how to digitize 35mm negatives

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FS6/DIME/GPVEVZEM/FS6DIMEGPVEVZEM.LARGE.jpg)

About This Instructable

License:54,902 views

219 favorites

(/member/tholopotami/)

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/)

Follow

I am a physicist working in research,Making things and sharing the experiencewith others, helps me in many ways.

56

Bio:

(/id/12-improvements-for-a-cheap-telescope)

(/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press)

(/id/How-to-repair-a-zoom-telephoto-lens-and-mount-it-o)

More by tholopotami

digitize negatives (/tag/type-id/category-technology

/keyword-digitize negatives/)

DSLR (/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-dslr/)

meccano (/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-

meccano/)

Tags:

How to digitize 35mm negatives by tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/)

+ Collection I Made it!

Download (/id/How-to-digitize-35mm-negatives/?download=pdf) 15 Steps

Favorite

(/id/How-to-digitize-35mm-negatives/)(/)

let's make

share what you make >

(/about/submit.jsp)(/)

Explore (/tag/type-id/) Create (/about/submit.jsp) Contests (/contest/) Community (/community/)Login ( )

How to digitize 35mm negatives http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-digitize-35mm-negatives/?ALL...

1 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

One of the best ways to preserve old photos is to copy the negatives with adigital camera and then use image processing software to "develop" the photo.

I built a setup for digitiziation with a DSLR to process my old negatives someof which have a sentimental value.

Since I do not have a macro lens, I combined an SLR lens with a couple ofcheap adaptors. The rest was improvised from pieces of wood, cardboard , PVC and even meccano parts.

Step 1: About film negatives

Related

See More (/tag/type-id/?q=)(http://cdn.instructables.com/FOI/DV42/GPVF27WZ/FOIDV42GPVF27WZ.LARGE.jpg)

RAW Files and Editing - APhotography Tutorial(/id/RAW-Files-and-Editing-A-Photography-Tutorial/)

How to Do Arduino-Controlled IntelligentTime-Lapse Photography(/id/How-to-Do-Arduino-

helmet-mount for amicro-DV camera(/id/helmet-mount-for-a-micro-DV-camera/)

$0 flash diffuser for aDSLR (/id/0-flash-diffuser-for-a-DSLR/)by biozz (/member/biozz/)

Light Painting PhotographyFor Beginners (/id/Light-Painting-Photography-For-Beginners/)




Favorite

(/id/How-to-digitize-35mm-negatives/)


2 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

Image formationFilm photography is based on the sensitivity of silver halides (AgBr, AgIetc) to light. The upper layer of the film is a coating of gelatin containingcrystal grains of silver halides.

When the film is exposed to light, some Ag+ ions are excited to higherenergy states and a few combine with electrons to form Ag which will act asnucleation centres in the development stage. At this point the latent imageis formed .

When the film is developed with chemicals, an oxidation - reduction reactiontakes place. The silver ions in the exposed regions are reduced to neutralsilver atoms which coagulate to form metal grains. This is a negative imagesince the film becomes non transparent in the exposed regions.

Colour photography is based on a variation of this process with the additionof organic coloured dyes coupled to the silver halides. The film coating hasthree layers for the three basic colours (see photo).

Deterioration of negativesBlack and white negative images consist of silver grains which are stableover time. The supporting gelatin is sensitive to humidity and temperaturebut if stored properly B/W film can last for hundreds of years.

On the other hand the colour negatives are more sensitive to environmentalfactors because of the organic dyes they contain. The cyan dyes fade awayfaster and the negative becomes reddish. Exposure to light causes themagenta dyes to fade also, due to ultraviolet light.

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FSL/WWUT/GGBZI7K2/FSLWWUTGGBZI7K2.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



3 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

Step 2: How much detail is recorded on your negative?

The resolution of the image recorded on the negative depends both on thequality of the film and the camera used. Suppose you have been usingseveral cameras of different qualities as I did. We need an estimation ofhow much detail has been recorded in each case.

