“Scan me up, Scotty!” Many people don’t realize what an amazing and passionate photographer Mr. Nimoy was. I love the idea of a genuine photographer on either side of the lens. “Live long and prosper!” 🖖🏽

The quote that I carry with me is: "One can begin to reshape the landscape with a single flower". It's the fewest possible words to say that we can effect change with a single image, a single artwork, or a single gesture or act of kindness. I think it was Spock's most brilliant line.

@donwillettphotography

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Mark, Did you choose a winner? Asking for a friend... Also Foto Care is the greatest!

@ComplicatedThings

2 жыл бұрын

Yes we have and it’s you!! Please email us at Info@complicated-things.com with you details so we can ship it out. Congrats :)

@donwillettphotography

2 жыл бұрын

@@ComplicatedThings That's terrific! Thank you. I emailed my details. Cheers!

Thank you. I have seen several ways to scan a negative to create prints. This looks to be quite innovative and the whole from start to being able to print presentation was truly interesting.

Incredible, but all the videos you do Mark are incredible, with or without guests. I am learning photography here !!! It is a truly beautiful photo, very poetic , it shows that Leonard Nimoy was a poet also. Vulcan salute to all !! Live long and prosper and i dream of this print !

Thanks for this video, Jeff at Fotocare is the best, and his staff are amazing, the print was epic....

It appears you are clearly giving Mr Nimoy a headache. You have captured that pained expression intrinsically well. It’s really quite beautiful, I applaud you Mr Mann

Great technique! 💪💪💪 Thank you for sharing! 🙏 I really liked the tutorial on the negative conversion to positive. I’ve been using a plug in to help me in DR, but I think I prefer your results and really like the idea of having full control over the curves.

Nice!!! Impressive print!

Thank you so much showing the inside of digital scanning.

Love this video. Great image.

Thank you for sharing this setup and process. I have a few suggestions for minor improvements. 1) You focus the enlarger lens wide open but then stop down to f11 to shoot. A subtlety is that at high magnification, the actual f-stop number is greater than the marked f-stop because the lens is farther from the sensor than when focused at infinity. In the case of shooting a 35mm negative with a full-frame camera, the actual f-stop is twice the marked f-stop. The f-stop pertains to diffraction - a big f-stop number increases diffraction and reduces sharpness. Getting to the point: you might experiment with smaller f-stop number on your setup. You may find that an f-stop closer to 5.6 is better for shooting medium format negatives and f5 is better for shooting 35mm negs. I am getting best results at around f5 with a Canon EF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS lens (w/ image stabilization turned off) with a Canon 5Ds. The optimum aperture is not critical but it is good to be in the right neighborhood. 2) Your setup looks amenable to make multiple, offset exposures of both contact prints and larger negatives. For example, you can shoot four overlapping shots of a contact print (e.g.: upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right) and assemble them in Lightroom using Photo / Photo Merge/ Panorama. This may be overkill for your 100 megapixel camera but for those with a mere 20 - 50 megapixels, the method results in wonderful contact prints. I have also shoot square 2-1/4 negatives using two shots with this method to use the full 2x3 format of the Canon sensor. This also works well. 3) You suggest using a glass carrier to maintain negative flatness. This may not be a big issue for 2-1/4 film but 35mm film curves more and depth of field is more critical (especially at f5). I have had good luck using white translucent Plexiglas to maintain flatness on the convex side of the negative and then shooting towards the emulsion. The image reversal is easily fixed in Lightroom using Photo / Flip Horizontal. The benefit of Plexiglas is that it cuts down by one the number of surfaces on which dust accumulates. I have had some problems with Newton's rings. This is fixed by evenly sanding the Plexiglas surface with very fine wet-or-dry sandpaper (~1200) from an auto body supply. 4) Lastly, the advantage provided by adjusting the Lightroom Tone Curve endpoints separately by color is unclear. I use the all-three-colors-at-the-same-time adjustment and it works AOK and is three times as fast. Thanks again for sharing your advanced setup.

@emiliscepulis6499

Жыл бұрын

Hello, may I ask your opinion. I'm relatively new to film photography and I shoot it myself, but I don't understand the point of digital camera scanning for film. The logic is, that if you take a digital picture of the negative, why not shoot the digital picture in the first place and skip film alltogether? In other words, what is the advantage of (a) taking a film shot + scanning it to digital (via photo camera or a lab) versus (b) take the same image with a digital camera (that you use to scan) at that particular point in time? I'm struggling with this question for some time now. I would really appreciate if you take the time to answer :)

@blainerawdon6545

Жыл бұрын

@@emiliscepulis6499 Emilis, this is a good question. There are at least two reasons. 1) You may want to digitize a photo made before the advent of digital photography. Converting a negative (black and white or color) to a digital format provides many advantages over printing in the darkroom. These include ease, unbelievable precision and control, outstanding dust spotting (plus, do it once and you are done), ability to share electronically, and the ability to readily print at different sizes. I believe that digital prints (on Baryta paper) are very hard to distinguish from conventional darkroom prints but may be more precisely adjusted. 2) One may want to shoot film now and convert it to digital file. This may be an artistic impulse, driven perhaps by the artifacts that result from the photo-chemical process. Many of these artifacts can be achieved digitally with a digital image but then some might consider this "fake". Related impulses may lead some to use antique photographic processes such as the Daguerrotype or cyanotype. Others may have a different view. To each his own.

