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Thread: Lightbox for film scanning

  1. #11

    Re: Lightbox for film scanning

    Quote Originally Posted by Drew Wiley View Post
    I made mine too - a big so-so version just for sorting out negatives and chromes, but also a smaller very precise one for color repro work and critical evaluation.
    I will almost exclusively be scanning 4x5 color negs and some transparencies. I'm not opposed to building my own but I kind of assumed buying one would be the same price or cheaper. But, because so many are out of stock for the next month or so I may need to build my own.

    Peter, good call on using a cinema light for a light source. Those are meant to be highly color accurate. I may go that route.

    Which color temperature is best to set on the light source for scanning color negs? Daylight 5500k?

  2. #12
    Peter De Smidt's Avatar
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    Re: Lightbox for film scanning

    5-6k should be fine.
    “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

  3. #13

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    Re: Lightbox for film scanning

    About 20 years ago I accepted the job of digitizing a collection of several thousand turn of the century glass plates. Acquired a graphiclite D5000 Standard Viewer. The lightbox wasn't an inexpensive purchase back then, but its balanced and even light offset its cost. Mine even has quarter, half, three quarter life, and replace bulbs indicator lights. After all these years, the bulbs are still like new. Actual lit up light area measures about 10" x 11". Illumination is essentially 99.9% even.The unit is a bit large when compared to present day LED light boxes. Even have a graphiclite viewing station in my darkroom. Found it at a state surplus store for about $20.00.

    My model also known as a GTI Graphic Technology GLX 10/GLX-10LG D5000 Standard Viewer. Look for one now on eBay. Mine set me back quite a few hundred dollars back when.
    Last edited by Greg; 3-May-2020 at 12:49. Reason: added info

  4. #14

    Re: Lightbox for film scanning

    Welp. It turns out I found the Kaiser that everyone likes, on eBay, shipping from a seller in the UK, for the same price that it would have cost from B&H in the states.

    For anyone else looking:

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/KAISER-2453...72.m2749.l2649

  5. #15

    Re: Lightbox for film scanning

    Even more important that color temperature is Color Rendering Index or CRI. A lot of cheap LED panels have the approximately correct daylight-ish color temperature but are woefully inadequate in their CRI and it's almost always the R9 value that is way too low, resulting in an overall look of correct color but with reds being quite weak. And if the maker of the panel won't give a breakdown of the CRI that becomes a red flag - pun sort of intended - for their performance. And others only average a portion of the CRI readout to disguise their performance. Of course the easiest way it to use your trusty Sekonic C-700U to measure these yourself, and if you don't have one already, consider one as it's a great tool that will help troubleshoot and keep you from guessing.

  6. #16
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: Lightbox for film scanning

    I use expensive German color matching tubes that are CRI 98, 5000K. LED panels won't give you that level of accuracy, and are generally marketed using a substantial BS coefficient, which any good color temp meter will soon detect. A proper light box will also need a customized paint to compensate for the yellowish flavor of the diffuser system, which only exists in the most expensive units per size category. I had the advantage of access to a serious industrial spectrophotometer when batching my own liner paint. Getting truly even diffusion at the same time is also tricky. A couple brands have already been mentioned, Kaiser and Graphiclite, but Just Normlicht was also a good brand. But beware of low cost casual options by anyone; you get what you pay for.

  7. #17
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: Lightbox for film scanning

    Old MacBeth Prooflites are indeed cheap, but if you have to replace the bulbs, or if the diffuser has yellowed, or a ballast has gotten squirrely, then you won't have a bargain at all. XRite now owns the old MacBeth product line. The electronic ballasts found on nearly all top-end boxes that don't have primitive hold-down starters is that if something goes wrong with a high-frequency ballast in some kind of power surge, it can domino out of commission solid state equipment in the vicinity. One more reason for especially solid wiring in your work area. After a brief review of what B&H still has, things haven't changed much over the years. You can still expect to pay at least $300 for a small Just Normlicht light box. But I think B&H still sells Normlicht as well as MacBeth fluorescent tubes by themselves if you want to attempt a DIY project. I use moderately expensive LED rim panels above my copystand and they are fine for web quality color, but not for anything really serious. But XRite has especially appropriate versions of these too for repro standards. I have never asked the price, because I can't even afford the defibrillator first.

  8. #18
    Alan Klein's Avatar
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    Re: Lightbox for film scanning

    Quote Originally Posted by cablerelease View Post
    I'm having trouble finding anyone recommending any other lightbox besides the Kaiser Slimlite Plano:

    (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...k_battery.html)

    This one is out of stock everywhere I can find it. Does anyone have experience with anything else that they would recommend? This one is in stock and looks like a decent candidate but I haven't found many reviews or many people talking about it for film scanning. They don't specify color temperature or CRI ratings, etc.:

    https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...t_panel_6.html
    I have the Kaiser Slimlite Plano. I checked the Kelvin with my NEC Monitor Spectraview II puck both on rechargeable battery and on AC power connected modes. The battery had a slightly higher Kelvin although I assume the AC powered is more consistent over time. But I didn't check that situation. Good luck with your selection.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Kaiser Slimlite Plano Kelvin 2453 test.jpg  

  9. #19

    Re: Lightbox for film scanning

    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Klein View Post
    I have the Kaiser Slimlite Plano. I checked the Kelvin with my NEC Monitor Spectraview II puck both on rechargeable battery and on AC power connected modes. The battery had a slightly higher Kelvin although I assume the AC powered is more consistent over time. But I didn't check that situation. Good luck with your selection.
    Wonderful, thanks for this. This is quite good in my opinion. That, plus the fact that it's rated 95 CRI makes me see why this is a great lightbox. For those who didn't see my earlier post I'm thankful I found a seller in the UK on eBay selling this exact Kaiser model (new and for the same price as B&H). It should be here in less than a week! Can't wait to get scanning.

  10. #20

    Re: Lightbox for film scanning

    In an effort to make this post informative for others... In my research I came across this company that looks to be selling some very nice equipment for scanning including some beautiful 95 and 99 CRI lightboxes:

    https://www.negative.supply/

    Perhaps this forum is already aware of them, but figured I would post it on this thread for those looking for lightbox options.

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