BEOON Alternative for film scanning?

[Rokkor]

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Hi,

after my experience with the Reflecta scanner, I am thinking about switching to camera scanning. With the scanner results can be good but it takes quite some time.

As I have a Leica Q and a Fuji X-T1 I thought about going the BEOON and 50mm enlarger lens route with the X-T1.

BEOONs seem very rare currently. Is there anything close in terms of small size that can be disassembled easily? Otherwise I will just see if I can find a BEOON at some point.

 

Thanks!

[Doug A]

I have been using a BEOON for 5+ years, first with a Fuji X-E1 and more recently with an X-T20. Very compact, very easy to use, and very good results, but very hard to find and not inexpensive if you do. I have not seen any other copy stand setup that checks off all the boxes.

But there is another Leitz product I would have tried if I had a FF LTM mount camera (think Sony A7 with Sony-to-M and M-to-LTM adapters) and a 50/3.5 LTM Elmar lens. The BELUN is a little fixed height stand that has a 24 x 35 cutout in the base and a clamp at the top that accepts the front of the Elmar lens, plus a fixed length extension tube that goes between the lens and the camera body. The lens is focused at infinity. There are no other adjustments. Best of all, the BELUN is very easy to find (just be sure the extension tube is included) and very inexpensive. There is a very nice looking one with the original box on eBay right now for $35. 

Edited March 5, 2021 by Doug A

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[Einst_Stein]

17 hours ago, Rokkor said:

Hi,

after my experience with the Reflecta scanner, I am thinking about switching to camera scanning. With the scanner results can be good but it takes quite some time.

As I have a Leica Q and a Fuji X-T1 I thought about going the BEOON and 50mm enlarger lens route with the X-T1.

BEOONs seem very rare currently. Is there anything close in terms of small size that can be disassembled easily? Otherwise I will just see if I can find a BEOON at some point.

 

Thanks!

 I've used the similar stuff from Zeiss, and I've tried some other alternatives. Now I am settled on small tripods. 

1: The 90 degree two-way tripod release clamp helps to set the camera vertical/horizontal.
2: The long (10") tripod plate helps to adjust the cameras distance to the film.
3: The tripod quick release clamp comes with the long plate holds the camera.
4: The 2-piece acrylics is the film holder that keep the film flat.
5: The P&S camera with B+W  +10 close-up filter captures the image. This may not be the best camera/lens, you can use own choice.  

 

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Edited March 6, 2021 by Einst_Stein

[Rokkor]

Thanks go both of you. I have not found much on the BELUN. They are indeed a lot cheaper. Not sure if it is really a än alternative and which lenses would be suitable.

 

Thanks a lot for the images with the tripod! What held me back so far from the tripod approach is the time setting everything up, which most likely takes some time I guess?

[Einst_Stein]

2 hours ago, Rokkor said:

Thanks go both of you. I have not found much on the BELUN. They are indeed a lot cheaper. Not sure if it is really a än alternative and which lenses would be suitable.

 

Thanks a lot for the images with the tripod! What held me back so far from the tripod approach is the time setting everything up, which most likely takes some time I guess?

That is an illusion I had too.

When I got my Zeiss copy stand, it looks small and vertically aligned, so would save me a lot trouble. But this is what hppaned to me:

1: The copy stand is small and unbalance for most cameras. Especially mine mounts to the tripod mount on the camera. With leica copy stand, I guess it mounts to the camera lens mount, and works as a macro tube. I think you will have limited lens choices. Also, the height of the little copy stand may not be enough. Check te lens you want to use. 
(My favorite copy lens is Apo-Rodagon 75mm f4, which requires 150mm (for 35mm film) ~250mm(for 120 film) distance (height) from the film plane to the sensor.  

2: In my Zeiss copy stand, though the copy stand makes the camra facing down vertically, the weight of the camera actually could slightly bend the copy stand vertical bar, it's not really perfectly vertical.

3: The copy stand foot platform has a very small space for your film/holder. Depends on your film holder, it might be inconvenient to pace and move your film (to be at the right place under the camera). I ended up placing the film and holder under the copy stand, and moves the copy styand instead of the film from frame to frame. 

