resolution of the medium format film than DSLR. The digitizing film with DSLR seems to defeat the purposes of doing so, unless you can reach a close or higher resolution (150-250 million pixels) than that of the medium format film. I wonder if you have tried the 'pixel shifting exposure' function provided by some cameras such as Sony A7RIII.
While I agree with you, it all relates to print size. I’ve been able to get outstanding 40x50” prints from this 50mp set up. Stitching just seems overkill when most people aren’t printing big (or even at all)
Very good 👍 I use a large colour balanced lightbox which is very good masking off images with black card. Your digital level looks like a neat little device 👍
Stuart Baines Nice! Sounds like a rad set up 👌 there’s many ways to tackle this set up and I’m always stoked to hear the different solutions everyone comes up with!
Very innovative, well thought out and the process he's developed (no pun intended) seems to work. I wish there was a way that he could show us what a blown up area of the 35mm film looks like compared to his previous method. On minor point is, for lack of a better term, the "valley girl" intonation in his voice can be a bit off putting. Otherwise, great job.
Here's a little advice. Put some diffuse reflective materials around the lamp under the table that works as lamp-shade like reflective cone that spreads the light more evenly all around even to the edges of the frame. No mirrors and nothing clear reflective. Like those silvery smooth reflectors.
This is just my opinion here... but the images feel like they have more depth. My Epson scans had a “flat” feeling to it. I realize that’s nuts cause we’re describing something that doesn’t have depth (digital images) but there’s something about the way that my Epson captured the negative that bothered me. But also with that said.... ive made amazing prints from both so the best way to gauge is how your prints look, not by pixel peeping. I’m not into digital media as much as print media so I’ll leave the pixel peeping to all those digital media artists out there ;)
@@DavesFilmLab Thanks much sir! That is very interesting. I have not used a flatbed scanner before I just print with an enlarger. Trying to get an idea of how these different methods compare to silver prints on the enlarger. One guy on a photo blog swears by wet mounting the negative. thanks again for taking the time to share your knowledge.
@@Machster10 in my opinion, wet mounting is silly unless you have tons of disposable time on your hands. It’s time consuming and doesn’t offer much added benefit. For me, dslr scanning has been the closest feeling to working with an enlarger. Cause you have to focus, adjust light / aperture of the lens. Much prefer inkjet printing over RA4 but prefer fiber based silver gelatin for b/w
This feels like a prototype of a future light box attachment. Given the lack of new scanners, this setup seems to address a lot of the issues with lighting, but I am curious as to how color negatives render with a setup like this. Edit: Could you show some comparisons to the Epson colors?
Funny you mention that, there will be a blog post on my website www.daverollans.com tomorrow about this. Color rendition of color negative films is much better. I’ve moved to using a Paul C Buff Einstein flash unit in color consistency mode and it makes a huge difference. I’ll try to get a video uploaded about it too but I’ve just been crazy swamped lately so videos have been on the back burner for the time being
Hi Dave. Thinking in building something similar to this but more simple, could this set up work with a led video panel as well? or do you think I might need a source with more power light. Thanks
Probably could do it so long as you used a consistent light source and had a lens that could handle that level of closeness while still achieving flat field focus. That said, it could be somewhat time consuming. Recommend pro8mm in LA for 16mm movie film digitization
Great setup! Any idea what the CRI of your FP Flashpoint Studio 300ii is? I'm currently using a Kaiser Slimlight (95 CRI) and in some cases, I'm having to do a 2-second shutter at F/11. I'm considering switching to something like the flashpoint but I'm unfamiliar with flash models and their respective color reproduction.
I'm pretty sure strobes classify as 100 CRI. The ability to shoot at a much higher shutter speed with no color issues is drawing me toward the method described in the video. The only drawback is the massive hole you need to cut out of your table in my opinion.
@@peterpascucci4969 From my understanding all strobes and speedlights classify as 100CRI. I would stray away from "off brands" though. There is some science lingo about how LEDs have a worse spectral range vs. flashes which are pretty much even across the different wavelengths of color.
