dslr + enlarger film scanning

soti · 05-27-2017, 06:21 AM - **2 Likes**

While waiting for my other darkroom equipment to arrive, I wanted to digitize the negatives. I ended up using my enlarger without the lens as a negative holder + light table. Luckily you can turn it sideways, as if to project the photo on a wall. I used an M42 bellows with a 50mm Takumar at the smallest extension (2-3 cm). This gave me a comfortable working distance of about 15 cm, and the negative almost completely filled the frame. The enlarger has quite strong light, so you can easily shoot at f8.

The resulting photo is grainy, but I quite like the effect!

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ppohja · 05-27-2017, 07:58 AM

Nice idea, I'll need to try this at my local darkroom too!

soti · 05-27-2017, 12:21 PM

Originally posted by ppohja

Nice idea, I'll need to try this at my local darkroom too!

Thanks! It took a while to find a good working combo. I tried first with a 28mm close-focusing lens, but it was too wide. So I ended up with the 50mm on bellows. I don't really like using the M42 bellows on the K20D, because its annoying to mount it on the camera - the protruding flash blocks the bellows from screwing into the adapter nicely. But so far I didn't find K bellows for cheap

leekil · 05-27-2017, 09:12 PM

How do you focus? Are you basically focusing the enlarger on the camera's sensor plane?

soti · 05-28-2017, 02:18 AM

Originally posted by leekil

How do you focus? Are you basically focusing the enlarger on the camera's sensor plane?

No, I have removed the lens from the enlarger. I focus with the bellows + moving the whole camera on the tripod. I focus on the film itself. I only use the enlarger as a comfortable light table, with nicely clamped down negatives.

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05-27-2017, 07:58 AM	#2
ppohja Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 194	Nice idea, I'll need to try this at my local darkroom too!

05-27-2017, 12:21 PM	#3
soti Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Leuven Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 65 Original Poster	Originally posted by ppohja Nice idea, I'll need to try this at my local darkroom too! Thanks! It took a while to find a good working combo. I tried first with a 28mm close-focusing lens, but it was too wide. So I ended up with the 50mm on bellows. I don't really like using the M42 bellows on the K20D, because its annoying to mount it on the camera - the protruding flash blocks the bellows from screwing into the adapter nicely. But so far I didn't find K bellows for cheap

05-27-2017, 09:12 PM	#4
leekil Pentaxian Join Date: May 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 2,003	How do you focus? Are you basically focusing the enlarger on the camera's sensor plane?

05-28-2017, 02:18 AM	#5
soti Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Leuven Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 65 Original Poster	Originally posted by leekil How do you focus? Are you basically focusing the enlarger on the camera's sensor plane? No, I have removed the lens from the enlarger. I focus with the bellows + moving the whole camera on the tripod. I focus on the film itself. I only use the enlarger as a comfortable light table, with nicely clamped down negatives.