Therefore, I switched to a little tripod. The differences are:

1: There is a much larger space below the camera for the film and holder.  It's also more stable for larger cameras. 

2: With the 90degree dual tripod quick release clamp, I use the vertical clamp to hold the camera (so that the camera is facing down vertically). There is no adjustment at all for leveling. As long as the bench is flat, the camera would be perfectly vertical to the bench plane (even though the bench plane may not be perfect horizontally square). 

3: The height of the camera is controlled by the long tripod plate, I adjust it once and then tighten it to kepp it unchange. This is where you may have trouble to adjust/resdjust if you need dynamically adjust enlargment scale. I think a possible solution is to have a knob/screw adjustable stuff, but I didn't spend time on that.  Anyway, I found adjust the heigh is easy, te real trouble is adust the level.

 

[250swb]

On 3/5/2021 at 12:09 PM, Rokkor said:

 

As I have a Leica Q and a Fuji X-T1 I thought about going the BEOON and 50mm enlarger lens route with the X-T1.

 

You don't need a BEOON.

 

Small copy stand

Kaiser Planolite light pad

Macro lens 50mm to 60mm ideal

film holder (Lomography Digitiizer)

Software for inverting negatives (Negative Lab Pro, Negmaster, Color Perfect depending on your editing software)

 

and as this setup will also cover other film formats it doesn't tie your hands behind your back.

[Rokkor]

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vor 7 Minuten schrieb 250swb:

You don't need a BEOON.

 

Small copy stand

Kaiser Planolite light pad

Macro lens 50mm to 60mm ideal

film holder (Lomography Digitiizer)

Software for inverting negatives (Negative Lab Pro, Negmaster, Color Perfect depending on your editing software)

 

and as this setup will also cover other film formats it doesn't tie your hands behind your back.

Thank you and yes the plano lite is on my list.

If I go this route I was thinking about a Minolta Rokkor 50mm lens.

Which copy stand would be small and could be disassembled and stowed away? The vintage ones seem rather big...

for negative conversion: which would you recommend for Mac OS to complement Capture One?

 

Thanks again for the tips!

 

[250swb]

1 hour ago, Rokkor said:

Thank you and yes the plano lite is on my list.

If I go this route I was thinking about a Minolta Rokkor 50mm lens.

Which copy stand would be small and could be disassembled and stowed away? The vintage ones seem rather big...

for negative conversion: which would you recommend for Mac OS to complement Capture One?

 

Thanks again for the tips!

 

An enlarger lens is fine if you can get an adapter, on the other hand a macro lens gets you an macro lens that can be used for other things, but both will give the flat field you need.

For a copy stand I got a hideously cheap one from eBay (around £35), but it's steady enough to hold a Nikon Z7 and 60mm macro setup just so long as you use 5s shutter delay and the wife and kids aren't practicing 'River Dance' in the same room. I use a bubble level app on my iPhone to set it up by placing the phone flat on the rear screen.

I'm not sure which negative conversion software works in Capture One, you'd have to check. I use Photoshop and that limits me to Color Perfect or Negmaster, Negmaster and Negative Lab Pro can be used in Lightroom. The point about proper conversion software is that it greatly speeds up the process and it does work for both colour or B&W although they are marketed for colour. I think there was another thread recently to say how it can be done in Capture One.

There are also numerous negative holders on the market. Using a glass or perspex sandwich to hold negatives flat isn't recommended because of the likelihood of Newton Rings. I like the Lomography holder because it's quick to load and has a clever way of clamping the film flat. It's not the cheapest but not the most expensive.

 

[Rokkor]

vor 20 Minuten schrieb 250swb:

An enlarger lens is fine if you can get an adapter, on the other hand a macro lens gets you an macro lens that can be used for other things, but both will give the flat field you need.