The figure of merit here is the resolving power of the camera lens whichdepends upon the size of the lens and the wavelength of the light source.The resolving power R of a lens of diameter D is given by the followingsimplified formula which is based on wave optics:

R (measured in arcsec)=120/D (measured in mm)

A specific exampleA 58/2 lens has a focal distance of 58mm and a diameter of 58/2=29mm. The resolving power is R=120/29=4arcsec. The viewing angle through thecamera is about 30 degrees which covers the 36mm length of the negative.The minimum size of a dot (or line width) that can be recorded onthe negative is 36mm x 4 arcsec / (30 x 60 x 60 arcsec) =1.3micrometers.

Such a camera fully exploits the potential of a good quality film with arecording capability of about 350 line/spaces per mm.

If you repeat this calculation in the case of a low end cheap camera theminimum feature size may become 10 times larger. Such a camera cannottake full advantage of even a mediocre negative.

Step 3: How much resolution do you really need ?

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FML/OGPY/GGPF45SW/FMLOGPYGGPF45SW.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



4 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

Since the resolving capability of even a normal film usually exceeds yourcommercial digital camera or scanner the direct answer is :

As much as you can get.

Here is a brief justification of the above statement:Standard consumer films are capable of recording dense line/spacepatterns in the range of 50- 150 lines/ mm ( for example see the datasheet of Agfapan 100). Let us workout the lower value.

A pattern of 50 lines/mm corresponds to 100 pxls / mm . If you intend to use a scanner to copy them , you need at least 100 dots *25.2 / inch=2520 dpi.

If you intend to use a digital camera , the 36mm x 24mm negative formatrequires 36*24*100 *100pxls=8.64Mpxls. A 10Mp camera is sufficient.

If you repeat the calculations for the upper 150/mm limit the correspondingnumbers are 3x2520=7560 dpi and 3x3x8.64=77.8Mpxls !

This simply demonstrates the potential of the film as a recording medium. Itis not a surprise that films are still used for specific applications such asaerophotography.

Step 4: Design of a DSLR setup

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FKV/QQ0E/GGBZOZMN/FKVQQ0EGGBZOZMN.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



5 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

Now, after this lengthy introduction - which I hope was useful to some people -it's time to get practical.

These are the parts of the setup:

1. Your DSLR.2. A macro lens capable to frame exactly the 36x24mm negative. This can besubstituted with a common SLR lens and adaptor rings .3. A film holder that you can make yourself.4. An opaque plastic screen5, A light source. I have used two different slide projectors for this as wellnatural light by aiming on a white wall outside the house. Everything worksincluding a tungsten filament lamp .

Since I needed to have good control of the distance between the film holder andthe lens in order to fit the frame exactly, I made a useful x-stage out ofmeccano parts . You can substitute this with something simpler, but the stageproved to be useful..

Step 5: I suppose you don't have a macro...

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FWG/WJW5/GPVEVKZN/FWGWJW5GPVEVKZN.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



6 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

If you do have one, lucky you, go on and use it. I used a 2/58 SLR lens.

To mount this on the camera I used an adaptor for M42 (42mm metricthreading) for my specific camera and and two M42 extension rings.

I already had these for other applications. I use them to mount other lenses onthe camera as well as to mount the camera on telescopes.

The M42 extension rings come in sets of three sizes and I saw them on e-bayfor less than 10$.I have a pair of such sets that I got from a flee market a long time ago. Never

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FOA/J5T6/GPVEVKYK/FOAJ5T6GPVEVKYK.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FLV/O73W/GPVEND84/FLVO73WGPVEND84.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



7 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

regretted that buy.

Please do not use any other method to mount a lens on your camera (PVC ,cardboard ).Remember that damaging the interior will cost you much more than a setof adaptors.

Step 6: The optical bench

I used a 30cm board for the basis of the whole construction and I mounted thecamera on a higher platform.This setup is easy to work with and can be useful for other similar projects

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F79/CJQR/GPVF27UZ/F79CJQRGPVF27UZ.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F2P/L3UV/GPVEND87/F2PL3UVGPVEND87.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



8 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

involving the camera.

Step 7: The meccano x-stage

The purpose of the x-stage is to control exactly the distance between the lensand the negative in order to cover the whole camera sensor width with theimage.

