52 18 April 2020 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
Testbench ACCESSORIES
IN AN issue of AP that’s dedicated to all things
fi lm-related, it seems fi tting to feature a
fi lm-based accessory in our Testbench pages.
As its name suggests, Nikon’s ES-2 fi lm
digitising kit is designed to convert images shot
on 35mm fi lm into high-quality digital fi les and
is an intriguing alternative to using a more
conventional fi lm scanner. Launched at the
same time as the Nikon D850 in 2017, it is
also compatible with the newly released Nikon
D780, which like the D850, features a fi lm
digitising function that automatically reverses
the colour of negative fi lm and allows users to
record a high-resolution JPEG image. The
other stipulation is that it’s attached to a true
1:1 macro lens. Nikon recommends the ES-2
be used with the Nikkor AF-S DX 40mm
f/2.8G Micro, Nikkor AF 60mm f/2.8D Micro
or Nikkor AF-S 60mm f/2.8G ED.Getting set up
Fitting the ES-2 adapter to the Nikkor AF-S
DX 40mm f/2.8G Micro couldn’t be easier – it
simply screws directly onto the front of the lens
via the fi lter thread. With Nikon’s 60mm macro
lenses you need to use one of the 62mm
adapters that are supplied in the box. For
testing, I coupled the Nikkor AF-S 60mm
f/2.8G ED to the D780 before attaching the
ES-2 adapter, which only took a few seconds.
With the kit you get an FH-4 fi lm holder that
holds a strip of six negatives or transparencies
as well as an FH-5 slide mount holder that lets
you slot in two slides. The fi lm holder does a
great job of keeping 35mm fi lm fl at and both
the fi lm and slide holders notch into position at
each window, helping to ensure each slide,
negative or transparency is framed centrally.
Thanks to the ES-2’s diffuser screen, good
results can be obtained shooting towards
natural light, however it’s recommended that a
constant light source with a high colour
rendering index, such as a lightbox or high-CRI
fl uorescent lamp, is used to backlight the fi lm.
I bought a USB-powered LED light box from
Amazon for £18, which was ideal for the job.Photographing negatives
To access the Negative digitiser mode on the
D850 and D780 you need to enter Live View
mode and hit the ‘i’ menu button. From here
you’re given the choice of photographing
ALL PRICES ARE APPROXIMATE STREET PRICESmonochrome or colour negatives. If the
Nikon ES-2 Film
Digitising Kit
Michael Topham tests a kit designed to
convert images shot on fi lm into digital fi les
● £149 ● http://www.nikon.co.uk
Diffuser
screen
Thisdiffusesthelight
source(preferablya light
boxorhigh-CRIfluorescent
lamp)toensurethefilm
is evenlylit.Usermanual
TheES-2comeswitha
helpfulusermanualwith
illustrationsandtipsonhowto
setupandusetheadapter
withmacrolenses.exposure appears too light or too dark (we
recommend shooting in aperture priority mode
with an aperture of f/8 and ISO 100), there’s
the option to adjust the brightness by up to fi ve
steps from the OK button. To achieve the
sharpest results possible, I also locked the
camera off on a tripod. Helpfully, the Negative
digitiser mode automatically engages the
camera’s electronic front-curtain shutter to
prevent shutter shock causing any issues.
Whether you focus manually or rely on the
camera’s autofocus is up to you, however it’s
worth inspecting focus at a high magnifi cation
in Live View using the zoom buttons before
fi ring the shutter. It’s also worth noting that all
photographs taken using Negative digitiser
mode are saved in the JPEG format, even if
the image quality happens to be previously set
to raw. For the very best results users will want
to double-check Fine JPEG is selected.Verdict
Whereas many fi lm scanners le
multitude of different formats o
fi les, the ES-2 fi lm adapter is m
that it only lets you digitise 35m
there’s the matter of requiring
camera as well as a compatible
you happen to own the correct
like the sound of creating high-
fi les of your prized 35mm neg ,
it’s a good buy for the price. Those who do
consider it will want to bear in mind that it’s not
the fastest means of digitising fi lm though and
you will be required to make basic adjustments
on your computer, such as cropping the image,
before you have your fi nal result. In summary
then, the ES-2 fi lm digitising kit does what it
sets out to do well. It’s a handy way to create
high-quality digital fi les for printing and sharing,
however it’s only useful for some Nikon users.Lockingscrew
LoosentheES-2’slocking
screwandtheadaptercanbe
rotatedorpushedin andout
toadjusttheangleofview.