Scanning with a digital camera

[Gordon Moat]

Thanks for the reply David. Does it matter whether the glass is museum, anti-newton ring, or regular glass?

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[Ash]

You should use AN glass. I lay my negs on a neg scanner and I still get rings!!

[David A. Goldfarb]

AN glass or AR glass is desirable if you have it. It depends on the film, since some films (like those with retouching surfaces) are less prone to Newton's rings. If you've got one sheet of AN glass, it should be on the base side, even if that means having to flip the image afterward. If you've got a glass (or glassless for that matter) neg carrier from an enlarger that will can sit flat and stay closed on the light table, you can use it for this purpose.

[Rick Olson]

Now this is interesting ... I have been debating the same thing on what to get - an Epson 4990, 750, etc. While I have some negatives to scan, I am hesitant to put out the cash for a dedicated scanner for 120, 35mm etc. as I want to "wet print" my negs once I get my darkroom set up. I am also working in 5 x 7, so a flatbed scanner is the only affordable answer for that ... at least until I read this thread. I pulled a few of my 5 x 7 negatives, some of my 120 negatives and even a 35mm slide for a test. I then got my Canon S3 point-and-shoot digital camera and my lightbox and shot some images. I went back to the Mac and converted them to B/W and added some slight sharpening. Results are attached. These are not even the best quality I could pull, as I was shooting in Macro, hand-held with a slow shutter speed and the negatives were left in their protective mylar sleeves. Quite amazing, actually what you can do this way.

Image 1 and 2 = 5 x 7 Kodak TMY (Pyrocat MC)
Image 3 and 4 = Ilford Delta 100 120 (Pyrocat MC)

Rick

[Padu Merloti]

What about just picking up a 4990 off ebay.They are under 400 bucks, and will do your art too as long as you don't go too big.I wet mount mine with a scanmax kit and the 11z14's I've been getting are mind blowing.

Don't let the neg. scanner manufacturers know what we're doing

I've been stalking ebay for the last 2 weeks, and I couldn't find a deal that would justify a used 4990 for about $350 instead of a new V700 for $500. Still, $300 is more than $0, and I think they'd produce the same results for what I'm trying to do.

[Gordon Moat]

Wow Rick! Those would work fine for internet display. I think we have a winner here. If you get a chance, could you post a detail crop at full resolution?

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[Rick Olson]

Gordon ... sure

Can you explain how I would do that? I have Photoshop, so all I need are your instructions. There appears to be good detail in the center and degrades towards the edge, as expected.

Thanks,
Rick

Wow Rick! Those would work fine for internet display. I think we have a winner here. If you get a chance, could you post a detail crop at full resolution?

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[Gordon Moat]

Hello Rick,

Probably one of the train images, near the center. I was guessing a full resolution shot from your digital camera would be many pixels wide, by many pixels tall. Without resizing in PhotoShop, just take the cropping tool and adjust for just a center rectangle of an image. I don't know how large an image your Canon S3 can make, but I am guessing probably larger than those examples you posted. Hope that makes sense.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[Doug Dolde]

Now this is funny. Shoot 4x5 then you settle for the resolution of a digital camera.

[Chris Strobel]

Very impressive, I like that train shot alot on the right.What film did you use?

Now this is interesting ... I have been debating the same thing on what to get - an Epson 4990, 750, etc. While I have some negatives to scan, I am hesitant to put out the cash for a dedicated scanner for 120, 35mm etc. as I want to "wet print" my negs once I get my darkroom set up. I am also working in 5 x 7, so a flatbed scanner is the only affordable answer for that ... at least until I read this thread. I pulled a few of my 5 x 7 negatives, some of my 120 negatives and even a 35mm slide for a test. I then got my Canon S3 point-and-shoot digital camera and my lightbox and shot some images. I went back to the Mac and converted them to B/W and added some slight sharpening. Results are attached. These are not even the best quality I could pull, as I was shooting in Macro, hand-held with a slow shutter speed and the negatives were left in their protective mylar sleeves. Quite amazing, actually what you can do this way.

Image 1 and 2 = 5 x 7 Kodak TMY (Pyrocat MC)
Image 3 and 4 = Ilford Delta 100 120 (Pyrocat MC)

Rick