What to do with all those slides...

[wayne_larmon]

<blockquote>

<p>Actually, the first link I posted shows setups which use no bellows. In fact the setup I use (I think it's the first one in the article) is very much like what you mentioned: The Nikon slide copier is a sliding affair, the tube telescopes in and out. In addition there is one extension ring, I think it's about 10 or 11 mm.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I've read the Scantips article before. The salient point is that what you say is only true for full frame (FX in Nikon jargon.) The Nikon ES-1 adapter does not adjust enough when you are using a crop (DX) camera. The Scantips article <a href="http://www.scantips.com/es-1b.html">has a 2nd page that explains that</a>. And also explains that Nikon does not currently make any adapters or extension tubes that will let an ES-1 work on a DX. </p>

<p>Now it is possible that the Scantips article is out of date and that Nikon does now make extension tubes that work with DX. I was going by what the Scantips page I linked to (previous paragraph) said. In which case, it is cool if the ES-1 works for crop (DX.) Alternatives are always good.</p>

<p>Does the ES-1 also work with negatives? The Extend-a-Slide has a carrier that <a href="http://www.photosolve.com/main/product/xtendaslide/carrier_film.html">works with 35mm negatives</a>.</p>

[PaulWhiting]

<p>Hello Wayne,</p>

<p>I just looked at my setup, mounted on a DX body, the D70. Did I mention I'm using a 55mm Micro-Nikkor lens? I found a K4 ring on the auction site for about $6. I've also added a UV filter with the glass knocked out, that gives me about another 5mm for a total of 15mm. Then I telescoped the ES-1 to about midpoint.</p>

<p>I must have overlooked the last sentence about using the 55mm.... looks like I could've used a K5 ring, which is about 20mm, and therefore no need for the UV filter ring. The author says I'd still be within the telescope range of the ES-1.</p>

<p>I may end up with your Extend-a-Slide setup, for two reasons:</p>

<p>1) I could use my Canon Pro-1 or my G9. These cameras have a higher pixel count than the D70.<br>

and 2) I could copy my b/w negs. Thanks for asking if the ES-1 does 35mm negatives! There's no way I could slip a strip of b/w negs in the ES-1.</p>

<p>I see where the Extend-a-Slide has another feature I'd like.. it has a locking screw, which keeps the telescoping from shifting. The ES-1 doesn't have that, and it's easy to knock it out of the optimum position.</p>

<p>Regards,<br>

Paul</p>

 

[John Di Leo]

<p>Thanks for the discussion and recs. Is the PK13 ext tube necessary to achieve focus using the D700 and 55/3.5 micro-nikkor? I just know I saw it somewhere a decade or so ago, but as of now it is MIA.<br>

The quality looks absolutely fine for my purposes tho.</p>

<p>What other light sources can be used other than flash. I would do this tripod mounted so a slow shutter should not be an issue, esp since everything is fixed together.</p>

[PaulWhiting]

<p>John,</p>

<p>I'm not familiar with the D700, but here's a pretty complete description on the PK13 at B&H Photo:</p>

<p>http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/37858-REG/Nikon_2653_PK_13_27_5mm_AI.html</p>

<p>There's a link on scantips.com to a list that might help you:</p>

<p>http://www.jeffree.co.uk/pages/macro-lens-calcs.html</p>

<p>As for light, I found a cheap and easy solution... it's a 24 LED flashlight and the LED's are 6 across and 4 vertically, which is the exact aspect ratio of a slide. I got it at Harbor Freight for about $6. It rests on its side and is just about the right height. Of course it'll need batteries eventually but I suspect it will last quite a while.</p>

<p>Hope this helps,</p>

<p>Paul</p>

[John Di Leo]

<p>Paul, et al.,<br>

Thanks again. I am in a storage mood, and currently transferring old old video to digital, so my next endeavor will be the slides.<br>

