How to digitize 35mm film with the Nikon ES-2 with both the 60mm 2.8 and 55mm 2.8 macro lenses.

You will learn how to digitize 35mm color, black and white negatives and slides in 2x2 mounts using the Nikon ES-2 film digitizing adapter. You will see examples of color and black and white images digitized using a Nikon mirrorless camera.
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[@josephkrause3111]

As a longtime Nikon user with a large archive of BW film negatives, I found Jule's Vuotto's video very useful. I have been using the D850 for nearly two years and plan to digitize some of that archive using the this adapter. A very clear explanation. Thank you.

[@deannajohnson183]

Absolutely priceless video! Thank you for the detailed information 😊

[@MrRom92DAW]

I believe the sharpest aperture on the 55/2.8 is f/4, but honestly this is one of Nikon’s best, it’s very sharp at every aperture!

[@johndn9238]

This is a really useful, factual video, concise and well explained. Many thanks.

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

Thank you.

[@John_Krone]

Awesome video. I happen to own a Z7, FTZ and a 60mm 2.8D Micro Nikkor so this really caught my attention. I scan with a epson flatbed but I'm really interested in this option. Thank you so much!

[@philmtx3fr]

Thanks Jules. Very good explanations for this useful accessory that I didn’t t know one month ago. I previously used just one to maintain the negative but this Nikon accessory seems very well done and I get the famous (and really exquisite ) 60mm’f2.8 so it will be probably in my photo case shortly :). In France it seems more expensive than in the US at more than 170€ so 200$ :(.

[@Brian.Melnyk]

Great work with this!

[@sethparelman5485]

Just picked up an ES2 to go with my D750. Have a lot of my parent’s slide and negatives from the ‘50/‘60’s to digitize. I appreciate the tutorial you did and seeing the former Mayor in your photo brings back memories of my youth growing up in Philly.

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

Thank you

[@nicolacammisa5205]

5:55 I agree that capturing the emulsion side is just a waste of time for when later you will have to flip the image horizontally!

[@danielfraga]

great job !! very usefull video...

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

Thank you. Glad you found it useful.

[@petervisima4798]

Jules, this is brilliant. Thank you! I have the excellent Nikon Z MC 105, and did cobble together a Frankenstein bit of extension tubes to make it work with the ES-2, but it's not ideal. I was seriously contemplating buying the Nikon Z 50mm macro just for doing slide and negative digitizing. But then YOU showed me the way with a Nikon 55mm f/2.8 that I just happen to have! I ordered a single 52mm to 62mm step-up ring from Amazon, and instead of the Nikon PK-13, I found a cheap extension tube set, one of which is 28mm, so I should be good to go. You just saved me $829 Canadian dollars on buying the Z 50 micro. I am 100% that this will work, so thank you so very much.

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

Glad my video saved you some money. Let me know how it works out.

[@Brian.Melnyk]

I would like to hear more about your FrankenScan for the 105macro.

[@RichardBabuMemoirs]

Did the alternative for PK-13, which you mentioned (28mm), did it work well?

[@lumenlarry6197]

Thanks Jules! This is a great tutorial and even covers Lightroom...amazing. I've been thinking about getting the 60mm micro 2.8G and I think you said it will work so I'll be looking for one. Love Nikon old and new.. and how the Z6ii with FTZ works with the F glass & D lenses. Nikon takes care of longtime users like no one else.

[@Pierceb2]

You read my mind. As a really longtime Nikon owner and user I have really valued the way Nikon always engineered their equipment to be backward compatible with many prior iterations of their lens mounts etc. No other manufacturer did this, I surmise to make older but expensive equipment obsolete. Jules did an outstanding presentation of offering several 31:00 down rings and extension tubes are a solution for many brands of cameras and lenses with the Nikon ES-2 . Their are also knock-offs of the ES-2 The problem with the reproduction ratio of the lens could have also been taken care of with an old Nikon Copy Bellows Cheap bought used). There is an old paperback book on the Nikon System that shows many examples of using lenses with extension tubes etc. That give you the reproduction ratios, changes in Minimum focusing distance and f- loss / exposure compensation. There are several other good videos on KZbin on the ES 2 which show other methods to get the best raw files out of the camera and using SnapBridge to manage each shot as well as HDR with a weak or underexposed or overexposed negatives or slides to create a better Raw files to work with. Also try and use the native resolution of your digital camera censor which is ISO 64 for the D850 to eliminate sensor noise in the raw file.

[@lumenlarry6197]

Thanks for more information!! Glad I checked back on this video for comments. I'm learning a ton from Jules and his followers...

[@irving2451]

Thanks a lot!