Peter Pascucci... I do do not recommend the FP300ii for this... I have two of the FP300 Studio Strobes and have noted (probably because of the electronic design of this strobe) that using shutter speeds above 1/100, the light is uneven - top to bottom - in the picture frame. This strobe takes a long time to fully dump its light output (longer than modern cameras sync speeds). Initial testing with my almost completed duplicator using FP Lithium-Ion Speed-light seems to be providing proper/even exposures with these settings: ISO 100, F8, 1/160th... About CRI and Color Temperature... In general, most flash devices provide good CRI (not exactly same as color temperature) and color temperature could fluctuate if flash fires at different power levels (usually very expensive flashes are better at holding consistent color temperature over different power levels). So... is good practice to maintain same flash power levels throughout the session, adjust color temperature/tint to your taste is post in one frame, and duplicate these settings to the other images in the session.
what is the CRI on your light there? seems this light source thing is a real major issue and getting it right is super crucial. do you think that the diffusion may alter the colour from the light? or is there a specific diffusion better than others?
SLIMNICS CRI of the strobe & tungsten lighting is 100 so that’s why those are the only two viable options in my mind. LED looks muddy & flat to me and lacks power. I’ve found having a direct light source, and having dual diffusion around 3” below the film, works better than diffusion directly on my light source
SLIMNICS No this is a strobe. I’ve used a 1000 watt tungsten light and a strobe for testing. The light never got too hot with my new standing desk but the light is plenty of distance from the diffusion surface. That said... I prefer strobe cause the flash duration is fast so images are always super sharp and it allows me to stay at a middle aperture for sharper scans as well
Have you tried multi shot stitching of your 4x5s? I have heard the stitching may be a challenge. Your level setup and workflow looks great, though is a bit of a space for time compromise.
By the time you factor in the cost of 1. A decent digital Camera, 2. A decent Macro lens, 3. A sturdy copy stand, 4. A light box, 5. A negatives holder, you are looking at at least $1000. That buys a might good dedicated scanner.
Other than a drum scanner, the major downside is that the OPTICAL resolution of an epson flatbed scanner (even the v850) will only resolve similarly to a 24mp digital camera. So the sharpness and dynamic range will not be ideal with a flatbed. But that said, most aren’t printing their photos so the resolution discussions seem to be mostly amongst pixel peepers. No right or wrong way to go about any of this, but for my large prints… the quality difference was massive, coupled with the amount of time saved by digitizing with a camera. Just my 2 cents. If you get acceptable results from a flatbed, more power to ya!
Aside from speed of use, did the Negative Supply Film holder + DSLR give you better quality results?...I’m debating between the new 120 holder and the Epson V800
RewDowns dust is way less of an issue with this set up. That said, if your negs are dusty... gotta blow them off before they go in the scanner. The Epson dust removal tends to just soften the image
CALIFORNIA AIR TOOLS CAT-1P1060SP but be sure to get a desiccant filter to absorb moisture. Bought this one cause it was fairly quiet and cost effective
@@DavesFilmLab thanks. did you get a soundproof cabinet along with the compressor or did you filter out the sound during the video? any more tips dealing with the compressor? wondering how to put this in the office without being a nuisance for everyone. in the meantime we just use the rocket blowers.
Thanks! I’ll have a camera scanning update coming out in a few weeks so stay tuned. Just upgraded my light source and have learned a few things since releasing this but a lot of the basic principles still remain
@@GreyGhost-r4z It was certainly easy to do. Cut the hole in the copy stand / table and the flash I’ll be using now is a Paul C Buff Einstein flash since it has an exceptional color consistency across its entire power range which does make a difference. Hopefully more to come soon 🙏
Sweet set up man. I’ve been thinking about getting that negative carrier you have but I have all of my negatives cut into strips of 6 frames. Does it matter or will it progress the frames through the carrier the same??
Christopher Patrick No it will hold them and progress just fine. You just have to manually line them up until it catches the film at around the third frame
Dave, that's an exceptionally good set-up you have come up with. Can you say what software you are tethering the camera with? Is it a Canon app, or Capture One / Lightroom? It is clearly perfectly suited to the job!
