Need help scanning my own film

[hooray4mo]

Hello, it's my first time posting here and could really use some help.
I've been shooting film for quite a few years but just recently started to develop it myself. Now I'm also wanting to scan it myself as its cheaper in the long run and also I am impatient haha. Im choosing to use the "taking a photo of the negative using a DSLR/mirrorless camera over a light source" method.
I have a Sony A600 and have recently bought a macro lens and even an adapter for my older macro lens that I thought would be able to scan my negatives. The problem is is that I can't seem to get either macro lenses to focus on the negatives. All the settings and adjustments I've made haven't really made any difference in making the negatives come into focus. I have a makeshift copy stand, as well as a decent light source.
Does anyone have any feedback or tips onto how I can get my negatives to come into focus? I should mention that the auto focus feature isn't able to be applied; the option isn't "clickable" on my camera I guess you could say.
The specific macro lens I got is a Sony e mount adapted Vivitar 100-300 mm F/5.6-6.7 Telephoto macro zoom lens.
Did I purchase the wrong lens? Am I not applying certain settings properly? Any advice would be appreciated =)

 

[RAZKY]

Hello, it's my first time posting here and could really use some help.
I've been shooting film for quite a few years but just recently started to develop it myself. Now I'm also wanting to scan it myself as its cheaper in the long run and also I am impatient haha. Im choosing to use the "taking a photo of the negative using a DSLR/mirrorless camera over a light source" method.
I have a Sony A600 and have recently bought a macro lens and even an adapter for my older macro lens that I thought would be able to scan my negatives. The problem is is that I can't seem to get either macro lenses to focus on the negatives. All the settings and adjustments I've made haven't really made any difference in making the negatives come into focus. I have a makeshift copy stand, as well as a decent light source.
Does anyone have any feedback or tips onto how I can get my negatives to come into focus? I should mention that the auto focus feature isn't able to be applied; the option isn't "clickable" on my camera I guess you could say.
The specific macro lens I got is a Sony e mount adapted Vivitar 100-300 mm F/5.6-6.7 Telephoto macro zoom lens.
Did I purchase the wrong lens? Am I not applying certain settings properly? Any advice would be appreciated =)

For copying 35mm film I recommend a dedicated macro lens that will focus down to 1:`1. Your Vivitar with its macro/close focusing mode won't cut it. An enlarging lens on a bellows or helical-focusing extension tube also works fine.

 

[hooray4mo]

For copying 35mm film I recommend a dedicated macro lens that will focus down to 1:`1. Your Vivitar with its macro/close focusing mode won't cut it. An enlarging lens on a bellows or helical-focusing extension tube also works fine.

Got it. Thank you so much!

 

[RAZKY]

Got it. Thank you so much!

Be sure to come back if you have any questions at all.

 

[Grandpa Ron]

Hello, it's my first time posting here and could really use some help.
I've been shooting film for quite a few years but just recently started to develop it myself. Now I'm also wanting to scan it myself as its cheaper in the long run and also I am impatient haha. Im choosing to use the "taking a photo of the negative using a DSLR/mirrorless camera over a light source" method.
I have a Sony A600 and have recently bought a macro lens and even an adapter for my older macro lens that I thought would be able to scan my negatives. The problem is is that I can't seem to get either macro lenses to focus on the negatives. All the settings and adjustments I've made haven't really made any difference in making the negatives come into focus. I have a makeshift copy stand, as well as a decent light source.
Does anyone have any feedback or tips onto how I can get my negatives to come into focus? I should mention that the auto focus feature isn't able to be applied; the option isn't "clickable" on my camera I guess you could say.
The specific macro lens I got is a Sony e mount adapted Vivitar 100-300 mm F/5.6-6.7 Telephoto macro zoom lens.
Did I purchase the wrong lens? Am I not applying certain settings properly? Any advice would be appreciated =)

I am scanning 4x5 negatives with a light table and a Cannon DSLR. While I have a lot of format to play with, even when making just a 5x7 enlargement, the fact remains that if my negative is not sharp, my photo is not sharp. Cropping the negative become even more of an issue. If the set up is good, the scans should be good. I do a quick check of the negative on the light table with a 6x loupe, that usually tells me where the problem is.

