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iPad+A7R "Scanner"

scho

Well-known member
This is my test set-up for making hi-res "scans" of 4x5 negs and transparencies. Light source is an iPad Mini with a blank white screen. Negative/transparency holder is a magnetic Lucite block 4x6 picture frame from Crate & Barrel. Camera is 36 MP Sony A7R with Canon EF 100mm Macro lens in dumb Fotodiox NEX to E adapter (lens preset to working aperture of f/5.6). Position negative/transparency on top of one of the 1/2 inch thick lucite blocks, place second block on top to sandwich frame together with internal magnets. Set camera on tripod parallel to lucite frame in front of iPad (do not stop down too far or iPad screen pixels will show). Take 10-12 overlapping exposures for stitching. Composite the frames for final image which will be about 250 MP.



Sample below from a Type 55 neg. Original was 255 MP derived from 12 stitched images.



TMAX 100 4x5 film processed for transparency. Original was 280 MP, also from 12 stitched images using setup shown above. Click image below for file that is 25% of original size.

 
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Hulyss Bowman

Active member
Hey Carl,

Happy new year and nice setup. If you can put your hands on a DP3 Merrill you should try it. Results are beyond the raimbow to scan films :)
 

scho

Well-known member
Hey Carl,

Happy new year and nice setup. If you can put your hands on a DP3 Merrill you should try it. Results are beyond the raimbow to scan films :)
Thank you Hulyss and Happy New Year to you as well. I had a DP3, but sold it. It was a great camera that I should have kept.
 

tsjanik

Well-known member
Hi Carl:

Are you moving the film or the camera to achieve your shots? Have you compared the stitched shots to a single exposure using the 645Z, i.e., are the additional pixels worth the extra work involved in stitching?

Thanks,

Tom
 

scho

Well-known member
Hi Carl:

Are you moving the film or the camera to achieve your shots? Have you compared the stitched shots to a single exposure using the 645Z, i.e., are the additional pixels worth the extra work involved in stitching?

Thanks,

Tom
Hi Tom,

I manually move the block with negative and adjust tripod height for each row. I tried using my epic 100 pano setup, but it can't keep lens parallel to the negative and requires re-focusing for each shot. This is not something I would do routinely and just did it as an alternative to flatbed scanning the 4x5 negs I already have. 645z still is still my main cam, but the 4x5 files can yield much higher resolution if needed (250 MP+) for cropping or large prints. I could also shoot the negs with the 645z, but I don't have a good 645 macro lens yet.
 

Lars

Active member
Do you have to do anything about lens fall-off, or does your lens pretty much have uniform brightness at the chosen aperture?
 

scho

Well-known member
Do you have to do anything about lens fall-off, or does your lens pretty much have uniform brightness at the chosen aperture?
I have only been shooting at f/5.6 with the Canon f/2.8 100mm macro and I've not noticed any problems with light fall-off at that aperture.
 

scho

Well-known member
This is my test set-up for making hi-res "scans" of 4x5 negs and transparencies. Light source is an iPad Mini with a blank white screen. Negative/transparency holder is a magnetic Lucite block 4x6 picture frame from Crate & Barrel. Camera is 36 MP Sony A7R with Canon EF 100mm Macro lens in dumb Fotodiox NEX to E adapter (lens preset to working aperture of f/5.6). Position negative/transparency on top of one of the 1/2 inch thick lucite blocks, place second block on top to sandwich frame together with internal magnets. Set camera on tripod parallel to lucite frame in front of iPad (do not stop down too far or iPad screen pixels will show). Take 10-12 overlapping exposures for stitching. Composite the frames for final image which will be about 250 MP.

A few more sample scans of 4x5 Type 55 negs using this set-up, but only single shot 3:2 format images. First two gorge images given slight selenium toning and last two old mill house shots warm/neutral split toning in LR.







 
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scho

Well-known member
Four more type 55 neg scans. Used the Pentax 645z with A-120 f/4 Macro for these. Toned with custom icc profiles.

Old Barn



Old Mill House



Buttermilk Falls



Steamboat Landing

 
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