Scan your films with your Dslr and a shoe box

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

I've digitalized films using a dslr (5DMkII), a micro lens (Canon EF 100mm f2.8 macro) and a shoe box.
I cut a large side and a 24x36 rectangle on the opposite side, made a film holder with cardboard (calendar reused).
You put the box on a table, a lamp on its back, the dslr camera on the front. I use a white lamp and a layer paper between it and the film holder to dissuse the light.
It works fine and a roll is quickly "scanned". I shoot raw to have max latitude afterwards to process it if needed.

Here it is :

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DigiChromeEd · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 3462 Location: Northern Ireland

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

An interesting approach and a cheap one to try out, too.

So, it looks like you are mounting your film between the pieces of calendar on the back side of the box. Do you worry at all about scratching your film as you slide it through? It looks like you have enough space though.

How are you affixing the calendar pieces to each other? Glue? And I'm assuming that you've glued them to the back of the shoebox?

I think this arrangement will work for duplicating my medium format images. I have a dupe rig that works well for mounted slides and roll film in 35mm format. But nothing so far for medium format. Your little invention may be just the ticket for duping my medium format stuff.

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

Thank you. Smile

Michael, It's not my invention. I read this on a forum and decided to give it a try.
Your questions :
1/ I chose a box and pieces of calendar made of soft cardboard. There's enough space not to tighten the film too much, and not too much space to avoid the film to curve.
2/ Pieces are glued together and yes for the back of the shoebox.
3/ I agree for duping medium format images such as 6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7 or 6x9. It's just a matter of hole size in the box, and adjustment of the lens used. For 135mm film I used a 100mm macro on a full frame dslr. For medium format, maybe a 35mm or 50mm with short focusing distance should work.

I think that covering the installation with a dark cloth should improve the quality.
I have to stress that the layer paper is very important to diffuse the light and obtain a good result.
My settings with the 5DMkII were Iso 100, F8, 1/30s. The camera was connected to a laptop and shot from it.
Size of the raw file is 5616x3744...

It's really easy to build, costs nothing and results are nice.
I'll post one.

Here is a sample.

Zorki-1D Fomapan 400

dan_ · Expire: 2016-12-19

Simple and effective setup, indeed.

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

Oh yes I did the reversal.
It was a difficult exposure, with an unknown and tricky lens and cam (dating 1954), and what I find an average and difficult film (I never got good results with Fomapan 400).
It was not the shoebox. Wink

Today, I use an Epson Perfection 4490 photo scanner. I had the chance to get one which was taking dust in a corner of the office of one of my customers. It was used for scanning invoices, contracts and so on to manage documents on computer. They abandonned that.
I found the slides mounts in the envelope containing the owner's manual, so I'm quite happy with it using the "Epson scan" software.

Zorki-1D Industar-22 3.5/5cm

A better result with a Zorki-3M with Jupiter-8 2/5cm and Fomapan 400

poilu · Expire: 2019-08-29

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

Thank you Poilu. Smile

How do you do ?
Is everything's ok in Greece ?

poilu · Expire: 2019-08-29