 

[hooray4mo]

I am scanning 4x5 negatives with a light table and a Cannon DSLR. While I have a lot of format to play with, even when making just a 5x7 enlargement, the fact remains that if my negative is not sharp, my photo is not sharp. Cropping the negative become even more of an issue. If the set up is good, the scans should be good. I do a quick check of the negative on the light table with a 6x loupe, that usually tells me where the problem is.

I don't think that is the issue. Though I do understand what you mean. A lot of my negatives look fine when I use the simple phone apps to convert them, but when it comes to actually scanning them with my digital camera, I don't think I have the proper macro lens. Which is a bummer because I was so ready to get things going with scanning. Or so I thought =/

 

[Peeb]

I've digitally scanned with both DSLR and mirrorless. I always use manual focus and work carefully to get the grain in focus. Any mirrorless that uses focus-by-wire makes it difficult to get the fine focus dialed in. Once I get a good focus, I import into lightroom and use the negative lab pro plugin to convert the negatives to positives. Works remarkably well.

 

[cgw]

I found after early bumbling that a copy stand, a light box and a dedicated macro lens worked for DSLR scanning. Period.
Macro lenses, whatever the focal length, are optically-formulated to be sharp, corner-to-corner. Nothing else is. Forget lenses with "macro-focusing," or "close-focus" capability, or extension tubes, or diopters. Been there. They won't deliver. Honest.
Truth to tell, I only scan 120 b&w negs or 120 transparency materials. Digital kills 35mm C-41 and b&w IMHO. No sweat making my digital files look like those anyway!

 

[hooray4mo]

I found after early bumbling that a copy stand, a light box and a dedicated macro lens worked for DSLR scanning. Period.
Macro lenses, whatever the focal length, are optically-formulated to be sharp, corner-to-corner. Nothing else is. Forget lenses with "macro-focusing," or "close-focus" capability, or extension tubes, or diopters. Been there. They won't deliver. Honest.
Truth to tell, I only scan 120 b&w negs or 120 transparency materials. Digital kills 35mm C-41 and b&w IMHO. No sweat making my digital files look like those anyway!

Yes, I think I'll have to save for a dedicated macro lens. All I have are the adapters and basically zoom lenses =/

 

[cgw]

Yes, I think I'll have to save for a dedicated macro lens. All I have are the adapters and basically zoom lenses =/

Thanks to adapters, any major maker's MF macro lenses will deliver. This is old news, so don't expect rockbottom prices. Something 55-60mm should do on a APS-C DSLR or MILC.

 

[RAZKY]

Yes, I think I'll have to save for a dedicated macro lens. All I have are the adapters and basically zoom lenses =/

Consider second hand. I've bought from B&H and KEH - don't know if they were the cheapest, but both were conservative in their quality rating - in one instance a wooden tripod rated "bargain" was in nearly new condition. The main reason I recommend a macro lens for copy work (that's right, copy - you cannot scan with a camera!) is they're more convenient to use than a regular lens and extension tubes. As the Nikon Compendium explains, there is very little loss of IQ in going from a lens' minimum focus to 1:1 via extension tubes. And if the picture you're copying wasn't taken with a macro lens, then copying it with a macro lens isn't going to magically improve the edges. So while a dedicated macro lens is preferred, if money is tight try something like a 35 f/2.8 prime and 35mm tube, which will get you 1:1 when the lens is focused at infinity. Used bellows and enlarging lenses are generally inexpensive and ought to be of about the same optical quality as a dedicated macro lens. Be sure to let us know what you end up with, and how it works out for you..