Thanks! Just using the canon app and then I load them into Lightroom to invert them. From there, I’ll typically export as TIFF and process in photoshop due to its vastly superior editing options.
Actually, you need an Enlarger lens for digitising (not a Macro lens) as they are literally designed for copying giving uniform sharpness from corner to corner with minimal vignetting and other distortion characteristic of lenses used for capturing rather than copying images.
Good tip, both work just fine. I’ve used both and prefer this 100mm macro cause there was zero difference in sharpness at f8. But yeah, for anyone using a light pad or something where light power is a concern, I’ll agree with you.
@@DavesFilmLab That would take 3 hours at least with my film scanner at ~7000-8000 dpi. Plus color correction. But the machine will do the work, advancing the filmstrip.
@@josephfilm73 Seems like a lot of time but that’s cool that it does it for you. Fully color corrected scans in 5 minutes is a must for me being that I run a film lab. Time is the most precious thing we have and so I’m after the best quality in the least amount of time, to yield good prints. The 40x50” star trail prints I did from single shot, 4x5 scans... look epic
Alicedell expense is all relative, but yea... for most, spending hours with an Epson is likely fine. But for a working professional, I’d say this is far from over the top
Brilliant setup. And thrilled to see you using Negative Lab Pro! I need to add more documentation about the color balancing tools, but it makes me happy to see someone using the hue and strength sliders as you do (to subtract out color cast.) Beautifully done!
Nate Photographic I was nervous to make the jump by negative lab pro is my jam now. The color I’m getting is vastly better than Epson, major game changer. And the mentality of subtraction comes from my days audio engineering... better to remove EQ than to add it most of the time. Definitely curious to see how all this progresses too cause photography is such a constant evolution
Bro you have the most proffesional setup i ve ever seen. Everything is smooth and precise. I have seen the video more than 5 times!!!
You're being sarcastic, right?
this was really helpful, especially the discussion about using strobe and shooting blank images to determine evenness. I'll definitely be doing that. The way you're tethering and your live view on your screen is excellent. Only thing that would slow me down is the fact that I have cut all my film into strips of 5 or 6.
I'm missed this when it was upload. That is such an ingenious set-up, I'm very impressed. I think I've found my winter project!
Nigel Rumsey I’ve made some changes since this video too, such a constant progression and evolution. Color consistency mode will be essential if using flash but tungsten lighting has a great 100 CRI for true color & has made quite a difference. That said, I’m at a standing desk now so it’s easier to have enough room for heat dissipation from the 640 watt tungsten fresnel fixture. Won’t be a popular set up, but the colors... are REALLY good and I’m not reading anything excessive in terms of heat, it’s actually reading cooler than my epson v800 so I feel very comfortable with it.
That´s a great setup and insight, thanks for sharing!! I´ll build an horizontal rig with a speedlight as ligtht source for scanning my 35mm negatives. I agree flash/speedlight has its advantages compared to regular LED backlights.
Really fantastic video, thank you for taking the time.
Great video! Thank you! I have been trying to figure out a similar setup but could never get there. Your method is just what I've been looking for. Much appreciated.
Glad it was helpful! I’ve got an updated video as well showing some of the changes that have happened
Great workflow, Dave. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing! This is incredibly helpful as I think of setting up my own.
You're a technical wizard and know this stuff inside and out, which comes across in how effortless your photos look.
Super set up!
Wow, very thorough Dave. Excellent!
Great video and setup Dan.
Dan 🤔☺️
This is an excellent setup you made, very inspiring, thank you! I am testing out an old Beseler Slide Duper with a failed continuous light source but strobe still works.Seeing your setup I am thinking to ditch it and build a similar studio strobe setup (I have a dynalite) as it will give me the flexibility to scan my 4x5's too. I use a Nikon D810 and ordered a UT-1 so I can use the D810/UT-1 built in http server to do live captures - after the UT-1 purchase, no additional software should be needed, just have an extra step to import into lightroom, no biggie. Kudos on an excellent workflow.
Thanks for the tips...
I’m almost done with my negative film duplicator jig... used a piece of 1/8” white plexiglass for diffusion and it provides very even lighting. Another provisional way I experimented with was to bounce the flash at 45deg to a white reflector underneath.