No pixels should be wasted!

Of course you can do this by a sliding stage made out of wood, plastic or anyother material.

However I needed an excuse to use the meccano of my childhood.

The platform slides between two vertical guides and it is controlled by a 4M

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FPE/4XM3/GPLJ1XO4/FPE4XM3GPLJ1XO4.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F8Q/QX1O/GPBD5AHR/F8QQX1OGPBD5AHR.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FO4/S8AW/GPLJ1XOD/FO4S8AWGPLJ1XOD.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FQR/TFSG/GP7IGSM9/FQRTFSGGP7IGSM9.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FU7/Y5PJ/GPLJ1XP7/FU7Y5PJGPLJ1XP7.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FEY/QJ2L/GPBDI0JA/FEYQJ2LGPBDI0JA.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



9 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

screw of 6cm length.

Step 8: The film holder

After fooling around with many designs involving springs, plastic, metal etc, , Iselected the simplest solution: cardboard .

The film holder is made out of cardboard and it is supported by a thin plywoodpiece.

A plastic slide part from a slide is the ideal window which must be aligned tothe camera lens .

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F8V/MYPS/GPVEND8F/F8VMYPSGPVEND8F.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FOV/OYQO/GPVF27VR/FOVOYQOGPVF27VR.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FYQ/DC66/GPVEND8C/FYQDC66GPVEND8C.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FO9/6KIK/GPVEND8B/FO96KIKGPVEND8B.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FFQ/417V/GPVEVKYN/FFQ417VGPVEVKYN.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



10 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

Step 9: The finished setup

A cardboard tube completes the setup.

Everything can be disassembled and stored in a box, when not used.

Step 10: Try different light sources

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FYG/WITJ/GPVEVKYP/FYGWITJGPVEVKYP.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FIH/5A7E/GPVENNW2/FIH5A7EGPVENNW2.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FZY/APRO/GP7IHQRE/FZYAPROGP7IHQRE.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FOI/DV42/GPVF27WZ/FOIDV42GPVF27WZ.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



11 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

There are two basic methods for illumination

1. Natural sunlight.

You may work outside , set the camera for sun illumination and aim the devicetowards a white wall.

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FPJ/LPK5/GPVEND8W/FPJLPK5GPVEND8W.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FVT/BUKJ/GPVEVKYZ/FVTBUKJGPVEVKYZ.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



12 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

It works very well for colour negatives.

2. A lamp source

Use a filament lamp combined with an opaque screen, Set the camera for lampillumination.I use two different slide projectors I have.

Step 11: Now shoot!

A few tips for the camera:

1. Exposure time selection.

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FAS/1BJ3/GPVF282A/FAS1BJ3GPVF282A.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FOM/XMC0/GPVEVL0V/FOMXMC0GPVEVL0V.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



13 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

I prefer to overexpose by a couple of stops. The range of exposure times is from1/100s to 1/250s

2. Focusing

A DSLR has the very useful feature of magnifying the image x10 times andfocusing on a detail.

When doing this I prefer to focus on a regular pattern if there is such on thephoto. Otherwise select a region with an edge with a clear separation line fromlight to dark.

Step 12: In the digital darkroom: Black and White

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F79/C7T6/GP7IHB76/F79C7T6GP7IHB76.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



14 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

Black and white is magic.We have a 3D coloured perception of the world. B/W reduces what we see intopure form and tonal quality .In photography as well as in painting it is important to balance these elements.This is what you have to do in the digital darkroom.

Camera settingsThe negative was photographed using a slide projector as a light source(200W lamp) at 1/250 sec exposure speed.The projector was 60cm away from the opaque screen.The camera lens was set at F/8 for less distortion and more depth of focus.

Select a clear pattern for fine focusing.In this case I selected the chair pattern which was focused by setting thecamera in "live view" and used the feature of magnification x10 times on adetail for focusing. This is a very useful feature of most DSLRs.

Digital develpomentI used Photoshop 6.0 . The terminology is similar for any other software.

