Digitise slides using a slide duplicator?

Hi all

 

Has anyone tried digitising slides using a slide duplicator?

How does the quality stack up to scanning them on a film scanner?

FYI, I would be using a 1Dmk2N.

 

Many thanks

 

Dave

It's a subject that been there for years!

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00GD3J&tag=

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0013q1&tag=

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=000KBz&tag=

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=003Zvk

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00597b&tag=

I have done it with my Pentax DL. Using an extension tube, and a 50mm lens stopped down to f16 (for depth of field),a tripod and a light box. I can't tell you how they compare to a scanner because even though my scanner has a dedicated slide holder, it is so cheap it would not be a good match. I can tell you one thing it sure is a lot faster. Here are some slides I copied this way:

 

http://www.photo.net/photo/4566300

 

http://www.photo.net/photo/4280163

 

http://www.photo.net/photo/4461220

I tried it a few years ago with my 10D and a T-mount duper. Results were horrid compared to

my FS4000US scanner. I think if you had a dedicated pro copy setup you could get good

results but then you might as well buy a CoolScan with auto feeder.

Just ask, if the macro lens and sensor is good enough for 3D image captures, why is it not good enough for 2D slide.

I've seen some tests that showed pretty good results with 5D and 1DsII compared to a Coolscan V. Not better, but pretty good. Lower resolution, but better depth of focus (the coolscan V is best with very flat film). 10D, probably not. IdII, likely in between I guess. Depends what your intended use is, and what kind of scanner you're comparing to. I wouldn't doubt that you could match a flatbed scanner.

I do it with a Rebel xt with slides on a color correct lightbox with a dark mask surrounding the slide, camera leveled on a tripod.

The lens is the canon 100mm macro lens. Works well for me.

I've been wondering this recently as well. I've just purchased an old jessops slide duplicator and used my Canon 5D to try and dulplicate some black and white 35mm film. I've uploaded a picture at full resolution here

 

 

Its not a bad effort but i'm dissapointed that I can't best the epson 4490 scanner that I already have. Various amounts of sharpening have been done, including too much in some no doubt. Its difficult to focus, and on some other shots i've tested the focusing isn't flat. as you can see as well the film holder seems visible which is a little strange.

 

I'd be interested in more links to other tests, don't know if this particular example is good or bad optically compared with some others.. the linked posts above are all fairly critical of these devices. I have a 1:2 macro lens at the moment which i could try but its a telephoto optic so it'd be a bit of a hassle, i plan to buy a decent macro lens at some point and may give the alternative suggestions a try sometime, i imagine the difficulty in focusing may still remain, even with the assistance of auto focus.

 

I was initially interested as i'd heard claims that digi SLR's sensors were supposed to be superior to the CCDs inside scanners, not been able to back that up as of yet. I was especially interested in possibly getting a rig to scan a patchwork of shots off my 5x4" negatives and perhaps get better results as my epson 4490 scanner cannot scan these in 1 pass.

<p>I wonder how this technique would work now with the >20 megapixel cameras out there... i.e. the Canon 5D Mark II & a slide duplicator?</p>

<p>James, what exactly did you have to buy to make the rig for a Canon 5D? I.e. which particular duplicator & what adapters to get it onto the EOS mount?<br>

<br /> Thanks,<br>

Rishi</p>

 

<p>Rishi,<br>

I seemed to hit a problem with the actual duplicator not having enough resolution for my 5D, so i don't think better camera sensors is going to help that much. My duplicator as i said in the original post was branded for a camera store here in the UK, Jessops. From the 80s or so i'd imagine. Perhaps some could be better but I really don't think its an easy solution to improving on a scanner.<br>

The only adaptor you need is a T-Mount adaptor to EOS i think.. its been over a year since i dabbled with it :)<br>

Cheers<br>

Jim</p>

 

<p>The slide duplicator here:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/464076-REG/General_Brand_SDD_Digital_Slide_Duplicator.html">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/464076-REG/General_Brand_SDD_Digital_Slide_Duplicator.html</a></p>

<p>Mounts on a 52mm thread. So onto a nice 50mm f/1.4 lens or something, perhaps this solution would work better?</p>

<p>I don't know if the slide duplicator here has any optics itself (I think it does... some sort of a macro lens)... but you're saying that the resolution of the lens itself is limiting?</p>

<p>Fair enough, that's entirely possible. But, then again, is the lens inside a Nikon film scanner any better?</p>

<p>The Rodenstock lens inside an Imacon, sure, but it's a pretty tiny lens inside the small format Nikon scanners...</p>

<p>Rishi</p>

<p>Pardon my resurrecting a stale thread, but quite a few things have changed since it was first started, and I thought I'd pass along what I've done in this regard, and what sort of success I've had.<br>

Back in the day, I had a complete rig for duplicating slides -- bellows, macro lens, slide carrier. Had worked out how far to place my flash from the slide for correct exposure. I used Kodachrome 25, prefogged to reduce contrast. Even tried some special duplicating slide film in bulk rolls you could used to buy. But most all of that has gone away now.<br /> <br /> I bought an Opteka slide copier last year, and was initially impressed with the quality of my images. Using one is about as difficult as falling off a log, and the quality was clearly better than the scans I was getting with either my Epson 4990 or my HP S-20 dedicated film scanner. But when I looked through a high-powered loupe at my slides I could still see detail that the Opteka wasn't capturing. I was having to use a zoom lens of just okay quality that I mounted the Opteka to and then the Opteka also has a built-in optical element that's necessary for the lens to focus close enough, and I figured I was losing something optically because of this arrangement.<br /> <br /> So I got creative. I removed the Opteka's glass element (it just unscrews), and threaded the copier barrel (it's 52mm fortunately) onto the front of my Nikon 55mm macro lens, then I added a short extension tube to the back of the lens so that it would achieve focus at the crop factor I needed for my APS-C sensor camera. This worked perfect. Plus, I wasn't having to readjust the slide's position every time my AF lens adjusted its focus -- the front element of the zoom lens rotates, whereas the macro's doesn't. I used my camera's Live View feature to check focus, stopped the lens down to f/8, and left it there.<br /> <br /> The results were great! And I was using "only" a 10 mp camera, which amounts to about 3800x2600 resolution, or 2600 pixels per inch --- which is much better than what even a high end Epson V750 can achieve, their vaunted claims of 6400 ppi not withstanding.<br /> <br /> So, yes, with a bit of custom cobbling, you can put together a slide copier that can provide excellent results. Here's a link to one I took recently -- Canon F-1, Canon FD 85mm f/1.2 SSC @ f/1.2, Kodak Elite Chrome 100, exposure unrecorded.<br /> <br /> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://michaelmcbroom.com/images/sabine_st_bridge/srb1.jpg"><img src="http://michaelmcbroom.com/images/sabine_st_bridge/srb1.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="599" /><br /></a></p>