Converting Slides to digital with the Nikon D850

[Ed Erkes]

I have a lot of slides that I accumulated between 1982 and 2004 (when I bought my first digital camera). My digital post-processing approach back then was to scan the slides with a Polaroid Sprintscan 4000 scanner and then edit the images in photoshop. Well, my slides have been languishing in a file cabinet for years and I no longer have the Polaroid Scanner. So I decided to see what kind of image quality I could achieve by using my Nikon D850 as a slide copier, and then editing the images in photoshop.

Well I was pretty impressed and decided to share a couple of 100% views here. I could get better image quality with the D850 than I was able to achieve with the scanner. I have more info in an article that I just posted here

The top image is the D850 copied and edited image. The bottom image was scanned with the Polaroid Sprintscan 4000 in the late 90's and edited in photoshop at that time. Both are 100% views. The bottom image is smaller because the scanner scanned at 4000 dpi, a lower resolution than the D850. The only sharpening applied to the top image was with Topaz AI Clear. The lower image was sharpened with whatever I used for sharpening back then.

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[DRwyoming]

Very impressive! I've been thinking about doing something similar as I have many images still on the original slides.

 

[Rollamok]

I copied this slide from 1975 using this https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/37453-REG/Nikon_3213_ES_1_Slide_Copying_Adapter.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&lsft=BI:514&gclid=CjwKCAjwkdL6BRAREiwA-kiczMKBOUoQQlKjGsZGtNlW7xXmON67czmjMxHzXMEnOrKBN_4O9Q7eORoCNAEQAvD_BwE
and this https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/810414-USA/Nikon_2200_40_mm_f_2_8G_AF_S.html on a D7100. Easy, fast, seems just perfect. No post processing applied.

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[Callie]

Impressive! Read about it in Nikon Rumours. How do you do it? D850 handheld, on a table or tripod? I also read the 60 mm Micro does it with the copier. I have about 20 K slides that goes back 45 years

 

[Ed Erkes]

I've added the full image for viewing plus another comparison shot. The top image is a 100% view of the copied slide with only white balance and exposure adjusted. The lower image is the 100% view of the edited image. Topaz AI Clear did an excellent job of removing the film grain and enhancing detail.

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[Ed Erkes]

Impressive! Read about it in Nikon Rumours. How do you do it? D850 handheld, on a table or tripod? I also read the 60 mm Micro does it with the copier. I have about 20 K slides that goes back 45 years

I used a Nikon D850 with 200mm macro lens. I also used an old PS4 slide holder. A desktop lamp was used for focusing and TTL flash for exposure. Below is an image of my set-up.

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[Callie]

I used a Nikon D850 with 200mm macro lens. I also used an old PS4 slide holder. A desktop lamp was used for focusing and TTL flash for exposure. Below is an image of my set-up.View attachment 3520

Thanks, impressive lens that

 

[rlpatrick]

Thanks for this information! I need to try this. I thought I would have to use the 60mm macro, which I don't own. I glad I could try my Sigma 180mm macro or even my 105mm macro. I do need to find something to hold the slides.

 

[Ed Erkes]

Thanks for this information! I need to try this. I thought I would have to use the 60mm macro, which I don't own. I glad I could try my Sigma 180mm macro or even my 105mm macro. I do need to find something to hold the slides.

You can find ideas for DIY homemade slide holders with Google. Here's one I found when researching the topic:

How to build a DIY 35mm slides and negatives copying machine

How to build a DIY 35mm slides and negatives copying machine

www.diyphotography.net

You do do need something to diffuse the light source. My slide holder has a white plexiglas diffuser behind the slide (as do most commercial slide copiers). Another alternative is to bounce the light off a white piece of paper or cardboard.

 

[rlpatrick]

You can find ideas for DIY homemade slide holders with Google. Here's one I found when researching the topic:

How to build a DIY 35mm slides and negatives copying machine

How to build a DIY 35mm slides and negatives copying machine

www.diyphotography.net

You do do need something to diffuse the light source. My slide holder has a white plexiglas diffuser behind the slide (as do most commercial slide copiers). Another alternative is to bounce the light off a white piece of paper or cardboard.

Thanks so much!

 

[MartyHaas]

Ed, what aperture did you use when you shot your slide to convert it to digital?

 

[Ed Erkes]

I shot at f8. My lens is f4 at max aperture but I decided to shoot stopped down a little in case the slide wasnt quite parallel to the sensor plane or if there was possibly some curvature to the film.. I initially shot some slides at both 5..6 and 8, could not tell a difference in image quality , so decided on f8.

 

[Don Linn]

I've added the full image for viewing plus another comparison shot. The top image is a 100% view of the copied slide with only white balance and exposure adjusted. The lower image is the 100% view of the edited image. Topaz AI Clear did an excellent job of removing the film grain and enhancing detail.View attachment 3516View attachment 3515

I like your setup and the finished image looks great.

 

[Ralph]

I have a lot of slides that I accumulated between 1982 and 2004 (when I bought my first digital camera). My digital post-processing approach back then was to scan the slides with a Polaroid Sprintscan 4000 scanner and then edit the images in photoshop. Well, my slides have been languishing in a file cabinet for years and I no longer have the Polaroid Scanner. So I decided to see what kind of image quality I could achieve by using my Nikon D850 as a slide copier, and then editing the images in photoshop.

Well I was pretty impressed and decided to share a couple of 100% views here. I could get better image quality with the D850 than I was able to achieve with the scanner. I have more info in an article that I just posted here

The top image is the D850 copied and edited image. The bottom image was scanned with the Polaroid Sprintscan 4000 in the late 90's and edited in photoshop at that time. Both are 100% views. The bottom image is smaller because the scanner scanned at 4000 dpi, a lower resolution than the D850. The only sharpening applied to the top image was with Topaz AI Clear. The lower image was sharpened with whatever I used for sharpening back then.

View attachment 3424

Ed
What’s your light source?

 

[Ed Erkes]

I used a small led light for focusing, but used TTL flash for the actual exposure.

 

[Woodpecker]

I used a Nikon D850 with 200mm macro lens. I also used an old PS4 slide holder. A desktop lamp was used for focusing and TTL flash for exposure. Below is an image of my set-up.

Wow, this is what I call low tech innovation at its best. Love it !
You just proved something to be working perfecly that I thought of for digitizing some of my slides. I have got one of these 200mm Micros as well and wasn't sure about using it for this purpose or not. Considering the age of the slides the quality you achieved is pretty remarkable and I bet I would be able to beat the quality of my old Minolta Dimage Dual Scan by quite a margin .

 

[Niels.hr.Hansen]

Very straight forward setup. I'm sure you can make a similar setup with other macro lenses.
The D850 actually have a special program mode for this kind of shooting, and you can buy a special slide holder. However the program will only work with Nikon 40mm, 60mm and 105 mm Macro lenses. I had hoped that I could use the program with my Sigma 105 mm macro, but no it cannot be enabled.
Think image quality here talks for the validity of the method.