1. The initial shot needs cropping , rotating and colour inverting .2. Then the colour scheme is turned to grayscale This results in a faint imagewhich needs further balancing of tones.3. The challenge here is to preserve the details as well as the gray scale (e.g. in the model's hair) when you try to increase the darks. I strongly prefer toadjust the tone levels instead of using the common brightness/contrast tool.4. If it is necessary to smooth the tones add some limited blurring (GaussianBlurr with a range smaller than 3 pixels).4. Finally you may have to frame the theme by cropping the picture.

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FTL/HGEQ/GPLJ2KEL/FTLHGEQGPLJ2KEL.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F5O/M69L/GPBDIH0P/F5OM69LGPBDIH0P.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FR3/7CKX/GP7IHB6X/FR37CKXGP7IHB6X.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



15 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

About this photo:I took this shot with a humble SMENA camera back in 1979 using a FP4 IlfordB/W negative which I developed myself. I like the gradation of tones and therelation of the three people involved here: the photographer/viewer, the painterand the model. One of my favourite photos over the years.

Step 13: Colour negatives

This specific negative is 15 years old. The colours have been preserved.

Camera settings

Essentially the procedure is the same as for B/W.The negative was photographed using a slide projector at a speed of 1/200sec. The camera was set for tungsten illumination.

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F0J/37LA/GPBDIFRF/F0J37LAGPBDIFRF.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FVM/ZRQN/GPBDIFRA/FVMZRQNGPBDIFRA.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F5Z/60W5/GP7IHAOE/F5Z60W5GP7IHAOE.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



16 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

Development

1. The initial shot needed cropping and rotating .2. Then the colour scheme was inverted.3. The challenge here is to balance the colours and tones. I prefer to work byadjusting the tone levels for each colour separately and then make overalladjustments of the whole colour scheme. I avoid using the brightness/contrast tool.4. The next step is to control the colour hue/saturation in order to obtain anatural colour scheme. As a rule, the blue colour will need desaturation.

Step 14: Old colour negatives can be tough

As discussed in step 1, when the colour negative gets older, the blue dyes

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FS5/6CNX/GPBDIFQY/FS56CNXGPBDIFQY.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FHG/F37S/GPVEVCLZ/FHGF37SGPVEVCLZ.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FGV/3NVT/GPBDI0MH/FGV3NVTGPBDI0MH.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



17 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

tend to fade away. Therefore the negative becomes reddish and when thecolours are inverted, blue and green tones dominate.

It may prove difficult to restore colour balance. In such cases I work with eachcolour separately adjusting the range of tones, hue and saturation. I repeat thisprocedure 1-2 more times.

The photo shown here is from a 30 year old negative. The best I could do afterplaying around with colours and levels was to trust the "variations " option ofPhotoshop 6.0. This resulted in a much better balance than that I could obtainmanually. Still it does not look natural. Compare the two photos.

Step 15: Conclusions

1. The setup was worth making, it proved to be stable , versatile andeffective . Lighting and focusing are controlled very well.

2. There was no problem with B/W processing, I processed 34 years oldnegatives. The contrast was excellent.

3. If a coloured negative is less than 20 years old probably there should be noproblem. However treating colours one by one is not trivial.

4. Older negatives may appear as "overpainted " when processed. Probablyone could overcome this by treating colours and contrasts in different layers. If itfails you can always turn to B/W.

5. You cannot save everything. You may have to let go overexposed, underexposed or unfocused negatives.

6. This method is faster than a scanner and it offers much more control of

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F03/ELD9/GP7IHBGX/F03ELD9GP7IHBGX.LARGE.jpg)




Favorite



18 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

Make Comment

(/member/Allsop/)

8 months ago Reply (CGA4EE0HINOCEF9)


8 months ago Reply (C8AE2Z7HINOCENJ)

the illumination used and the contrast. It offers the additional possibility to usesunlight (by pointing to a wall outside). Overall, judging from the results obtained so far (more than 200 photos) Iintend to continue using it for the rest of my negatives, as well as for those supplied by friends!

