Film and scanner

The light box method sounds like a really good idea.

+1 for snaps. Their hi res jpegs are the best I've seen for 35mm.

I've not used the light box method, but it does sound a better option than a cheap scanner. I use an Epson V500 scanner, but I think it cost around £300 - worth it for me as I had over 20 years' worth of negatives and slides to digitise, and recently got on to a box full of B&W prints inherited from my parents, some going back to the early 1900s. I still take (and digitise) the occasional roll of film or slides with an ME Super for the different results it gives.

I think slide film works better than negatives for scanning, it seems less susceptible to dust and scratches (or at least easier to repair), and the colours and light levels give more scope post-processing.

Here are two examples:

MZ50 with 28-80 zoom using ISO64 Kodachrome (slide). Original scan 1200dpi. https://www.pentaxuser.com/photo/funchal-from-monte-palace-gardens-78433/large

ME Super with 50mm f2 prime using ISO200 Agfa (negative). Original scan 2400dpi. https://www.pentaxuser.com/photo/dillington-house-24639/large

Here's a couple of images with neither technical nor artistic merit from slide and negative from pictures taken in Malta at least 40 years ago using a light box and DSLR as described. These were just be way of experimentation so I didn't give much thought to making the best of the various modes on the DSLR, or was overly worried about keeping the film flat, so these could likely be improved upon.

Edit:
The images on my computer have much better definition on zooming in than on the ones in the post here. some sort of quality reduction for posting I assume.

Remember, if you 'scan' using your DLSR you can take multiple pictures and quickly photomerge them in PS to reveal the full resolution of your medium format slides.
I just taped some slides to a piece of white, translucent acrylic, hung it on my Lastolite light wall (flashes inside) surrounded the slide with black card, set the camera on a tripod, dead straight and hey presto!
14 bit scan with far more resolution than you'll ever need (grain limit).
Saved myself £1700 on a medium format film scanner.
Wetting the film will help get it flat.
Very, very simple to lash up a light box with a flash inside and easier to work with the camera pointing down.

Just get something like a Pentax slide holder and a large
globe type low wattage bulb. Hand held is OK and quick.

One sold one ebay the other day ebay_finished.

I've got the same thing with a built in helicoid.

The bracketed shots sounds like a good idea.

--

Isn't the issue with copying negs and slides the amount of PP you have to do to get close to the original? Or is the software with the scanner all you need?

I have found "scanning" B&W negatives with my DSLR later requires very little PP. I don't have any slides to try. I've tried with colour negatives but not found a way to remove the orange mask of the film, so I rely on my Epson V500 for colour scans, but it does a very poor job, at least on 135. I can't understand why no-one has released software yet to remove the orange mask of colour negatives scanned in this way.

Use Faststone and then click on the negative option on the left hand menu. Job done.

I wouldn't wet the film in this way - you'll risk swelling the base and damaging the emulsion, particularly if it's old film. You need a non-polar solvent - when "wet-mounting" for scanning a high quality oil is typically used. With modern films I've had a lot of success with Sansodor low odour solvent for fine arts. A small bottle will last a long time. I've not tried it with older films though, so if you do, please try it on a damaged/not wanted test negative first.

Yes, I didn't mean run it under the tap. Sorry, bit brief

Unfortunately that doesn't work. The negative image has a strong blue tone, the result of the orange mask (blue being the negative of orange).

There are loads of tutorials on the net for scanning negatives
as well a youtube videos such as this one I just found. I've not
watched all of it so I don't know if it's any good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pfQ61WTbug

--

Faststone also has colour adjustment settings. A bit of a fiddle at first but once you have the settings then it quick.