That is my first article for 35mmc, so hello to everybody on this neighborhood. Not too long ago I received myself a shiny new Leica M-A movie digital camera (extra on this in one other article). After which I discovered an issue, I have to digitise my movie photographs to have the ability to share them on-line and perhaps simply perhaps print them as I at the moment don’t have any darkroom both. I might love to enter a darkroom and print once more – I’ve an exquisite Durst Laborator 1200 enlarger doing nothing as I’ve no darkroom to make use of it in. Earlier than I get to that situation, I have to digitise my photographs and, as I say, that’s when the issue started.
I began taking a look at scanning, there’s a lot of data on the topic on YouTube and numerous web sites. One I discovered that has what seems like authoritative critiques of movie scanners on it’s https://www.filmscanner.data.
Digital camera scanning
Then I began to consider are there different methods of constructing digital recordsdata from negatives and I remembered that when upon a time there was a tool known as a Bowens Illumitran which seem like this:
It’s basically a slide copier with a light-weight supply beneath and a digital camera stand that holds the movie airplane accurately in relation to the movie holder to make photographs and these the place used to make duplicate (transparencies or negatives) within the days of analog pictures previous to the digital revolution. A great choice I assumed, as you possibly can all the time enhance the arrange as you improve the digital camera. So thought I might simply use my Nikon D850 and get a lens to take a seat beneath the bellows and all can be good. Nonetheless discovering one in good situation and at a accountable worth is extra difficult. They’re out there however I might need to ideally attempt earlier than shopping for with one in all these.
Subsequent, I began to consider my Nikon D850 and that it is just 45megapixels – I imply do I really want extra…? Nonetheless as I’ve a Leica M11 and that’s 61Mega pixels, considering that may be higher, I began to have a look at the way to connect the Leica to the Bowens Illumitran, I do know adaptors would do the trick, nonetheless whereas on the lookout for one, I discovered one other system from the 1950/70’s known as a Leica Beoon.
Leica Beoon
This seems nice I might use my Leica M11 and a typical 50mm lens as an entire set has extension tubes to allow it to focus at 1;1 which is essential to repeat the photographs onto the digital camera and if I did discover a full package I might even mount a enlarger lens on it which might in all probability make the arrange even sharper. As talked about, I’ve an enlarger with a 50mm enlarger lens and a very good one as properly, so maybe that may be perfect I assumed. Besides then I began to seek for one and hit a highway block, you possibly can’t discover them for lower than £450 second hand and on high of that I nonetheless have to work out a light-weight supply to place beneath the Leica Beoon when I’m utilizing it. Ideally one that’s flat sufficient that the entire arrange doesn’t wobble round when utilizing it, in any other case I might get digital camera shake. So, I then discovered myself on numerous digital camera boards and Fb teams listening and asking questions on what folks considered the strengths and weaknesses of scanning movie versus the usage of a digital digital camera as a part of a “digital camera scanning” – as it’s typically referred to – arrange.
Movie Scanning
As I used to make use of a Imacon Scanner to make scans of my trend photographs (once I was a a lot youthful one that used to work doing trend editorials and mannequin checks. I assumed, I might look to see if I might discover a movie scanner.
Consequently, I’m again taking a look at movie scanners and I discover that Imacon at the moment are Hasselblad and are now not made (they stopped in 2019) and so they had been costly once I was utilizing them. I hoped to discover a low-cost Hasselblad Photograph scanner. Now, after spending about 6 weeks on eBay, I do know that low-cost and Hasselblad Photograph scanners don’t even come near belonging in the identical sentence, not to mention the identical universe.
I then begin trying on the evaluate website once more and factor perhaps I might get myself a Nikon 5000ED scanner so again to eBay and that actually shocked me as they’re averaging £950 for a scanner that was in all probability made again in 2004/5 or earlier than. And whereas I might use software program from Vuescan or Silverfast, I might nonetheless be fascinated about the way to join it to my good newish M1 Macbook Professional laptop. Oh and a facet word, I received an actual shock how costly Silverfast scanning software program is as of late, again within the day it used to come back bundled with flatbed scanners now it pushes up the value of a brand new scanner considerably. As soon as upon a time I may need thought-about pirating scanning software program, perhaps not now.
So nonetheless additional down the rabbit gap I’m going. I begin taking a look at Plustek scanners and uncover that they actually haven’t modified a lot since 2004, now that’s a very long time in the past within the tech world, so I’m detest to purchase one. Come on guys do a little bit of analysis and spend a bit of cash and get autofocus and a very good lens in these darned issues and you’ll promote much more of them. Particularly with the brand new era of individuals desirous to digitise their movie photographs.
Subsequent, I have a look at an organization known as Reflecta and realise that they’ve been rebranding their scanners from one other firm from Taiwan known as Pacific Picture Gear, who make a scanner known as PrimeFilm XAs Scanner which in Europe is rebadged because the Reflecta RPS10M and this will get okay critiques when utilizing the Silverfast software program, which is regarding as I need to use Vuescan. PIE (Pacific Picture Gear) has upgraded this scanner and it’s now known as the Pacific Picture PrimeFilm XA Plus, So I determine to consider this one.
What to do?