Re lighting, when searching for the pk13, I found an old single X Ray box. It's the size of an X Ray, 18x24" or thereabouts and very even lighting. It's fluorescent, but I can play with that and likely the auto white balance can correct, or some other simple setting either in the camera or post.I found the pk13! <br>

It has an F mount on both sides though, male on one side, female on the other. So, it appears an F to screw mount adapter will be necessary to mount to the 55?</p>

[PaulWhiting]

<p>John,</p>

<p>I'm not really sure you need a PK13. The ES-1 is threaded at one end, 52mm diameter, and male. This of course is the standard Nikon filter thread... so the ES-1 is compatible with Nikon filters, lenshoods, extension rings and so on. You do need the M2 extension ring that came with the lens, and that's got a bayonet mount at each end. In addition to all this, since the DX cameras don't have a fullsize sensor, you have to add some extra extension, in my case a K4 ring and an old UV filter with the glass knocked out. These two rings add 15mm of extension. My guess is that your D700 has a DX size sensor and would need the same extensions as my D70 - others may jump in and correct me here.</p>

<p>See my photo... going from the camera, left to right:</p>

<p>M2 extension that came with the lens<br>

the 55mm Nikkor lens<br>

UV filter with no glass<br>

K4 extension ring<br>

and ending up with the ES-1</p>

<p>As for your light source, that sounds fine... for color balance I would set the white balance manually. I'm sure your D700 has that feature.</p>

<p>Regards,</p>

<p>Paul</p><div></div>

[PaulWhiting]

<p>John,</p>

<p>I hope I didn't mislead you about the PK-13, I see you've already found one on the auction site. I'm sorry!</p>

<p>Paul</p>

[John Di Leo]

<p>Actually I found it in a box of old stuff. More specifically, MY WIFE found it. 8)<br>

The D700 is FX</p>

[PaulWhiting]

<p>John,</p>

<p>Well, that's good... I was beginning to feel a bit guilty. When you said you were searching, I thought you meant you were searching the auction site.</p>

<p>So the D700 is FX... I should've known that. Well then, hey, you're golden. Just attach your Micro-Nikkor 55mm, using the M2 ring, to your D700, and the ES-1 to the front of your lens - that's all you need, no extra extension rings needed - if I understand the scantips page correctly.</p>

<p>You're lucky!</p>

<p>Paul</p>

[John Di Leo]

<p>Thanks, Paul. My Ai version did not come with the M2 tube. It either came with the PK13 (27.5mm), or I bought it at the time.<br>

Good ole Nikon... a lens bought in the late 70s still getting good use 30+ years later.</p>

[PaulWhiting]

<p>John,</p>

<p>Just did a search for M2 rings on the auction site, got over a dozen hits... the first one was a Buy It Now for about $16! I just measured mine, it appears to be a tad shorter, say 26mm. But with the M2 you lose AI, and I think the PK13 preserves that feature. Check that B&H link again... at any rate, sounds like you don't need the M2. Looks like all you need is the ES-1.</p>

<p>My main complaint about the ES-1 is that I can't do 35mm negatives, ie they're not in a slide mount. See Wayne's suggestion earlier, on the Extend-a-Slide - it can do 35mm negs and I've got lots of 35mm b/w negs in strips of six.</p>

<p>However what I like about the ES-1 is that we can use our 55mm Nikkor lenses, and they are hard to beat for sharpness. Yes, most of my Nikkor lenses are from the film era. Heck, I've still got a Nikon F! Hate to sell off those lenses, maybe they'll increase in value as more and more FX's hit the market.</p>

<p>Paul</p>

[wayne_larmon]

<blockquote>

<p>However what I like about the ES-1 is that we can use our 55mm Nikkor lenses...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Could you explain what this means? For people that don't use Nikon equipment.</p>