@zarrir

4 ай бұрын

Hi Blaine. Do you convert your scans to positive using Negative Lab Pro or directly inside Lightroom as shown?

@blainerawdon6545

4 ай бұрын

I use Canon software (Digital Professional 4) to operate the camera when scanning. This software provides image preview, camera controls and image capture via the computer. This is much more comfortable than craning my neck to view through the camera. I use an external power supply for the camera. The captured raw images are then imported into Lightroom Classic and post-processed. Black and white negatives are inverted by flipping the tone curve with a home-made preset in "User Presets" and then are fine-tuned. Color negatives are post-processed with Negative Lap Pro as a plug-in within Lightroom. I am thrilled with both black and white and color negative results. I hope this is helpful.@@zarrir

@zarrir

4 ай бұрын

@@blainerawdon6545 thank you so much!

Thanks! I'm glad I found this video!

The scan process is very interesting. “fascinating' is a word I use for the unexpected. In this case, I should think 'interesting' would suffice." I love Leonard

great, like finding two of my passions in one video!

@ComplicatedThings

Жыл бұрын

Thanks I’m glad we hit the spot!

Emulsion down (so that numbers are readable)! Makes sense, since there's no difference to shoot through the base or not, as the DoF is so large that it would make no difference (and the base is as homogenous as can be). Same way that I do my 4x5 scans (and the smaller ones). I use an Olympus m43 camera with 80 MP high-res pixel-shift instead of a 100 MP Fuji GFX - far cheaper, and I already had the camera … 😁

Great setup! I'm sitting on boxes and boxes of old family slides and negatives, wondering the best way to digitize them. On a side note, Mark, I wonder if you had a chance to talk with Leonard about his inspiration for photography? There aren't a lot of celebrities I would be truly excited to photograph, but Mr. Nimoy would certainly have been one of them. (And, yes, I'd LOVE to have the print!) “My dream concept is that I have a camera and I am trying to photograph what is essentially invisible. And every once in a while I get a glimpse of her and I grab that picture.” -- Leonard Nimoy

Fantastic! What kind of bellows and lens is that you re using with the GF extention tube?

Hi there, what is the aluminum rack (rise or mount) with the leveling and where can I get one? Thanks! Amazing video!

@ComplicatedThings

Жыл бұрын

Reach out to John@fotocare.com he is the man!

Great stuff! I am using a very similar setup, but with an Olympus EM5 MK II and a Leica 100 f4 macro lens on the Leica bellows, adapted to m4/3. I use the pixelshift mode to generate 50mp images. I found most lightboards to be dim, so I made my own light mixer with a silver cake pan with a 10ft LED strip mounted inside around the vertical side of the cake pan: this duplicates the mixer head of a good enlarger and gives me very strong lighting to keep exposure time down. You have to use high quality LED strips, though, mine are 5600°k according to the manufacturing specs. I use an ancient repo stand. While not quite as flash as the Fuji, this is a *lot* less expensive and it's hard to beat the Leica 100mm f4 lens. I was able to find the 35mm film holder from a Beseler 45MXII enlarger, which holds the film under tension and helps give you consistent results. I bought several opal plastic sheets for different film formats and holders, these have to be custom-jigged to center on the cake pan LED,, but once done are accurately centered so I can make a quick switch between formats.

@ComplicatedThings

11 ай бұрын

Wow this sounds like a great set up and definitely less expensive. We are currently working on a cheaper alternative as well and hope to have that out some time in the near future. Keep up the great ingenuity!

Hello there ! thanks for the demo, i can't find the omega carrier anywhere (even on foto care), I already have same omega holder as in the video. any tips on that ? thanks

Hi, Nice setup. I,ve been searching for a 6x17 Omega carrier but no luck so far. Anyone know about it?

I have been using this method with a rig I built in 1999 with a Kodak DCS 6MP (Nikon F5 body) camera and a camera controlled Nikon Speedlight. I now use a range of Fuji bodies like you do and have made tens of thousands of film digital conversions - what we sell as 'Film Digitisations'. Why do all of you guys doing this have trouble describing the procedure and end up calling them 'Scans'? There is NO linear scanning array involved so they are 'Digital Captures' or 'Digitisations'! Also we run everything as tethered RAW files via LightRoom and with huge jobs I optimise the proxy images on the fly as an assistant 'feeds' the slide holder and runs the capture camera!