On another note and the 1/60th shutter speed... I have two of the FP300 Studio Strobes and have noted (probably because of the electronic design of this strobe) that using shutter speeds above 1/100, the light is uneven - top to bottom - in the picture frame. This strobe takes a long time to fully dump its light output (longer than modern cameras sync speeds).
Initial testing with FP Lithium-Ion Speed-light seems to be providing proper/even exposures with these settings: ISO 100, F8, 1/160th...
Great video - thank you for taking the time to post it. I'm about to begin my process of digitizing many, many thousand of 35mm slides, negatives and photos. I have a Sony A7IV full frame SLR. My question: I don't know if I should use a 50mm or 90mm Sony MACRO lens. Can you suggest the lens I should purchase and the focal length?
Go 90 absolutely for it will be closer to 1:1 and allow for distortion free results
Brilliant - clear and concise walk through. Thanks
Mick Buston This was the best comment I could hope for! 🙏
Dave Rollans Films you’re welcome sir
Can you list all equipment: lens, camera accessories, software, etc.?
It’s a variety of arbitrary items. Prefer not to list the actual items cause there’s so many ways to achieve this
@@DavesFilmLab Thank you Dave. Watched the content again and noticed that you tether your computer to set up. Can you explain how this is done? I have some tether cables lying around and would love to use them. Manly, I have trouble focusing on the grain of some negatives. This would make my life so much easier.
@@rocky39a Use the software that’s for your camera. In my case, I’m using canon eos utility. Other than that, it’s basically just operating the camera with a computer. You’ll have to review your cameras specific tethering options to get more in depth. Use live view, focus on the grain, and capture the negatives / positives.
I’d much rather spend money on a nice digital camera and light source and do it myself like this than pay $$$ for scans I have to wait for, only to wonder if they tone them well. You’ve given me some ideas!
The Next Hobby It goes a long way coupled with the fact that developing rolls costs me maybe 25 cents each, if not less
great video
Thanks for showing us behind the velvet curtain!
Chase The Wind My pleasure! Hope this inspires others to try new things. The speed of this set up has given me my personal life back, since I shoot so much every week
I bought a film scanner, but I am not satisfy with it, I get the filling that the quality en the focus is very poor. I will like to try what you do. It is a wonderful idea!
Thank you very much for uploading this video I particular young man! ✌
Nice, I've been thinking about upgrading my Epson v600, but I think i'll get a macro lens instead
I think you don´t even need to buy a macro lens. I bought a macro ring for my 50 mm lens and I can get close enough to my subject.
This is awesome Dave! I just started using my camera to digitize film instead of my epson, and my setup is kind of similar to yours, as I also have a strobe under the table. I have a table with a frosted glass top, so it works great to diffuse the light. I need to get one of those holders, it looks like it really simplifies the process!
So much good info here, would love to see links to the gear you're using.
Great setup, it fantastic the innovation I have seen in digitizing, quick question, can you explain a little about your air blower, I read you have it filtered? What make and what was the cost?
Thanks! It’s just a cheap air compressor that I got from harbor freight. It’s really loud but works well. They sell desiccant filters that you run right before the output nozzle (no idea what to call this stuff, was my first experience with an air compressor)
so maybe I can try the old 120j flash that's sitting in storage instead of spending $ on a light box setup.
Use a phone light or another small source to focus then flash. Hmmm
Hey, do you feel this is better than the scanner..?I am thinking to scan my films as they are really expensive. 🤣I am still analysing which meathod is really good quality wise.. your feedback would be very helpful.:)
Do you need a film holder or can you just palce them on to the light source?
Hey Dave! Super interesting set up with the flash photography. What would be the minimum distance from your flash to the diffusion? You flash manually, not TTL? Thnaks!
Very informative, thanks. Would a Godox AD200 flash work as well? For this.?
Have you had any issues with reflections off the camera/lens back onto the negative? Thanks!
I have not. Using a lens hood is recommended and photographing the emulsion side as opposed to the reflective non emulsion side. That said, the flash I’m using allows for the light to remain both directional and powerful. Using an LED light table, it’s much more necessary to have a dim environment so there are no reflections from windows, overhead lights, lamps, etc.
