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D700 for Slide Copies


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6 replies to this topic

#1
masterdrago

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I'm wanting to copy hundreds of Velvia slides to digital. I've found my D700 will get the full frame using what I have. A D700, Nikkor 55mm 3.5, PS-6 Slide Copying Attachment, & PB-6 Bellows. It's 12.1 mp. I've got a D7500 that is 20mp but I cannot get the full frame of the slide using the D7500 and even the shorter 45mm GN Nikkor. I'm wanting to possibly make 16x20 prints or put the images in a 14x17 photo book. I'll consider trading the D700 for a D750 if need be but would rather not due to cost and not needing any more bodies. My question is will the D700 be adequate to make such pictures from the slides with only 12mp?



#2
Merco_61

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What will be the viewing distance for the 16x20 prints? If they are to go on a wall, 200 ppi is more than sufficient but if they are to be scrutinized at a pixel peeping photo club gathering, you need in the region of 300 ppi.

I have made 100x150 cm (roughly 40x60") exhibition prints from 12 MP, but then the works are roped-off so the viewing distance is 1.8 meters (2 yards) or more.

 

If the photo book is rasterized, anything over 150 ppi is surplus to requirement.



#3
masterdrago

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What will be the viewing distance for the 16x20 prints? If they are to go on a wall, 200 ppi is more than sufficient but if they are to be scrutinized at a pixel peeping photo club gathering, you need in the region of 300 ppi.

I have made 100x150 cm (roughly 40x60") exhibition prints from 12 MP, but then the works are roped-off so the viewing distance is 1.8 meters (2 yards) or more.

 

If the photo book is rasterized, anything over 150 ppi is surplus to requirement.

Merco, if I make anything near 16x20, they will be hallway and living room prints taken on an Alaska backpacking trip in 1995. Yes, I actually lugged an FE2 w/24 2.8, 1st time I hiked Alaska! I do understand that a 12mp file will never get all there is in a full frame 35mm Velvia slide but I do not plan on making anything larger than 20" wide. The photo book will be made by Shutterfly as they have made a few dozen for me. When doing the books on their web page, I sometimes get a warning the file resolution is not good enough. I've always ignored the warning and the printed photos have always looked just fine. Thanks for your input.



#4
Bengan

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I have found (for normal personal use) that a scan of 2400 dpi is enough resolution. I made tests with higher resolution, but could only see a slight improvement when pixel peeping.

If my math isn't way off 2400 dpi gives approx. 8 mp, so your 12 mp should be more than enough.

I view my scanned slides on a 55 inch OLED screen



#5
Merco_61

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Velvia resolves 160 lines per millimeter. This means that you need 87 MP to outresolve the film if the lens used was perfect. Velvia easily outresolved even the best macro lenses we had in the film days, so the resolution of the optics is the limiting factor here. I have a feeling that the information in the slide when reproed with a 55/3.5 is probably in the region of 16-20 MP in real life, so the loss from the 12 MP sensor doesn't mean that much.



#6
masterdrago

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So, thanks to answers here, I'll save some green. The hardware I'm using (not the D700) were acquired a couple decades ago for this future purpose. The D700 was purchased used only a few years ago from Adorama because I wanted an FX DSLR and only has 27k clicks. I've taken several test shots at f3.5-8 with f8 clearly being better. Two questions. I've read somewhere that some kind of focus adjustment might be made in the camera to correct any issue with shift. Not sure the D700 can do that - no mention in the manual. Also the 55 3.5 is not a cpu lens but I will be using focus assist (the little triangles & circle in viewfinder). Next question... What might the optimum aperture setting be for slide copying?



#7
Merco_61

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@1:1, the 55/3.5 is at optimum contrast @f/8. Closing the aperture more will lead to diffraction.

Focusing in Liveview while zoomed in will be more precise than relying on the arrows.