I'm probably to much to the right. He wasn't biting with your funnies.

does anyone know what the stand is that's has the plates on, I'm in the UK and would be interested. not of this equipment is showing on the Foto Care website.

Is this system to dihgitalize negatives compares to scanning with a Hasselblad Flextight X5 or is it better?

@ComplicatedThings

Жыл бұрын

In all honesty, please reach out to John at Fotocare because we don’t want to tell you something that isn’t true

This is sooooooo cool! How can I do the same setup? I would love to know!

@ComplicatedThings

2 жыл бұрын

Reach out to the Team at Fotocare and they will hook you up!!

@ScaleDreamsStudio

2 жыл бұрын

@@ComplicatedThings Thank you!

@MrKen-wy5dk

Жыл бұрын

Write them a blank check.

@ScaleDreamsStudio

Жыл бұрын

@@MrKen-wy5dk It's in the mail!

Information on the contact sheet contraption?

Fascinatingly logical.

Is your negative holder set up for sale?

@ComplicatedThings

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely!! Reach out to sales@fotocare.com and they will help you out.

What film and camera was the original taken with?

@ComplicatedThings

2 жыл бұрын

Mamiya RZ 6x7 and I think the lens was a 80mm Portrait lens. The film is APX100.

is it possible to know what kind of carrier you're using for 8x10"? hard to find someone who makes it Thanks!

@ComplicatedThings

8 ай бұрын

We haven’t scanned 8x10s yet so we don’t have a carrier of preference yet. I know negative supply makes one. www.negative.supply/shop-all/8x10-film-holder I think Fotocare also makes one but you will have to reach out to them directly to ask. Www.fotocare.com Let us know what you find out.

@SD_Alias

5 күн бұрын

@@ComplicatedThings Is a GFX mp count enough to digitize a 8x10 with one shot? Or do you have to shoot 4 or 6 parts and stitch them like a pano? Have you ever tried the highres mode on a GFX100?

It doesn't seem clear by your video. Is this a service FotoCare provides, a system they rent out, a system they sell, or some combo of those? There's no section of FotoCare's website detailing what's offered.

@ComplicatedThings

Жыл бұрын

Matt sorry for the confusion. At the time we filmed this it was so new that they were still trying to figure out the business plan for it. I believe it Is something they are selling but if your reach out to Fred at Fotocare he can tell you more.

Sheldon would be beside himself watching this. Great video. I'm not from New York, and this system would be way too pricey for my needs.

What size was the final print?

@ComplicatedThings

2 жыл бұрын

Hey Richard! The final print is 44 by 60ish

@RobertFalconer1967

2 жыл бұрын

@@ComplicatedThings Do you believe you got a better print from this digital scan of your negative than you would have gotten printing from the original negative itself?

@ComplicatedThings

2 жыл бұрын

In this case we think the negative in a dark room would still probably give you a better print but it would certainly be very close.

Heard you on the BH Podcast yesterday.. that's why I'm here today! Great stuff! Thanks! P.S. the guy you met in the Market was a Wanker!

I think it’s fascinating……..”Fascinating is a word I use for the unexpected, in this case I would think interesting would suffice.” - Leonard Nimoy: Spock……… (I still think it’s fascinating)

I want one. I imagine it's not cheap.

@sphaera3809

2 жыл бұрын

This is the ultimate setup… But you can get excellent results with a smaller, cheaper rig… If only digitalizing 35mm, you can great results with a Fuji X and a long macro lens.

@DavidComdico

2 жыл бұрын

@@sphaera3809 Sorry, I'm very skeptical of that claim. It is extremely important to have a flat negative and even lighting distribution. I'm not sure 26mp is enough. I have not been convinced at all by the other DIY rigs I've seen.

this setup has got to cost more than a flextight

@ComplicatedThings

Жыл бұрын

Agreed, but, rephotographing your negatives instead of scanning has so far given me better results with less aggravation. Can you still buy a flextight??

"Humans smile with so little provocation." - Spock, Star Trek, Season 2: Journey to Babel

Mokuhlek i ma wuh glakuv t' leonard nimoy sanoi

“I feel *positive* about that…” - Leonard Nimoy 11:21

You shouldn't bring politics into photography.

Probably the most informative video on film digitizing I've seen. How do you determine the optimum scanning resolution for a given film size? I'm sure most negatives do not require 100MP.

@ComplicatedThings

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for your question. I suppose the answer depends on your final product. If you are intending to make a large print then more MP is better but I agree 100MP does seem overkill.

This fool is getting light leaks on the scans because his scanning setup is not optimal and then says "It's on negative"

@ComplicatedThings

Жыл бұрын

Even if your criticism was correct, to call a professional, who created this system out of 40 years of experience, a fool is beyond derogatory. If you would like to rephrase your comment in a civilized manner I will explain in detail why you are wrong. If not then keep on trolling buddy.