<p>For context for my question, I'm a big believer of camera scanning. I have had good luck with my PhotoSolve Extend-a-Slide, and have been happy working with the owner of PhotoSolve. He has worked with me to make several custom negative carriers. But other than that I have no financial ties to PhotoSolve. </p>

<p>If you are referring to my caveats about only recommending using the Extend-a-Slide on internal focus lenses, this also applies to the ES-1. You shouldn't use any kind of slide/negative mounting system that mounts onto the front of the lens (with no additional support, such as a bellows/rail system) on any lens that isn't internal focus.</p>

<p>This is covered on Peter Krogh's <a href="http://www.dpbestflow.org/camera/camera-scanning">Camera Scanning</a> website. The explicit warning about damage to non-internal focus lenses is in one of the videos. (He has a less explicit warning in the text.) This site is somewhat informative, but he mostly discusses things that haven't been made in decades ("bench", bellows and rail mounting systems.) AFAIK the only slide and negative mounting system that is still being made is the Extend-a-Slide. The ES-1 for slides only and the ES-1 requires (maybe) needing to chase down various adapters from all over the internet.</p>

<p>I even get decent results with 110 megatives (with a custom PhotoSolve 110 negative carrier.) My 60D is a crop camera. My 60mm macro lens goes to 1:1. 1:1 on a crop camera means the lens can focus down to a subject that is the size of the sensor, which is only a little bit larger than the size of a frame of 110 film.</p>

[PaulWhiting]

<p>Hello Wayne,</p>

<p>Well, the 55mm Micro-Nikkor is a macro lens, which is also used by some as an all around lens because it is so sharp.. and it focuses all the way out to infinity. Without the M-2 ring, which came with my lens, it will focus down to 1:2 and with the M-2 it goes all the way to 1:1. With an FX body, you can mount this lens and M-2 ring directly to the F-mount. With a DX lens, all you need is a K4 ring which I found in less than 5 minutes on the auction site... it was a Buy it Now for about $10, so it was real easy. I did add a glassless UV filter ring to give me a bit more coverage of the slide.</p>

<p>I'm sorry but tell me what internal focus us. When I focus my 55mm lens the focusing barrel moves in and out, visibly, so I suppose I have external focus. I haven't seen any damage so far. That's an excellent website, thanks for the link. I used to have a Nikon bellows system but sold it... maybe I should've kept it!</p>

<p>As for putting undue strain on the lens and body, yes, my setup is rather heavy. But I have it simply sitting on a table with a rear lens cap propping up the front end. Very steady and no strain on the system.</p>

<p>As for b/w negatives, it appears your system has a carrier for strips of negatives, that's clearly a strong feature. However, this morning I realized I have a film strip holder, two actually, one that came with my LS-2000 scanner and one is an accessory with a slide copier attachment on my ancient Coolpix 990. I tried them out and both work quite well, so now I can do b/w negatives.</p>

<p>Anyway, you have a setup which works well for you and that's what counts!</p>

<p>Regards,<br /> Paul</p>

[wayne_larmon]

<blockquote>

<p>I'm sorry but tell me what internal focus us. When I focus my 55mm lens the focusing barrel moves in and out, visibly, so I suppose I have external focus.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Well, not internal focus. I don't know if "external focus" means anything. From Wikipedia</p>

<p><em>An internal focus lens (sometimes known as IF) is a photographic lens design in which focus is shifted by moving the inner lens group or groups only, without any rotation or shifting of the front lens element. This makes it easy to use, for example, a screwed-in polarizing filter or a petal shaped lens hood. During macro photography, using an internal focus lens reduces the risk of the front of the lens accidentally hitting the subject during focusing as the front element does not move.[1]</em><br /><br /><em>The physical size of an internal focusing lens does not change during focus, nor does the front of the lens rotate.</em><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_focus_lens">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_focus_lens</a></p>

<p>The exterior of my Canon 60mm macro lens is a solid tube, as described above. The front does not move at all when it is being focused. My Canon 70-200 f/4 L IS is the same. </p>

