Leica macro adapter for film scans

[vvp]

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Hi,

I am considering buying a Leica Macro Adapter (1:2) to use it (besides taking shots) for scanning the 35mm film negatives. The camera is Leica M10.

What kind of lenses would it work with for these purposes, if at all? Would 50/35mm lenses produce acceptable results?

How do I calculate the magnification and the reproduction ratio for these purposes?

Thank you in advance.

[SARobinson]

I'm currently using an M10, Macro Adapter and 35mm Summicron to digitise 35mm negs and slides. It works very well and after cropping to the image edge I get a file about 5200 x 3400 pixels.

[FDS]

I am using the focusing tube 14652 together with a Leitz 50mm f4.5 Focotar-2 enlarging lens (flat field) to copy 35mm colour slides and b&w negatives.   

 

The lens is mounted onto the 14652 via a screw to m adapter and I add intermediary tubes 17675 and 16615.   I use a Gitzo tripod as a 'copy-stand', a light box for illumination and place the item to be copied a few inches above the light-box.  You can use film holders for scanners (such as Nikon FH-2) or an enlarger film carrier  to hold the particular frame flat.  I raise/lower the camera and focus with the rear screen at high magnification with the lens wide open (not always easy at 1:1 or thereabouts).  I don't mind cropping a small amount so I'm not worried about 'calculations'.  Obviously, it's important to use a spirit-level to check alignment of camera with the film.    

Other pointers:  I have the emulsion side of the item to be copied facing up and stop down to f9.5 or 11 for best DOF (at f16 the lens isn't quite as sharp due to diffraction). 

For the slides, I am using an M10 and for the b&w negs an M10-Monochrom.  For processing, LR-6 does the job well and I enjoy spending hours on a particular image to get wonderful results.  (Negatives can be converted to positive and 'flopped' quite easily in LR.)  

I hope this helps for starters and there are various videos on you tube that can be helpful, too.  

 

 

Edited May 29, 2020 by FDS
correct punctuation

[spydrxx]

Although I use a different camera, I find that a 50mm lens with either tubes or macro capabilities stopped down to f/8 works just fine for slide duplication and 35mm negative scanning as well as medium format negative scans. 

[vvp]

Thank you everybody for your replies. Seems that the macro adapter will work fine for these purposes with the lenses that I have.

A wonderful journey lies ahead!

[Jürgen]

Please show us some images of the scan device  where we can see how it works

Edited May 30, 2020 by Jürgen

[Jon Warwick]

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I too am very interested in digitising my films, so this thread is really interesting.

I have an SL2 and M 75mm Summarit (min focus of 0.7m) and M-L adapter.

The minimum focus clearly does not allow me to get close enough .... ie I take a photo of a small negative within a large frame.

So to clarify, and apologies if these are daft questions but I really don’t get it ...:

- What would the min focus of an M lens effectively become with the Leica Macro Adapter 14652? 

- ie, would it then allow me to get close enough so that a 35mm film negative then FULLY fills the frame (if using a 75mm M lens)?
 

- .....or does this set-up still require me to crop a lot of wasted frame around the edges of my shot in order to isolate just the negative itself? 

- if not, can one get close enough with an M lens to do this? In that case, how is it done .... extra extension tubes etc?

Edited May 30, 2020 by Jon Warwick

[luigi bertolotti]

5 hours ago, Jon Warwick said:

I too am very interested in digitising my films, so this thread is really interesting.

I have an SL2 and M 75mm Summarit (min focus of 0.7m) and M-L adapter.

The minimum focus clearly does not allow me to get close enough .... ie I take a photo of a small negative within a large frame.

So to clarify, and apologies if these are daft questions but I really don’t get it ...:

- What would the min focus of an M lens effectively become with the Leica Macro Adapter 14652? 

- ie, would it then allow me to get close enough so that a 35mm film negative then FULLY fills the frame (if using a 75mm M lens)?
 

- .....or does this set-up still require me to crop a lot of wasted frame around the edges of my shot in order to isolate just the negative itself? 

- if not, can one get close enough with an M lens to do this? In that case, how is it done .... extra extension tubes etc?

Digitising a 24x36 neg film means to make a 1:1 macro on a Full Frame digital : 1:1 is not achievable with the 14652 and a 75mm lens : you need more extension. A solution can be to stack some extension rings like the old Leitz OUFRO : they are available  (chinese made copies, I have one) or the Novoflex set (https://www.novoflex.de/en/products-637/lens-adapters/extension-tube-set-leica-m/extension-tube-set-leica-m-products.html ) ; but i doubt that combining those devices you can reach EXACTLY the 1:1 ratio needed (for the Summarit 75, min. focus 0,7 m - you need a 65mm extension - the Novoflex set is 40mm - the OUFRO 10mm... don't know the thickness of the "intermediate" Novoflex rings) : of course, the best solution would be a bellows.... or using a lens of shorter focal. 

Edited May 30, 2020 by luigi bertolotti

[tommonego@gmail.com]

I'm using a CL on a Beseler slide duplicator. The lens is a Schneider 80 f4 Componon, the lens was made for slide duplication and optimized for 1:1 so 1:2 is not far off. Flat field does help.

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[bags27]

I use my CL with the new Sigma 70 f/2.8 macro (a fantastically sharp lens). Repurposed an old tripod, and using this excellent new product to hold my negatives:

http://www.clifforth.co.uk/

Whether or not you buy his product, he has an excellent guide to scanning here:

http://www.clifforth.co.uk/howto/

[james.liam]

...or a 60R Makro on an R Adapter M.

[derleicaman]

I’m surprised nobody is talking about using a Leitz BEOON

it works quite well with my M10 and 50/2.8 Elmar-M. You could also use enlarging lenses, or other 50mm lenses

[mmx_2]

6 hours ago, derleicaman said:

I’m surprised nobody is talking about using a Leitz BEOON

it works quite well with my M10 and 50/2.8 Elmar-M. You could also use enlarging lenses, or other 50mm lenses

BEOON is great for slides! Ive used mine quite a lot. I did not find it great for negatives though. I’m thinking about building a holder for the apo macro elmarit 100 instead for that.