@@DavesFilmLab Thank you Dave! I’m going to buy a used digital camera and macro lens since I got rid of my digital cameras when I went to film exclusively. The Epson scanner is slow and problematic. I typically get at least one vertical line across the scan and I’m fed up with it. Wish I had gone to the digital camera method before I bought the scanner about 6 months ago. Do you have a recommendation on digital camera and lens? Thank you!
@@baggerrider8073 Anything with around 20mp or more. I prefer canon but Nikon gives you some flexibility on using some older glass. For a crop sensor camera, 50mm macro is ideal. For full frame 90-105mm macro is ideal. Needs to be a macro lens so it has low distortion and a flat field of focus. Don’t overthink it. 20mp scans should yield a 16x20 print no problem. Best to go cheap / used and set up a good infrastructure in terms of your copy stand / light source. The best cameras with the most expensive lenses, will yield very problematic scans if you light source isn’t even enough / powerful enough and if it doesn’t have a high CRI rating. This is why I prefer strobe instead of LED. 100 CRI from xenon flash tube & tungsten light sources. Hope this helps
@@DavesFilmLab Thanks Dave for this detailed information. I was thinking Canon because they are plentiful and fairly cheap. Lots of used lenses out there as well. I can see I will need to build a table, which is not a problem. Lots of studio lights on Craigslist as well. I sure appreciate the information! Thank you!
Dear Dave, I have some questions
I have an APCS camera and do a lot of analog film on the side, would this digital be enough to photograph ?
Where exactly did you get the film transporter ?
What lens should you use for abphotographing ?
How can you set the live mode on the PC from the camera image ?
Are the results really better than with the Epson?
Ok. I’m gonna try my best to answer these questions.
Most 20mp DSLR cameras will do much better than an epson scanner.
For APSC cameras, use a 50mm MACRO lens. For full frame, use 100mm MACRO lens. Macro lenses are flat field in their focus, achieving a very sharp focus across the entire image with no distortion.
Negative supply makes negative holders for a few formats, and their basic holder is an economical way to hold 35mm film flat.
This will be significantly better than using an epson scanner, both in its sharpness and tonality. As far as live view goes, you’ll have to check with your specific camera model. My canon 5dsr uses a program called “EOS Utility” that allows for tethered shooting.
Hope this helps!
Hello, I also have a lot of 35mm film. And they’re are all cut into 4-6 frames. Some of these are cut into 2-3 frames. Can you also scan the front and end frames of these 4-6 and 2-3 frames perfectly? Thanks for the useful video.
Thanks for showing the setup. One reason for shooting medium format film instead of DSLR is for the much higher resolution of the medium format film than DSLR. The digitizing film with DSLR seems to defeat the purposes of doing so, unless you can reach a close or higher resolution (150-250 million pixels) than that of the medium format film. I wonder if you have tried the 'pixel shifting exposure' function provided by some cameras such as Sony A7RIII.
While I agree with you, it all relates to print size. I’ve been able to get outstanding 40x50” prints from this 50mp set up. Stitching just seems overkill when most people aren’t printing big (or even at all)
Very good 👍
I use a large colour balanced lightbox which is very good masking off images with black card.
Your digital level looks like a neat little device 👍
Stuart Baines Nice! Sounds like a rad set up 👌 there’s many ways to tackle this set up and I’m always stoked to hear the different solutions everyone comes up with!
Very innovative, well thought out and the process he's developed (no pun intended) seems to work. I wish there was a way that he could show us what a blown up area of the 35mm film looks like compared to his previous method. On minor point is, for lack of a better term, the "valley girl" intonation in his voice can be a bit off putting. Otherwise, great job.
Hi photo people! What are you all doing with all of your photos? Your own photo albums? Online album? Flicker? I’m curious, thanks.
Me personally... selling prints, filling up personal albums, doing gallery showings, making blog posts, and sharing on Instagram
Here's a little advice. Put some diffuse reflective materials around the lamp under the table that works as lamp-shade like reflective cone that spreads the light more evenly all around even to the edges of the frame. No mirrors and nothing clear reflective. Like those silvery smooth reflectors.