<p>The front element, of course, does not rotate. But the front element not rotating, by itself, does not define internal focus. There are lots of lenses whose front elements do not rotate that aren't internal focus. Some people <a href="/nikon-camera-forum/006Nad">get confused</a> about this. I don't know if this is a Nikon thing because (apparently) Nikon doesn't have many internal focus lenses...? Maybe? I don't know--my only experience is with Canon. The thread I linked to in this paragraph is whack, because it sounds like none of the participants knows what internal focus means. </p>

<p>The Wikipedia article doesn't help when it drags in polarizers and petal hoods, because it can lead people to the false conclusion of believing that, if the front element doesn't rotate then the lens is internal focus and that they can hang as much weight as they want on the front element.</p>

<p>The main point, as far as this discussion is concerned, is that any weight that the front element of a non-internal focus lens bears is bearing on the internal gears, which can be bad. Your strategy of using a lens cap to support the front is probably wise. But doing this might not occur to people that mount their camera on a tripod.</p>

[Dave410]

<p>Just found this link about scanning services:</p>

<p><a href="http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0712/gallery.digitize_memories.moneymag/index.html">http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0712/gallery.digitize_memories.moneymag/index.html</a></p>

[ric_helm]

<p>Ok, I just looked at Dave's photo of Lake Tahoe?<br>

Was that a scan? wonderful! My question always comes back to how about the 20x30 print I want to display. I've seen other photographers scan and display scanned images...I have not been impressed.<br>

Can we match the quality of a good Ciba..er, or close without selling our home?<br>

I have 6x7 and 4x5's and only see flat bed scanners to handle these formats (all transparencies).<br>

What should I be using?</p>

[angkordave]

<p>I have used an Epson V700 its OK for 35mm if all you want to do is use for web and screen HD 1900x 1080 approx.<br>

It does come with medium format carriers and is a lot more suitable for larger formats. it has a secondary scanning unit for film as well as being a decent A4 document scanner.<br>

it does 12x 35mm slides at a time which speeds thing up a bit. ICE makes it very slow; so if you just have a few spots its better to remove them. ICE does not work with Kodachromes which was a shame as a lot of my Kodachromes had mould spots which were very difficult to remove.<br>

I believe the V700 is still on the market; so you might want to consider that.</p>

<p> </p>

[roger___4]

<p>I haven't read the previous comments, so maybe my advice has been given already. I have an Epson V700 and it has done a terrific job at scanning about 6000 slides. I really love it. You can scan 12 slides in one go. In the morning before leaving for work, I prepared one batch, at night another. Because I have the scanner in the room next to my bedroom, I can hear it work at night (when it's really silent), and because of that I didn't do another batch at night. It's not that noisy, just a normal scanner sound, but that was too much for me. If you can do this in the basement or elsewhere, that won't be a problem. I have an old (10 years) P4 computer with Vuescan, only used for this. It's slow, but it does the job at all resolutions.</p>

<p>So you can do 24 to 36 slides a day with this, in 2 or 3 batches. Each scan takes 15 minutes, with a DNG + JPEG. I believe the Nikon does 4 slides in one batch, and that means a lot more work. You have to get this in your daily routine, otherwise it won't work. I did this for about 18 months, and that did the job for me. Before I started I thought this would be too much, but it wasn't. You just have to want to do this.</p>

<p>I scanned at 6400dpi, saved as DNG in Vuescan. The resulting DNG is supposed to be identical as what comes out of the scanner. The files are huge, but have the advantage that you can do the rescan later with a high speed. When scanning I create a jpeg as well, half size, high quality. Most of the time this is good enough for slides. I make sure that Vuescan uses a border around the slide, so you never miss anything.</p>

<p>Btw, ICE doesn't work for me in this setup, but maybe I'm doing something wrong. When I see how good it works with the Nikon 9000, that is really impressive! </p>