Allsop (/member/Allsop/)

I have been looking for something like this for ages, so thanks. Now, I am not atall "handy" so many of these instructables are beyind meI have managed tomake a stand for my iPad out f an eggbox! That is about my level :-) So a coupleof questions bearing in mind I will initially be scanning slides and then go on tonegatives if I can manage the slides. Firstly what is the purpose of the tube thatgoes from the camera to the holder? Secondly I have a macro lens and lightsource, (my iPad with a torch app) so presumaby I could use my tripod to supportthe camera and just make a holder for the slides. I know this sounds daft but isthat right, (I said I was not at all handy)? Cheers, Andrewt

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) Allsop

Dear Allsop, I think that the use ofyour iPad a a light source mightwork.. You may cut a simple maskout of cardboard, put it on the iPadand put the slide on. Shoot with themacro lens. One thing to check isthat no patterns from the lightsource are transferred on the copy.This might come from birefringencepatterns or imperfections. If this is soyou should keep the screen adistance of 2-3 cms (1" ) from thelight source. A tripod on the groundor a small tripod on a table will helpyou align the camera. You have tomanually adjust exposure time.Regarding the tube it was meant toavoid stray light. I do not use itanymore, i do the procedure in adark room.I have been using this setup forsometime now and I extended it toslides and 6x6 medium formatnegatives. An instructable is underpreparation!

hats9994 (/member/hats9994/)




Favorite



19 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

1 year ago Reply (CN0PMDYHC9MJD2Q)

(/member/hats9994/)


1 year ago Reply (CXALA1DHC9MI8J9)

(/member/rondacosta/)

1 year ago Reply (C1SJS6QH52FWX9B)


1 year ago Reply (COLWMNKH5408ACW)

this is a good way of doingthis, but i have one thing tosay. JUST BUY ASCANNER!!!

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) hats9994

Dear hats9994, I have been using thismethod for some time now and let mepoint out why I prefer it, compared to ascanner: When you project thenegative you have two importantadvantages (a) you have absolutecontrol over the white balance of thephoto because you can adjust thelighting conditions of the source to thereception of the camera. For example Ialso adjust the temperature parameterof the lighting in the Olympus. Thisgives you a much better starting pointfor post processing with Photoshop,specially for faint color negatives and(b) by using a projector as a sourceyou get the maximum resolution andcontrast because of the parallel beam.I have seen real difference in BWnegatives processed with a scanner.

rondacosta (/member/rondacosta/)

Great Instructable. But I have a problem!!!! I saw your rig details and inmediatelyassumed you were digitizing 35mm slides wich is what I am looking for. A case ofmy brain seeing what I do want and need to see.After visiting this 'able seven times I just suddenly realized that you are doingnegatives.Now, can you share/suggest any ideas about digitizing 35mm SLIDES? That willbe greatly appreciated as I was about to start building your setup.I will be using my daughter's Nikon D7000 with only Nikkor 18:200 lens. Readingyour construct I am thinking of using instead my 40 year SLR Canon 50mm 1:1.4lens with an extender. Any extra suggestions, please.ron.dacosta@gmail{.}com

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) rondacosta

Thanks for your comments! I amglad if this helps you. Of course youcan work with slides. The onlychange is that you do not have toinvert the colors with Photoshop. Clipthe slide on a cardboard screen. Youcan use the framed slides as theyare. In fact I have used a slide frameon the screen as a guide for the36mmx24mm format and in order toavoid the "shadows" that would arisefrom a cardboard window

You may need to intensify fade outcolors.A few suggestions: (a) a realprofessional work requires the RAWformat (b) When correcting the




Favorite



20 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

(/member/rondacosta/)

1 year ago Reply (CX4U77GH52FWX9N)

(/member/FioriOnFire/)

1 year ago Reply (C5K2RA1H1G700RP)


1 year ago Reply (CKUT3Q9H1ERN46D)

(/member/tjok/)

2 years ago Reply (C6C3RU9GY4RTPHQ)


2 years ago Reply (CZT7FTZGY4ROQYW)

colors with Photoshop use the Levels option and correct the basic colorsone by one. (c) Use the Variations option if you cannot decide with thecolors (d) I almost always use the Blur option to smooth and connectdetails (Gaussian blur 1-2 pixels width, no more) and then sharpen thepicture. It becomes more clear this way.

rondacosta (/member/rondacosta/)

,,,,, and BTW, I will be using this setup to copy all my Negatives once I am donewith the 35mm slides,,,, thanks for this instructable.

