Should I Drum Scan, X1 Flextight Scan, or use the Epson V850 w/Aztek Wet Mount Kit?

[Tin Can]

😎😎

I use it to hide scratches and force film flat, etc. If i just use anr it doesn't work so well and it is the way I have been using my V850 for 2 years now. It certainly does not hurt.

I would say what resolution I scan at, but then every single person would start pointing at charts and graphs and personal experience to convince me I am wrong. While I am no photographer to look up to, I know what my results are and they work for me.

And isn't that really the point? What works for you?

[Peter De Smidt]

By all means carry on.

[Tin Can]

Back in 2013, I was trying a few things, the below image shows my 8X10 AN glass on top of X-Ray laid directly on V700 glass

I was having problems with NOT FLAT films, until I switched to Gas Burst in hangers.

Now I don't care about scanning much and don't use AN

X-Ray 2013 1 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

[manfrominternet]

Regarding your work with the Sony a7r iii, I would suggest that you just avoid the pixel shifting and shoot a straight mosaic of about six shots, overlapping about 25%. This should stitch very fast in PS and with 25% overlap stitching should work consistently. And with the six shots you will get effective mp count of about 30 mp per frame, or total of about 180 mp, which should get all the information from a 4X5 color negative film.

As to your question about switching to a medium format digital camera such as the Fuji GFX 50R (or Pentax 645), I actually did a test a few days ago with a sheet of 5X7 B&W film to compare work flow and image quality between the Sony a7r iv, with 16 shot pixel shifting with a 75 mm Apo Rodagon D, and a Fuji GFX 50R, using a Pentax 120 mm F/4 Macro. With the Sony I did three-pass stitching, with 16 shot pixel shifting. With the Fuji GFX 50R I did plain three-pass stitching. Tests with both cameras was done at f/8. I then adjusted brightness and contrast of the image files to compare results. I rather expected the a7r iv to give better results, but in fact image quality with the Fuji was quite similar. And of course, it was very simple and fast to combine the three shots with Photomerge, whereas the work flow with the Sony took a long time.

But my suspicion is that if you did a six-shot mosaic with the a7r iii you would get similar results. Course, if you are just ready to buy a new camera I can understand.

PS: Should mention that the Fuji GFX with either the Fuji 120 f/4 Macro or with the Pentax 120 f/4 Macro is a heavy combination and will require a VERY sturdy and stable copy stand.

Sandy

Which copy stand scanning combination yielded the best results in your opinion? The Sony a7R IV (w/16-shot pixel shift)/75mm Apo Rodagon D or the Fuji GFX 50R/120mm Pentax f/4 Macro?

I'm very close to getting either the Fuji GFX 50R or the Sony a7r IV.

I'm leaning towards getting the Fuji GFX 50R with the 120mm Pentax f/4 Macro, but I'm just not sure. The Fuji GFX 50R is, to me, something of a romantic camera that I very much want to use. (To those who don't know, I already have the Sony a7R III with a Sigma 70mm f/2.8 ART Macro and, for copy stand scanning, it yields pretty good results, but it's not really a camera that I enjoy using in the field on its own, hence my interest in the Fuji GFX 50R.)

Can anyone chime in and help me out?

[sanking]

Which copy stand scanning combination yielded the best results in your opinion? The Sony a7R IV (w/16-shot pixel shift)/75mm Apo Rodagon D or the Fuji GFX 50R/120mm Pentax f/4 Macro?

I'm very close to getting either the Fuji GFX 50R or the Sony a7r IV.

I'm leaning towards getting the Fuji GFX 50R with the 120mm Pentax f/4 Macro, but I'm just not sure. The Fuji GFX 50R is, to me, something of a romantic camera that I very much want to use. (To those who don't know, I already have the Sony a7R III with a Sigma 70mm f/2.8 ART Macro and, for copy stand scanning, it yields pretty good results, but it's not really a camera that I enjoy using in the field on its own, hence my interest in the Fuji GFX 50R.)