Subsequent up I do a detour onto YouTube, falling additional down the rabbit complete trying once more at Digital camera scanning and discover a video by Kyle McDougall known as “FilmScanning with a Digital Digital camera – How good is it?” the place he compares his outcomes of utilizing a Valoi scanning package and his previous Nikon Coolscan 9000 and that was fairly spectacular as he has offered his Nikon Coolscan and is utilizing the Digital camera scanning choice. I had beforehand determined {that a} Nikon Coolscan 9000 is simply too costly so I had already determined in opposition to this selection though it’s a nice scanner and might do each 35mm and 120 movie scans. I do have numerous 6×7 negs in my archive, so I might be capable to use this function in a scanner. I simply don’t need to purchase a 20 yr previous scanner with its connection issues.
So off to Speedgraphic and have a look at the Valoi choices solely to understand that the package is £299 and the copy stand he’s utilizing is one other £200 on high of that I nonetheless want a macro lens which is one other £120 for the Nikon 60mm f2.8 AF-D Macro lens for my Nikon D850, which I might reasonably not use, as if I’m going to do digital camera scanning I might reasonably set myself up if to make use of my Leica M11. So, I begin considering is there one other choice to get to 1:1 replica apart from the already point out Lecia Beoon. I begin considering that I noticed a 90mm Macro lens on Purple Dot Cameras clearance part for a reasonably good worth solely to search out that the 90mm Macro doesn’t do 1:1 and is delicate within the corners in accordance to some critiques I learn. So one other useless finish.
In spite of everything this I ring up Purple Dot Cameras to ask in the event that they know of a choice to get to 1:1 utilizing Leica lens apart from the Lecia Beoon solely to search out myself speaking to somebody who makes use of a Beoon to scan their negatives and who has a Plustek 8200iSE scanner he describes points that he’s nervous about scratching his negatives when he makes use of the steel plates that include the Beoon and never being so sharp as he as a substitute utilizing carboard mounts that he has made for himself, this doesn’t strike me as trying good, subsequent he says if he desires good scans he makes use of the Plustek and if he simply wants tough and prepared small scans for the online he makes use of his Leica Beoon arrange. That then solutions my query, as I had already determined that if I used to be going to get a scanner I might get the Pacific Picture PrimeFilm XA Plus.
I stay in London and because the scanner I made a decision to get shouldn’t be out there right here within the UK, I ordered it from B&H in New York on Tuesday morning and it arrived to me in London by Lunchtime on Thursday, now that’s actually spectacular. The one bitter word was that they’d a Sale on, so I jumped onto their chat line and requested when the sale was ending as I needed a number of days to consider it earlier than lastly getting a scanner from the USA. As I used to be instructed the sale completed the following day. I then ordered it the following day whereas the sale continues to be on, solely to search out that whereas it was being shipped to me, B&H diminished the value by one other $50, how annoying is that?! I emailed them whereas their large Bild convention on and I knew they might be supper busy, but their customer support sends me an electronic mail after I had raised the purpose about the way it had modified mentioning how I had requested on chat, they’re refunding me the $50. Credit score the place it’s due, I’ve to commend B&H not just for their quick supply, but in addition nice customer support.
Scanner arrived.
In spite of everything this deliberation, it’s Thursday night and I’m sitting right here with a pleasant shinny new scanner that’s tiny. I didn’t suppose it will be so small. I adopted the instruction and downloaded the software program put in the motive force then introduced Vuescan and put in that solely to search out that my new Vuescan software program shouldn’t be recognising the scanner, I then learn the main points on the Vuescan web site and it says I have to have the scanner driver put in, which I had already finished and it was nonetheless not recognising the scanner. Subsequent, I attempt scanning with what seems to be reasonably garbage software program CyberView which is provided with the scanner and I can’t scan with Vuescan. Their web site says they assist the scanner, so my frustration with digitising my negatives continues.
Then for some inexplicable cause the scanner will get recognised by Vuescan and I’m off. All of it now works, however for some cause there appears to be a bit routine that I appear to wish to observe for it to work. I’ve to have the scanner turned off, disconnect the cable from the pc, then reconnect the cable, begin the scanner, then launch Vuescan and it’ll recognise the scanner and work. Now, I would get a very good scan out of my reasonably scrappy negatives. It looks like I’m reasonably rusty on processing of movie and my negatives don’t have the vary of tones that they need to have, so I’ll, it seems like, be heading down one other rabbit gap on my movie processing. Extra on that one other time…
Michael W Plant is a Portrait and Social documentary photographer, he additionally makes use of avenue pictures to visualise the social panorama. You’ll be able to see his work at: www.michaelwayneplant.com
Picture Credit:
Kamerastore.com kindly gave me permission to make use of their Lecia Beoon picture and are additionally providing to offer readers a 5% low cost on a purchase order of a Leica Beoon, utilizing the code 5MMCBEOON, that is legitimate until the thirty first October 2023.
studiomanchester.com kindly gave me permission to make use of their picture of a Hasselblad Scanner, they provide scanner rent at very affordable charges.
Chiswick Auctions kindly gave permission to make use of the picture of the Bowens Illumitran. After seeing the value they offered this one for I will likely be taking a look at public sale websites extra typically, to see if I can decide one up for the same worth.
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