FioriOnFire (/member/FioriOnFire/)

Would this work for a camera without a lens?

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) FioriOnFire

I think not. The size of the camerasensor (mine is 17mm) is muchsmaller than the size of the negative(36mm) and you need to form a "lightcone" to match these sizes. This iswhat a lens does. If you just "project "the image on the sensor you will losea large part of the image.

However if you just use any lens therewill be deformations at the edges ofthe field. You have a choice betweenwhat I describe in this instructable ( aregular lens system + extensions -->a macro lens) and any camera thatcan be zoomed to the size of the36mmx24mm negative at a tolerabledistance.

tjok (/member/tjok/)

In step seven, you said "I made this as an independent module in order to use itfor other projects". Just curious, what other projects did you use it on?

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) tjok

Case 1: I found a nice 480mmapochromatic objective lens systemand I wanted to test it as a spottingscope. For this I mounted it on theend of a long rectangular board andused the mecano x-stage to focus atelescope eyepiece mounted on theother end. The whole thing wascovered by a tube of black cansonpaper This allowed me to calculatedistances for a future constructionof the scope.

Case 2: I have something in mindrelated to micro-milling . If (andwhen) I do it I'll probably make an




Favorite



21 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

(/member/useraaaaa/)

2 years ago Reply (CN734CNGPZAHDHZ)

(/member/Techsupportnerd/)

2 years ago Reply (C7AGVR9GY4RTPED)


2 years ago Reply (CO7LTG4GY4ROQYP)


2 years ago Reply (CI7A1DLGPZAHEF4)

(/member/meddler/)

2 years ago Reply (CRQUHQGGRTHXS8U)

(/member/Kennuf/)

2 years ago Reply (CTBONS8GXL5YP58)

instructable about it. Stay tuned!

useraaaaa (/member/useraaaaa/)

why DSLR

there are million of compact 10+ megapixel cameras,with "close up mode".

it is possible to set enough light,it does not move,no complications with DOF

(i mean DSLR is not soo important)

Techsupportnerd (/member/Techsupportnerd/) useraaaaa

DSLR because most point andshoots won't capture the wonderfuldynamic range of film!

If you are scanning old negatives itis one thing, but if you really want adecent scan you should be shootingraws on a dslr.

But yeah, like tholopotami says, theidea is that you use what you've got!

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) Techsupportnerd

Indeed "raws" is the best way tocontrol colours separately. Theyshould be used in the case ofcoloured films.

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) useraaaaa

The point is that for this task it isbetter to use the best equipment youhave. Before getting the DSLR I didthe same job with a compact cameraand a similar setup. Of course it canbe done.

meddler (/member/meddler/)

Would a Cannon eos xti work?

Kennuf (/member/Kennuf/) meddler

Not until you look at the front of the camera and learn how to spell"CANON".

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) meddler

I do not see why not. If you want to mount an SLR lens with extension




Favorite



22 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

2 years ago Reply (CH2XYRUGRTHXW0X)


(/member/meddler/)

2 years ago Reply (CXYPHECGRTHXXHB)

(/member/meddler/)

2 years ago Reply (CNYF7EVGRTHXS9O)

(/member/dkennedys8/)

2 years ago Reply (CR7WBE9GRFND10K)

(/member/avatar_i/)

2 years ago Reply (C5X3KD3GQKM4SX1)


2 years ago Reply (CE2ZGX9GQL8R18U)

(/member/hardwarehank/)

2 years ago Reply (CE81PUUGQ226UZJ)

rings as I did the firstthing to look for is anM42 adaptor for yourmodel. They do notcost more than20-25Euros. A set ofM42 rings is lessthan 10 Euros one-bay. By combininga couple of theserings you can adjustthe frame as goodas possible.

meddler (/member/meddler/) tholopotami

thank you I will look for that. Iappreciate the help.

meddler (/member/meddler/) meddler

Never mind.... I do wonder if I have the ability to build this. It is just whatI'm looking for though.

dkennedys8 (/member/dkennedys8/)

Glad to see someone else rocking Olympus DSLRs!

avatar_i (/member/avatar_i/)

Nice Instructable.I also have an Epson V-700, and it does GREAT on [minimum] 6x7 cm negs, and4"x5" to 8"x10", but I have beed dismally disapointed with 35mm and 6x4.5 negs.

