Quote Originally Posted by mdm View Post
One can argue ad infinitum about fancy scans on fancy scanners. For an idiot like me scanning 5x7 negatives at 800spi or making contact prints, f64 is not a problem. You need a small aperture to get enough dof sometimes, and it has taken me more than a year to work it out.

Two examples attached scanned at 800spi. Shanghai 100 in Pyrocat M. I used the fp4 reciprocity chart and ended up with 2 to 3 1/2 minute exposures. Identical window light. 210mm Sironar S. Theese are at 1:1. No sharpening. Used a dof calculator to work out that I only had 5cm of dof to work with, even at f64.


MDM what is the point of these sample images? They're both soft in focus. Nothing really looks in focus. And BTW the 210mm Sironar-S, which I also happen to own, is not good at 1:1, it's only decent at that aperture. So using f64 with the Sironar-s at 1:1 is already a compromise in image quality.

If you're committed to doing this type of work then you should consider a dedicated macro lens or a process lens like an Apo Ronar.