KRAFTWERK2K6 Great advice! I’ve got two layers of diffusion happening between the light & the film 👌
which air compressor do you use?
Wow that's alot of set up. Nice. How does the overall quality and sharpness of the 4x5 DSLR scan compare to using the Epson V800? Thanks.
This is just my opinion here... but the images feel like they have more depth. My Epson scans had a “flat” feeling to it. I realize that’s nuts cause we’re describing something that doesn’t have depth (digital images) but there’s something about the way that my Epson captured the negative that bothered me. But also with that said.... ive made amazing prints from both so the best way to gauge is how your prints look, not by pixel peeping. I’m not into digital media as much as print media so I’ll leave the pixel peeping to all those digital media artists out there ;)
@@DavesFilmLab Thanks much sir! That is very interesting. I have not used a flatbed scanner before I just print with an enlarger. Trying to get an idea of how these different methods compare to silver prints on the enlarger. One guy on a photo blog swears by wet mounting the negative. thanks again for taking the time to share your knowledge.
@@Machster10 in my opinion, wet mounting is silly unless you have tons of disposable time on your hands. It’s time consuming and doesn’t offer much added benefit. For me, dslr scanning has been the closest feeling to working with an enlarger. Cause you have to focus, adjust light / aperture of the lens. Much prefer inkjet printing over RA4 but prefer fiber based silver gelatin for b/w
@@DavesFilmLab Thank you for that useful info. You know your stuff. Well I guess I have another project on my hands with all this. Later.
ive probably watched this video a couple dozen times
Have you seen my update? Feel like that’s a better one but maybe I’m bias 😅
@@DavesFilmLab maybe i missed it...
This feels like a prototype of a future light box attachment. Given the lack of new scanners, this setup seems to address a lot of the issues with lighting, but I am curious as to how color negatives render with a setup like this.
Edit: Could you show some comparisons to the Epson colors?
Funny you mention that, there will be a blog post on my website www.daverollans.com tomorrow about this. Color rendition of color negative films is much better. I’ve moved to using a Paul C Buff Einstein flash unit in color consistency mode and it makes a huge difference. I’ll try to get a video uploaded about it too but I’ve just been crazy swamped lately so videos have been on the back burner for the time being
Blog post is now live, comparing an Epson Flatbed Scan Vs. DSLR scan + examples & my current set up. Link is
www.daverollans.com/blog
Hi Dave. Thinking in building something similar to this but more simple, could this set up work with a led video panel as well? or do you think I might need a source with more power light. Thanks
Is it possible to do this with 1000s of images as part of a multi minute 16mm movie film roll? Thanks to anyone who responds
Probably could do it so long as you used a consistent light source and had a lens that could handle that level of closeness while still achieving flat field focus. That said, it could be somewhat time consuming. Recommend pro8mm in LA for 16mm movie film digitization
Great setup! Any idea what the CRI of your FP Flashpoint Studio 300ii is? I'm currently using a Kaiser Slimlight (95 CRI) and in some cases, I'm having to do a 2-second shutter at F/11. I'm considering switching to something like the flashpoint but I'm unfamiliar with flash models and their respective color reproduction.
I'm pretty sure strobes classify as 100 CRI. The ability to shoot at a much higher shutter speed with no color issues is drawing me toward the method described in the video. The only drawback is the massive hole you need to cut out of your table in my opinion.
Justin Derato Yeah I agree. Is it true they’re 100 CRI across the board? Hard to believe given that it’s only $110
@@peterpascucci4969 From my understanding all strobes and speedlights classify as 100CRI. I would stray away from "off brands" though. There is some science lingo about how LEDs have a worse spectral range vs. flashes which are pretty much even across the different wavelengths of color.
Peter Pascucci... I do do not recommend the FP300ii for this... I have two of the FP300 Studio Strobes and have noted (probably because of the electronic design of this strobe) that using shutter speeds above 1/100, the light is uneven - top to bottom - in the picture frame. This strobe takes a long time to fully dump its light output (longer than modern cameras sync speeds).