I did, however, find an old film era slide copier that has a t-mount base that willmount onto- and work on- nearly any digital camera, except for the entry levelmodels. They work with negs and mounted slides.

Total cost, about $8.oo [since I already had a t-mount adapter], from the used binat the local camers store. Most stores don't carry them any longer, but lookaround. Most camera store employees don't even know what these things are,and they were all over the place just 10~15 years ago!

Using a Nikon D300, I have made exceptional hi-res copies of some WWIInegatives I have been looking to print, but couldn't afford to leave with the store-or pay their charges for lower quality scans.

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) avatar_i

Thanks for noting this. I forgot tomention the option of trying to find aslide copier for SLRs.

hardwarehank (/member/hardwarehank/)

Cool. I'm getting extremely good results on my slides and negatives with myEpson V700 scanner. It costs around $500, though, so this method would beawesome for someone on a budget. Normal flatbed scanners can't do negatives




Favorite



23 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

(/member/Ninzerbean/)

2 years ago Reply (CSUY2GWGQ3FVKIY)

(/member/hardwarehank/)

2 years ago Reply (CDE9K8KGQ4V0U6J)


2 years ago Reply (CODIQFIGQ3FT713)


2 years ago Reply (C7WMFAAGQ22DAIX)

properly.

Ninzerbean (/member/Ninzerbean/) hardwarehank

I have a $49 Epson scanner, I use itall the time for black and whitenegatives, i just reverse the image(blacks turn white, etc) in photoshopafter scanning. I'm sure most freephoto editing software programshave that option too. My negativesare over 50 years old, it's hard toeven see what is on them, so this ispretty magical when they come intoview.

hardwarehank (/member/hardwarehank/) Ninzerbean

Yeah, color negatives are really hardto do without a really expensivescanner - I'll bet B&W works fine likeyou say though. It is really cool tosee what comes out - my slides fromthe 50's look amazing.

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) Ninzerbean

I believe you about the 50 years oldnegatives. B/W contains only silvermicrocrystals which will stay there aslong as the celluloid can keepthem.Only the medium is subject toaging (becomes more yellow becauseof UV exposure).Things are different with colour dyes(see step 14)

Thinking about the DSLR setup hereis another advantage: When workingwith B/W I use a projector and anopaque screen. This produces anhomogeneous and parallel light beamwhich helps increase the contrast ofthe negative image. This may improvethe final result compared to ascanner.

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) hardwarehank

Thanks! As you say the problem isthat you need more than a normalscanner to do the job decently. Theadvantage in my case is that Ialready had all the equipment ad didnot have to buy anything. With theDSLR you can experiment a lot . Forexample you may change the"filament temperature" for lampexposure from 4000-7000 dependingon the light source you are using.This is useful the case of old colour




Favorite



24 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

(/member/sferroni/)

2 years ago Reply (C91QUB2GQ3FZPZK)


2 years ago Reply (C0U4BEZGQ4UHARB)


2 years ago Reply (C5937GUGQ4EVN4N)

(/member/thepaul93/)

2 years ago Reply (C0DYUAWGQ4EOGRO)


2 years ago Reply (CP3GZE5GQ4EOGSR)

negatives. Even better, with this setup you may use sunlight by pointing toa white wall. It works very well.

sferroni (/member/sferroni/)

You can get far better results using the color curves tool, which I did on yoursecond image with GIMP. The result is here attached.

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FAJ/77LF/GQ3FZPXM/FAJ77LFGQ3FZPXM.LARGE.jpg)

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) sferroni

It looks better than those I posted!

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) sferroni

Thanks for trying this ! In fact Ihesitate to use the curve tool since Ido not have much eperience with it.

thepaul93 (/member/thepaul93/)

Is that a Olympus E-420?