[@ceedelosreyes6357]

Nice review, useful into. It would have been good to hear how you thought the ES-2 results compared to the shop scans you got done. I understand this device works well on the D850 with its built in camera digitiser/image reversal function. Outside of lens choice, the big questions is how good the results are in comparison to slide scanners. A modern 45m pixel sensor might give better results for 35mm film than even a pro flextight scanner, which are long in the tooth now, but come into their own for medium/large formats.

[@joachimlindback]

Recommended to set the whitebalance to the source light.

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

Correct.

[@johnwayne8114]

Great video. Not many on the 55mm 2.8 with extension rings. Small clarification though: there was no Ai version for it, only for the older f3.5 55mm Micro.

[@mrsusan893]

I'm getting the adapter for my Z7 soon. I think your much better off using software like Negative Lab Pro to convert and colour correct all of your images as you'll get much more accurate results.

[@khanscombe619]

I like using TTL / i-TTL flash (just because i always have around) w/ camera manual f8 @ 125 .on Nikon Bellows Slide adapter but this seams so mor3 modern & compact. I can tale it w/ me.

[@elifan2523]

Great tutorial! I have a tokina 100mm f2.8 at-x macro lens with a 55mm filter thread, do you think it would work?

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

I don't think so. The 100mm would require the negative or slide to be further away from the front of the lens than the Nikon adapters allow. You may be able to use a 50mm lens with extension tubes, such as the Nikkor 50mm 2.0.

[@elifan2523]

@@julesvuottosphotofocus4696 That’s what I was afraid of. Thanks for taking your time to answer 👍

[@n1k1george]

I also have a Tokina 100mm F/2.8 ATX Macro. It requires an addition of 55mm (2x27.5mm) of extension tubes and a 55mm-52mm step down ring, but I got it to work perfectly using an older ES-1 copier attachment. Using a calibrated strobe for consistent light output and imaging onto my Nikon D810 @F8, I get images as good as scanning.

[@ronaldmoravec2692]

I just scanned 60 exposures my son did in Rocky Mountain National Park. I developed the film pull processing and all was perfect. The only issue with the system is the film holder slips up by the weight of 4 frames on opposite side pulliing it down. Sloppy engineering. I cut shims to keep it square. A good table saw or hand saw + planing jig is required.

[@cartermac64]

I just bought a D700 and its great. Can I ask, would it be good enough for scanning 35mm film? cheers

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

I think it will work out fine.

[@RavindraNayakch]

Nice tutorial Sir. I have only one Nikkor Z 24-70 f2.8 S lens for my Nikon Z6 Mirrorless Camera. Would it work? If not is there any S lens alternative to 60mm micro lens. Thanks

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

The 24-70 won't work, but the new 50mm Z MC 2.8 micro Nikkor might. It has a 46mm filter thread so you would need to adapt it to the ES-2. I would send an email to Nikon and ask their opinion .

[@RavindraNayakch]

@@julesvuottosphotofocus4696 Thanks for your quick reply 🙂🙏🏽

[@RichardBabuMemoirs]

Thanks for this video. I was looking a similar solution. I have a question. Can I use Nikkor 55mm 2.8 AIS without the PK-13 extension tube? I planning buy Nikkor 55m 2.8 AIS, but this PK-13 is hard to get in my country (India) . Is there any alternative for this extension tube, Can I use " 28mm FotodioX Macro Extension Tube Set for Nikon F-Mount Cameras" ?

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

You need to get to 1:1 magnification. The only way to do that with the 55 micro is with 27.5 mm of extension which the pk13 gives you or use several shorter tubes that add yo to around 27mm. Thanks for watching my video.

[@RichardBabuMemoirs]

@@julesvuottosphotofocus4696 Thanks for your response. Will 28mm extension tube give me 1:1 magnification, or it has to be exactly 27.5mm ?

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

@@RichardBabuMemoirs A 28mm tube would be fine.

[@RichardBabuMemoirs]

Thanks for taking time answering my doubts

[@tomallen6073]

How well would this work on a 24mp camera?

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

It works fine on my Z6.

[@carmelotreviso]

What new Nikon Z lenses are recommended?

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

Macro lenses are best used for this purpose. The 50mm 2.8 Z mount macro, I suppose could be used but it has a 46mm filter thread, so you would need to use step up rings to fit it to the 62mm adapter on the es2. I have not tested that setup so I can’t guarantee it will work.

[@dbenedict357]

Isn’t 64 ISO not native?

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

It is on the Z7 and D810, among others.

[@dilliboirubirosa9638]

It’s not “Naïkor”, it’s “Neekor”. Why? Because of the two Ks in Nikkor. “Nikon” can be pronounced “Naïkon” (although only people from the US do it) because there is only one K.

[@stubal00]

Thanks, nerd.

[@rechuud]

Pedant alert !!

[@snuffying]

i cant help but see that this is Mr Mackey from South Park explaining how to digitize film mmkay