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  2. Camera scanning (negatives), spectral lighting testing, Dynamic range tests
  3. Camera scanning negatives and slides

Modified Negative Carrier

Modified PhotoSolve Extend-a-Slide 35mm film carrier. And how I use it.
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Shows how the art tape is secured on the front of the Extend-a-slide. The art tape isn't sticky enough to hold itself--it needs the Scotch tape.
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Shows how the art tape is secured on the front of the Extend-a-slide. The art tape isn't sticky enough to hold itself--it needs the Scotch tape.

  • I used Art tape (which appears to be black electrician's tape cut so it is 1/8" wide.) I got the Art Tape at Staples.
  • I cut 1/8" strips from a piece of cardboard like this. This cardboard is about the correct thickness and is hard and compact.
  • I cut two of the 1/8" strips of cardboard so they are about 2 3/4" long. I centered them one in the film sprocket area and covered them with two pieces of art tape that are long enough to wrap around to the front of the disk. I secured the ends of the art tape with small strips of Scotch tape.<br /> <br /> I left the bottom of the cardboard unsecured so I can slip pieces of paper under the cardboard as shims. To adjust the tension against the film sprocket hole areas. Too loose, and the film isn't held flat. Too tight and I can't feed the film.
  • I cut two of the 1/8" strips of cardboard so they are slightly longer than the image area. I cut pieces of art tape so they are about 4 1/4" long (so they wrap completely around the slide mount with a bit of overlap. (This side faces the film.). Repeat for the other side.
  • It is now ready to install on the Extend-a-Slide.
  • Shows how the art tape is secured on the front of the Extend-a-slide. The art tape isn't sticky enough to hold itself--it needs the Scotch tape.
  • Carrier mounted on Extend-a-Slide. Illuminated by softbox with CFL lamps. It is diffused by three layers of Rosco #3026 "Tough White" one stop diffusing material. (The original plastic disk has about three stops of loss.) A single layer on the frame that is closest to the softbox. Two layers on the frame that is closest to the Extend-a-Slide. Position the two stop diffuser so it is as close to the Extend-a-Slide *without* coming into focus when the lens is focused onto a negative. (Insert negative into carrier, manually focus, remove negative and ensure that the diffuser panel isn't in focus.)<br /> <br /> A piece of the plastic disk will work also, but the Rosco diffusion material is lighter and is easier to suspend with clips. (In this case, Radio Shack clamp-on microphone stand adapters (part number 33-372) mounted on goosenecks and mike stands that I already had.)
  • Shoot RAW and open in ACR (or other RAW converter.) Adjust the color temperature controls so that the histogram doesn't clip on either end. (I'm not sure about the optimum way to set the color temperature controls for negatives to set it up for subsequent color conversion--I'm still experimenting.)<br /> <br /> Update. I upgraded to CS6. Now I get best results by first shooting a blank frame and then doing a custom white balance on this. Shoot the rest of the images. Then open each image in ACR 7.x. Don't touch anything on the first tab. Go to Point Curve (2nd tab) and go through each of the R, G, and B curves. Invert each channel and adjust the endpoints so they don't clip. After doing all three R, G, and B curves the image should look almost decent. <br /> <br /> If there is a color cast, add a center control point to the appropriate curve. Adjust this point to fix the color cast. But don't attempt to make it perfect at this point.<br /> <br /> Then export as 16 bits into PhotoShop and finish the color adjustments. Rotate and crop as needed. I usually head to Curves and click on "Auto" to get a head start. Tweak each of the R, G, and B curves. Here I tend to add multiple control points.
  • Convert negative with your choice of tools. In this case, I used PhotoShop's Levels and Curves tools.
  • 100 percent crop of converted negative which shows how much detail the image has. If you aren't looking at this in Slideshow mode, hover over the image and select "Original" View Size to actually see it at 100% size.
  • Shot done natively on Canon 60D, made at the same time as the film shot. (I used the same 60D to digitize the negative with the Extend-a-Slide, so this native shot has to "win" in terms of resolution. But the image digitized with the Xtend-a-Slide doesn't fall too far behind, IMO.)
  • 100% crop of shot done natively on my Canon 60D.
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