For a copy stand I got a hideously cheap one from eBay (around £35), but it's steady enough to hold a Nikon Z7 and 60mm macro setup just so long as you use 5s shutter delay and the wife and kids aren't practicing 'River Dance' in the same room. I use a bubble level app on my iPhone to set it up by placing the phone flat on the rear screen.

I'm not sure which negative conversion software works in Capture One, you'd have to check. I use Photoshop and that limits me to Color Perfect or Negmaster, Negmaster and Negative Lab Pro can be used in Lightroom. The point about proper conversion software is that it greatly speeds up the process and it does work for both colour or B&W although they are marketed for colour. I think there was another thread recently to say how it can be done in Capture One.

There are also numerous negative holders on the market. Using a glass or perspex sandwich to hold negatives flat isn't recommended because of the likelihood of Newton Rings. I like the Lomography holder because it's quick to load and has a clever way of clamping the film flat. It's not the cheapest but not the most expensive.

 

Haha.😅 still have to laugh bout the riverdance comparison.

 

Thanks a lot for the lens recommendations.
 

also: Yes a copy stand would fit the purpose I guess. I just have not really discovered a small footprint one yet. So if anyone has a good recommendation? This is my main question still. Thanks to all.

And yes for conversion software or seems more limited in a Capture One setup. However what I found so far are those two Maybe interesting for some Capture One forum members here:

 

• Darktable (very manual but standalone)

• Color Perfect standalone

• FilmLab standalone 

• Analogue Toolbox Plug-in for Capture One

• CNMY (for Affinity Photo which itself is currently 50% discounted)

•RawTherapee

 

Edited March 8, 2021 by Rokkor
Text

[250swb]

2 hours ago, Rokkor said:

Yes a copy stand would fit the purpose I guess. I just have not really discovered a small footprint one yet. So if anyone has a good recommendation? This is my main question still. 

Try searching eBay for 'CS320 copy stand'. That's the one I got for it's size because it fits on my desk. I do have a larger more robust copy stand but don't feel it's needed given no great height is required, besides which it take up too much space. If you want to spend more do a search for 'LPL copy stand', these are very nice but pricey.

[Rokkor]

vor 13 Stunden schrieb Einst_Stein:

That is an illusion I had too.

When I got my Zeiss copy stand, it looks small and vertically aligned, so would save me a lot trouble. But this is what hppaned to me:

1: The copy stand is small and unbalance for most cameras. Especially mine mounts to the tripod mount on the camera. With leica copy stand, I guess it mounts to the camera lens mount, and works as a macro tube. I think you will have limited lens choices. Also, the height of the little copy stand may not be enough. Check te lens you want to use. 
(My favorite copy lens is Apo-Rodagon 75mm f4, which requires 150mm (for 35mm film) ~250mm(for 120 film) distance (height) from the film plane to the sensor.  

2: In my Zeiss copy stand, though the copy stand makes the camra facing down vertically, the weight of the camera actually could slightly bend the copy stand vertical bar, it's not really perfectly vertical.

3: The copy stand foot platform has a very small space for your film/holder. Depends on your film holder, it might be inconvenient to pace and move your film (to be at the right place under the camera). I ended up placing the film and holder under the copy stand, and moves the copy styand instead of the film from frame to frame. 

Therefore, I switched to a little tripod. The differences are:

1: There is a much larger space below the camera for the film and holder.  It's also more stable for larger cameras. 

2: With the 90degree dual tripod quick release clamp, I use the vertical clamp to hold the camera (so that the camera is facing down vertically). There is no adjustment at all for leveling. As long as the bench is flat, the camera would be perfectly vertical to the bench plane (even though the bench plane may not be perfect horizontally square). 

3: The height of the camera is controlled by the long tripod plate, I adjust it once and then tighten it to kepp it unchange. This is where you may have trouble to adjust/resdjust if you need dynamically adjust enlargment scale. I think a possible solution is to have a knob/screw adjustable stuff, but I didn't spend time on that.  Anyway, I found adjust the heigh is easy, te real trouble is adust the level.

 

Thank you for all this information. Interesting to read about your experience. It still seems the BEOON is a very interesting device. Would your setup work with a Rollei Mini M-1 which I already have. What is the name of the adapter that you have mentioned?

