Never satisfied are we...
Looking good!
Never satisfied are we...
Looking good!
Tin Can
Well, before it was setup for scanning at 1x with 4x5. To optimize it for 8x10, I have to switch the camera to another side in order to not use the L-bracket. It's not so much that the L-bracket isn't strong enough, but because it makes using the side ports on the camera more challenging.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
I see you are using the old fashioned humidifier to keep the dust down!
Tin Can
Yes, and if you look closely you can see my 3 assistants.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
A teacher needs students.
Tin Can
Peter, this is fascinating. I appreciate you sharing this.
I am going down a slightly different path with the new Panasonic Lumix S1R that uses pixel shift technology to create a 187MB single high resolution RAW file.
Here is the overivew of the high-res mode from the B&H website. "By using sensor-shift stabilization technology, the S1R features a High Resolution mode to capture and compile eight separate exposure to create a single 187MP raw or JPEG file. Suitable for static subjects and when working on a tripod, this mode creates a more highly detailed and color accurate image than a single shot alone can produce and produces an image with a 16736 x 11168-pixel resolution."
The basic plan is to import the high res file into lightroom and use Negative Lab Pro to do the basic conversoin of my C-41 and B&W films.
Based on what I know right now, I have 2 more major problems to solve.
1 - I need to find one of the sharpest lenses capable of resolving this level of detail and in the proper focal length to digitize 4x5 and 8x10 film. I went to the DXO Mark Lens Database and it appears the Sigma 85 lens is rated as one of the top lenses and not too outrageous for the price. Is 85mm a reasonable focal length on a full frame sensor for 4x5 and 8x10 film?
2 - I need to find a simple method of allowing me to take 3 or 4 exposures when I need to stitch them together in Lightroom as a single high res RAW file. I may not always use the high res mode or maybe I want to stitch together two or three high res files at some point in the future to be able to make very large prints.
I have a very solid copy stand and a high quality light source and I have been testing with a 4x5 lay flat negative carrier to keep the film flat.
I am new to all of this, but it seems to me I want to avoid moving the camera in any way, so that means I would need to move the film for the multiple exposures then.
Any ideas of how I can approach this part of the problem?
Thanks
-Larry
I use a sliding negative stage.
So you have to work backwards from your print size to determine the resolution you need. Then you check how many separate areas of the film you'd need to photograph. Once you know that, you'll know what size area each exposure will have to cover. Make a card that size, get a full frame camera, and check different focal lengths to see what works best to give a reasonable working distance. Now that you know the focal length of the lens, and you know the area of the negative, along with the size of the sensor, you'll see what magnification you'll need, and you'll want to get a lens that excels at that magnification. I use a 50mm enlarging lens for my 8x10 scans, as the required magnification is right in the lens's sweet spot.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
Thanks for confirming what my gut was telling me.
I just need to figure out a mechanical and simple method for moving the negative so I can create the high quality multiple exposures. I am open to any ideas for this approach. I am testing with a large format 4x5 lay flat film holder to keep the negative perfectly flat and then lay that on top of my color corrected LED light table. I was thinking about creating some type of simple wooden guide or frame possibly that would allow me to move the carrier down for each exposure. I think this will work, but I am never surprised by the genious ideas and throughts with this group here. So, I am open to any ideas that you have on how to do this.
Originally Posted by Peter De Smidt
I don't have a lot of time right now, as it's nearing the end of the semester, and I'm spending most of my time reading rough, often very rough, drafts of my students' final papers. Maybe I'll have time over Thanksgiving to take some pictures of my negative system. If you orient your camera so that i't's long dimension covers the short dimension of the film, then you only have to move the negative in one direction. So I have a carefully made rectangular box that holds the light source, diffusion, and a thick glass plate for negative mounting. This whole unit slides on a flat surface between two guide rails. If you have to move the carrier in two directions, things get more complicated.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
Hi Peter, this is very helpful. I have a very good idea of how I will approach this now. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and I wish you and your family a safe and happy Thanksgiving. I will report back once I complete my building project and let you know how it turned out.
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