Initial testing with my almost completed duplicator using FP Lithium-Ion Speed-light seems to be providing proper/even exposures with these settings: ISO 100, F8, 1/160th...
About CRI and Color Temperature... In general, most flash devices provide good CRI (not exactly same as color temperature) and color temperature could fluctuate if flash fires at different power levels (usually very expensive flashes are better at holding consistent color temperature over different power levels). So... is good practice to maintain same flash power levels throughout the session, adjust color temperature/tint to your taste is post in one frame, and duplicate these settings to the other images in the session.
@@peterpascucci4969 Just be aware that over time, the flash elements can get discoloured, in other words, they get a little warmer.
Air compressors can emit small amounts of oil.
Desiccant filter also removes that, it’s why I use a desiccant filter at two places in the hose line
@@DavesFilmLab cool, just thought I'd mention it.
Dave, where can I purchase a negative supply film carrier?
www.negative.supply
I can’t recommend their products enough. They do exceptional work and have exceptional customer service
@@DavesFilmLab thank you Dave.
Very useful video.
do you think a canon t3i with a 52mm lens would be good enough for this? i would be scanning 35mm
You’d need a macro lens but yea, a crop sensor camera with a 50mm macro will be perfect
Thank you sir, that was helpful and informative.
what is the CRI on your light there? seems this light source thing is a real major issue and getting it right is super crucial. do you think that the diffusion may alter the colour from the light? or is there a specific diffusion better than others?
SLIMNICS CRI of the strobe & tungsten lighting is 100 so that’s why those are the only two viable options in my mind. LED looks muddy & flat to me and lacks power. I’ve found having a direct light source, and having dual diffusion around 3” below the film, works better than diffusion directly on my light source
Dave Rollans Films oh, that light is tungsten? how much are they ? do you have any issues with heat?
Dave Rollans Films which type do you recommend of tungsten studio light to get?
SLIMNICS No this is a strobe. I’ve used a 1000 watt tungsten light and a strobe for testing. The light never got too hot with my new standing desk but the light is plenty of distance from the diffusion surface. That said... I prefer strobe cause the flash duration is fast so images are always super sharp and it allows me to stay at a middle aperture for sharper scans as well
Very Good!
Amazing amazing amazing ....!!
Is it super necessary to get a macro lens for this type of scanning? Thanks
rasheed211287 Yes it is for various reasons like distortion, close focus ability, and the 1:1 ratio possible with some macro lenses
Great setup.......BUT........no camera setup will ever match the resolution of an Epson flatbed scanner for larger negatives, 4x5 and 8x10.
We’ll have to agree to disagree. The resolution of the lens that epson puts on those scanners is what really cripples them
Have you tried multi shot stitching of your 4x5s? I have heard the stitching may be a challenge. Your level setup and workflow looks great, though is a bit of a space for time compromise.
bwvids stitching with a strobe will have slight exposure variances and potentially also, color variances. With 50.2mp.... I can print 40x50” just fine
By the time you factor in the cost of 1. A decent digital Camera, 2. A decent Macro lens, 3. A sturdy copy stand, 4. A light box, 5. A negatives holder, you are looking at at least $1000. That buys a might good dedicated scanner.
Other than a drum scanner, the major downside is that the OPTICAL resolution of an epson flatbed scanner (even the v850) will only resolve similarly to a 24mp digital camera. So the sharpness and dynamic range will not be ideal with a flatbed. But that said, most aren’t printing their photos so the resolution discussions seem to be mostly amongst pixel peepers. No right or wrong way to go about any of this, but for my large prints… the quality difference was massive, coupled with the amount of time saved by digitizing with a camera. Just my 2 cents. If you get acceptable results from a flatbed, more power to ya!
Aside from speed of use, did the Negative Supply Film holder + DSLR give you better quality results?...I’m debating between the new 120 holder and the Epson V800
Exceptionally better, by leaps and bounds
@@DavesFilmLab Interesting...okay thanks. Another feature that I liked on the Epson was the dust removal, is dust an issue with your setup?