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) thepaul93

Yes. It is the less expensive of theseries and it is also very light. I havean additional 150mm telephoto ofthe same brand and I modified anolder 200mm telephoto for it (seeone of my other instructables). I alsouse it on telescopes.




Favorite



25 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

(/member/marcintosh/)

2 years ago Reply (CQTCEZ9GQ4F25FT)


2 years ago Reply (C4DDES7GQ4EVN4K)

(/member/e5frog/)

2 years ago Reply (C8KMKEUGQ3FZOAN)


2 years ago Reply (CXVUV3MGQ3FZOBQ)

(/member/e5frog/)

2 years ago Reply (CJYUDFHGQ3FZQOS)


2 years ago Reply (CY3OFSUGQ4EVN4D)

(/member/efra5/)

2 years ago Reply (C61BSXVGQ4ANQ6W)

marcintosh (/member/marcintosh/)

It is not a surprise that films are still used for specific applications such asaerophotography.

I feel that the move to digital, while good for business and in certain respects theenvironment and my personal ecomomy (I can now shoot as much as I want lastyear 5k pix) has been a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water. Negsaren't OS dependent or Harddrive dependent nor do they need power to beviewed. Look to see the prices on medium format cameras on ebay- those guysaren't giving up, neither are the large format shooters..

Thanks for the Resolving Power work with the math - much appreciated. All in alla very interesting Instructable.Thanks again,M

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) marcintosh

I am glad someone appreciated thecalculations!

e5frog (/member/e5frog/)

Cleaning the table was perhaps not the thing I thought about as much as settingfocus to something in the picture. ;-)

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) e5frog

You are right, what can I say!

e5frog (/member/e5frog/) tholopotami

Maybe it was because we wasn't supposed to see the dirt! ;-)Nice instructable, almost make me want to make my own - but I don't haveone of those flashy cameras. Maybe I'll try hooking up a lamp on top of theflat bed scanner instead...

tholopotami (/member/tholopotami/) (author) e5frog

Before getting the DSLR I used acompact camera of 5Mpxls. I set thecamera at 3x zoom and infinity focusand also put a large 4x magnifyinglens in front of it. This must be aslarge as possible to avoiddistortions. Then I used the filmholder with the x-stage but this timeto focus since you cannot focus withthe camera.

efra5 (/member/efra5/)

amazing, thanks!




Favorite



26 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

Make Comment

About UsWho We Are (/about/)Advertise (/advertise/)Contact (/about/contact.jsp)Jobs (/community/Positions-available-at-Instructables/)Help (/community?categoryGroup=Help)

Find UsFacebook (http://www.facebook.com/instructables)

Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/instructablestv)

Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/instructables)

Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/instructables)

Google+ (https://plus.google.com/+instructables)

Tumblr (http://instructables.tumblr.com)

ResourcesFor Teachers (/teachers/)Artists in Residence (/group/air/)Gift Pro Account (/account/give?sourcea=footer)Forums (/community/)Answers (/tag/type-question/?sort=RECENT)

Go Pro Today (/account/gopro?sourcea=footer)

We're Hiring! (/community/Positions-available-at-Instructables/)

MobileDownload our new apps for iOS,Android and Windows 8!

Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adsk.instructables)

iOS (https://itunes.apple.com/app/instructables/id586765571)

Windows(http://apps.microsoft.com

/windows/en-us/app/7afc8194-c771-441a-

9590-54250d6a8300)

Join our newsletter:

Terms of service (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=21959721) |Privacy Policy (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=21292079) |Legal Notices & Trademarks (http://usa.autodesk.com/legal-notices-trademarks/) | Mobile Site (http://m.instructables.com)

(http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?id=20781545&siteID=123112)

Join!

Copyright 2014 Autodesk Inc. All rights reserved.

English




Favorite



27 of 27 3/8/2014 5:38 AM

how to digitize 35mm negatives

Documents

negatives http

negatives tagtypeidcategory

old negatives someof

film negativesrelated

silver ions

film coating hasthree

steps favorite idhow

jspexplore tagtypeid