Edited March 8, 2021 by Rokkor

[Einst_Stein]

3 hours ago, Rokkor said:

Thank you for all this information. Interesting to read about your experience. It still seems the BEOON is a very interesting device. Would your setup work with a Rollei Mini M-1 which I already have. What is the name of the adapter that you have mentioned?

Not sure about that. If the center of gravity of you camera can fall in the triangle of the tripod, it should, if the center ofof gravity of the combination of the camera and the tripod can fall in the that triangle, it should too. 

But I figured the easiest is someone's suggestion in your thread, just get a proper size copy stand.    

[bags27]

I used a tripod for a long time, then splurged on a copy stand. Since I scan both MF and FF, it's much easier to adjust a copy stand than a tripod. 

I've gone to scanning with a camera that takes one of these, and that's been nothing short of amazing. No more self-timer or camera shake: 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/765659-REG/Vello_RS_C1II_RS_C1II_Wired_Remote_Switch.html

Edited March 9, 2021 by bags27

[Einst_Stein]

24 minutes ago, bags27 said:

I used a tripod for a long time, then splurged on a copy stand. Since I scan both MF and FF, it's much easier to adjust a copy stand than a tripod. 

I've gone to scanning with a camera that takes one of these, and that's been nothing short of amazing. No more self-timer or camera shake: 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/765659-REG/Vello_RS_C1II_RS_C1II_Wired_Remote_Switch.html

Copy stand is the most straightforward solution. Also the shutter cable is indeed very helpful. 

Just in case yu already have a convenient tripod and do not want to investigate on a copy stand (usually more expensive), this is something to help you adjust the vertical alignment and the distance between the film and  the camera.

1: Desmond D-290 90 Degree Double Clamp D290 B&H Photo Video

2: Dot Line Adjustable Camera Platform (6.0") DL-0322 B&H (bhphotovideo.com); 

3: Sunwayfoto Macro Focusing Rail with Screw-Knob Clamp MFR-150S (bhphotovideo.com)

Depends on the quality of the copy stand, tripod might be stronger that the copy stand vertical pole.

 

Edited March 9, 2021 by Einst_Stein

[Rokkor]

Thank you all for your comments. I believe for technical savvy people the tripod is a very good option with the equipment you listet Einst-Stein. Seems a very clever setup. 

I think I will stick to the copy stand approach. The Kaiser Reprokid seems a budget version that is (relatively) small and can be disassembled. At the same time I still think the BEOON is still super interesting because of its small footprint and in the little box it does not take much space. Maybe I need to be patient to find one at some point. 

Please let me know if you are selling one. 

 

Thanks again. 

[humerc]

I am also searching for options to scan 35mm film with my M10-D at the moment. The best solution seems to be the BEOON, but it is more or less impossible to find one...

So I am in search for alternative solutions to scan with my setup. So far I haven't found what I really need. 

If somebody uses an digital M without the BEOON to scan film, I would be highly interested in the setup!

[Peter Zapp]

Novoflex offers a multiple devices:

• Castel-Cop-Digi, for use with focusing racks Castel-L, Castel-Q or Castel-min

• Macro Repro Stand with slide copier

• Balcop with matching bellows, i.e. Balmin-AS for Minolta SLR (pre-AF)

• Balcop glued to Proson's 200mm insert

[Rokkor]

Thanks for those seemingly good alternatives.

 

I was lucky to find a mint BEOON full set for a good price and got a Rodagon Enlarger Lens APO 50mm N. Now I only need light and am ready for scanning and shooting more film.🙂

[gbealnz]

Try it first then with whatever "tablet" you possess. I tried my Samsung a while back, and also a vintage iPad. I bought when traveling through HK an LED flat pane, about A5 size, and now use this. Whatever you use later, try now the first thing(s) you have, and fine tune it from there.

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[250swb]

If people were mesmerised with the BEOON because it's the best or cheapest I'd understand the hype, but it is neither the best, or the cheapest, or the most versatile option.