RewDowns dust is way less of an issue with this set up. That said, if your negs are dusty... gotta blow them off before they go in the scanner. The Epson dust removal tends to just soften the image
brilliant dude
what air compressor do you have, I really can't find one that I feel confident buying
Thanks!
CALIFORNIA AIR TOOLS CAT-1P1060SP but be sure to get a desiccant filter to absorb moisture. Bought this one cause it was fairly quiet and cost effective
@@DavesFilmLab thanks. did you get a soundproof cabinet along with the compressor or did you filter out the sound during the video? any more tips dealing with the compressor? wondering how to put this in the office without being a nuisance for everyone. in the meantime we just use the rocket blowers.
@@digital8651 Rocket blower will work just fine. I do not have a soundproof cabinet
Indeed, just a bit of a workout every day.
That is awesome
Thanks! I’ll have a camera scanning update coming out in a few weeks so stay tuned. Just upgraded my light source and have learned a few things since releasing this but a lot of the basic principles still remain
@@DavesFilmLab I would totally build this
@@GreyGhost-r4z It was certainly easy to do. Cut the hole in the copy stand / table and the flash I’ll be using now is a Paul C Buff Einstein flash since it has an exceptional color consistency across its entire power range which does make a difference. Hopefully more to come soon 🙏
@@DavesFilmLab thanks !!
Sweet set up man. I’ve been thinking about getting that negative carrier you have but I have all of my negatives cut into strips of 6 frames. Does it matter or will it progress the frames through the carrier the same??
Christopher Patrick No it will hold them and progress just fine. You just have to manually line them up until it catches the film at around the third frame
Great video!
Really nice setup! One advice I have for you is to wear hearing protection when using an air compressor, that shit fucks up your ears man
McGyver Deluxe!
Dave, that's an exceptionally good set-up you have come up with. Can you say what software you are tethering the camera with? Is it a Canon app, or Capture One / Lightroom? It is clearly perfectly suited to the job!
Thanks! Just using the canon app and then I load them into Lightroom to invert them. From there, I’ll typically export as TIFF and process in photoshop due to its vastly superior editing options.
I am wondering, what's the distance of the flash?
And also do you point it straight on the negative ?
Frederic Leblanc Two layers of diffusion about 36” above the flash bulb and then about 3” between the film and that diffusion
thank you for sharing love from Pakistan
This is heroic!!!
Any input in photo scanning 35mm slides: I have 100K+!
cnlicnli Yes this method works great and allows for skipping the inverting steps. Negative supply does offer a slide mount
amazing video, think more shoot less! subscribed to your channel
Aman Askarizad Thanks! My darkroom is almost done so hopefully I’ll have some new content out soon!
Genius!
Floob Thanks!
Actually, you need an Enlarger lens for digitising (not a Macro lens) as they are literally designed for copying giving uniform sharpness from corner to corner with minimal vignetting and other distortion characteristic of lenses used for capturing rather than copying images.
Good tip, both work just fine. I’ve used both and prefer this 100mm macro cause there was zero difference in sharpness at f8. But yeah, for anyone using a light pad or something where light power is a concern, I’ll agree with you.
Seems like a lot of hassle to “save” minutes off scanning, then spend more time editing
sneakerjoe23 Ends up quite fast. Have 36 exposure rolls, entirely color correct & ready to send out... in 6 minutes per roll for 6K JPEGs or TIFFS
@@DavesFilmLab That would take 3 hours at least with my film scanner at ~7000-8000 dpi. Plus color correction. But the machine will do the work, advancing the filmstrip.
@@josephfilm73 Seems like a lot of time but that’s cool that it does it for you. Fully color corrected scans in 5 minutes is a must for me being that I run a film lab. Time is the most precious thing we have and so I’m after the best quality in the least amount of time, to yield good prints. The 40x50” star trail prints I did from single shot, 4x5 scans... look epic
🇳🇱🤔🤔🤔😀😀😀👍👍👍👍👍
think more shoot less but don't fall into analysis paralysis
Too expensive, and OTT equipment.
Alicedell expense is all relative, but yea... for most, spending hours with an Epson is likely fine. But for a working professional, I’d say this is far from over the top