Can anyone chime in and help me out?

With 16 shot pixel shifting I get slightly better results with the Sony a7r iv than with the Fuji GFX 50R. The results are close as the larger sensor size of the GFX 50R almost compensates for the higher pixel count of the a7r iv, but not quite.

Sandy

[letchhausen]

Which copy stand scanning combination yielded the best results in your opinion? The Sony a7R IV (w/16-shot pixel shift)/75mm Apo Rodagon D or the Fuji GFX 50R/120mm Pentax f/4 Macro?

I'm very close to getting either the Fuji GFX 50R or the Sony a7r IV.

I'm leaning towards getting the Fuji GFX 50R with the 120mm Pentax f/4 Macro, but I'm just not sure. The Fuji GFX 50R is, to me, something of a romantic camera that I very much want to use. (To those who don't know, I already have the Sony a7R III with a Sigma 70mm f/2.8 ART Macro and, for copy stand scanning, it yields pretty good results, but it's not really a camera that I enjoy using in the field on its own, hence my interest in the Fuji GFX 50R.)

Can anyone chime in and help me out?

I wish this entire mess could be separated or teased out into threads like, "How to get scans using a copy stand" and "You'll have to pry my Epson from my cold dead hands: A guide to scanning" or something. On the basis of the early days of this I bought a Sony A7RIV, a copy stand that I've come to realize is too unstable so I moved to a tripod, a lightbox and a DCHT negative carrier. Currently trying various methods with Capture One, but not there yet. Have zero interest in LR so NLP is off the table. Wish it was for PS.

Ahem, end rant. I went on a road trip recently with my Sony (my first time working seriously with a digital camera) and my buddy bringing his Fuji GFX50R. He bought this Fuji used for cheap at the beginning of the pandemic, cheaper than what I paid used for my A7RIV. I have enjoyed working with the Sony once I got the hang of manual lenses and gave up on AF. Every day my friend and I would download into C1 and compare files, etc. I have to say that if shooting with the camera enters into the equation, I would seriously consider the Fuji. I felt like the Fuji menus, the files and its handling were all a notch above my Sony. I have no gripes about the overall gestalt of shooting with my camera. My eyes aren't good enough to use my Pentax K1000 anymore though I still shoot mainly with my 4x5 and my Hasselblad. But it's been nice to use the Sony in situations I couldn't use a tripod. If the cost of entry into the Fuji eco-system weren't just that much higher, I might have jumped. With the Sony the ease of adapted lenses (my old Pentax and Contax) meant no extra outlay. In any event, since you already know that you don't have an affinity for the Sony, think about the Fuji. A marginal difference in scanning probably isn't worth the trade-off.

[sanking]

Also, bear in mind that the combination of Fuji GFX 50R with Pentax 120 f/4 Macro weighs a lot more than Sony a7r iv with a 75mm Apo Rodagon. The extra weight could be a problem when used with a vertical copy stand unless very sturdy.

Sandy

[Peter De Smidt]

To check vibration resistance, tap anywhere on your system watching magnified live view. At 1x, I expect many will be surprised by how prone to vibration most systems are.

[manfrominternet]

Sandy, is there any way you could upload/send a sample of your test scans using the Sony a7R IV/75mm Apo Rodagon-D and the Fuji GFX 50R/120mm Pentax f/4 Macro?

I'd love to see the difference between the two and how much better the Sony a7r IV setup is vs. the Fuji GFX 50R.

[Christopher Barrett]

Sandy, I'm surprised the Rodagon has the necessary resolution... I did some testing with a couple friends a few months back for art repro. The A7rIV was mounted on my 300lbs Foba, on a concrete floor, shooting with strobe and the 16x pixelshift actually came out softer than the 4x. We used the Sony 90mm macro and the Sigma 85mm Art lens. Both are exceptional glass. I've been thinking about putting my Howtek back into service, but Aztek recently announced that repairs and supplies are going to become less available...

-CB