Over the years Nikon produced at least fourteen different film scanners in two optical resolution tiers. Early units were rated at 2700 dpi, later models at 4000 dpi optical resolution. The early units used a 6 element 4 group lens design, later going to 7 and 14 element lenses with low dispersion ED glass. The 7 and 14 element ED lenses are excellent, you can read see the test results here on this site, but what about the performance of the 6 element scanner Nikkor lens? Thanks to the loan of a Nikon Coolscan III from a friend, now I can take a look at the performance of the Scanner Nikkor 38mm f/2.8 LS30 lens (SN38) compared to the other Nikon scanner lenses and post all the results right here on this page.
Optical Resolution Ratings?
In the film era scanner manufacturers overstated the optical resolution of their scanners by 100-500%. If a scanner could reach 50% of the nominal resolution, the results would be considered good, but reaching only 20-30% of the inflated number was more common. Nikon on the other hand was one of only a handful of manufacturers to meet their optical resolution claims (Minolta was another).
Optical Resolution and DPI
Scanner manufacturer’s use dpi for film scanner optical resolution specification purposes. This is the maximum scan resolution, or sampling rate, of the CCD elements, using the definition of ISO 14473. A 2700 dpi scanner CCD should be able to read 2700 samples per inch but don’t confuse dpi and lp/mm.
Why a Scanner Lens?
Scanner optics can make fantastic macro lenses since they designed at a much higher level of correction for chromatic aberration, sharpness, distortion, and corner shading than a typical retail market macro lens. Some scanner lenses like the Scanner-Nikkor ED, and the Minolta Elite 5400 are excellent performers.
Facts First: Nikon LS30 Lens
38mm focal length
Fast f/2.8 aperture
1.3 - 1.4x magnification range
6 element 4 group design
Chromatic aberrations well controlled
About This Test
This test and all the other content on my site is completely independent and free from industry influence. I do not show ads, benefit from your purchases, use any affiliate links, or take money from anyone in the photo industry. Almost all photo sites on the web today are run for profit. I create content for this site for fun in my free time. Instead of making a few dollars from this site, I'm more concerned about teaching people to learn to use what they already have, rather than waste time and money buying more equipment. Most of us, myself included, would make far better pictures if we'd stop buying the wrong equipment and spend more time learning how to use what we already have instead.
Nikon Coolscan III LS-30 Scanner Lens
LS30 Lens Specs
Model: 38mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor Lens
Type: 35mm Film Scanner Lens
Focal length: 38mm
Iris: preset aperture lens, no iris
Maximum Aperture: f/2.8
Filter threads: None
Optical design: 6 elements in 4 groups
Optical Resolution: 2700 dpi (manufacturer spec)
Recommended magnification: 1.3x
Recommended magnification range: usable range is 1.3x - 1.4x
Lens coverage: APS-C
Lens mount: None. RafCamera mount adapter for the LS30 is available.
Coolscan III Scanner Specs
Sensor width: 32mm
CCD: 2592 pixels wide
Optical resolution: 2700 dpi (manufacturer spec)
Scan area: 24.3 x 36.5mm
Effective area: 23.3 x 34.7mm
Used market price in 2020: $40-60 USD for LS30 scanners sold for repair or parts only.
LS30 Notes:
-Introduced in 1998 at $995 USD retail price.
-Successor to the Nikon Coolscan II (LS-20) priced at $1,895 USD.
-Replaced by the Nikon Coolscan IV ED (LS-40 ED) in 2001 for $900 USD.
-Coolscan name comes from the LED light source, some older Nikon scanners used a halogen light source.
What I like
Great price/performance ratio
Good sharpness
Fast aperture
Good chromatic aberration control
Nice coverage
Compact size
What I don’t like
Lack of an iris
Lack of a lens mount
Short focal length can limit the min. mag. on some cameras with a long Flange Focal Distance such as Nikon F-mount.
38mm f/2.8 Scanner nikkor lens 2500 Pixel Sample
The image quality out of the SN38 lens is clean and sharp from corner to corner, click on the image above to see the 2500 pixel sample made at 1.4x.
Click on the image above to open a 2500 pixel image in a new window, check the size of the image by looking at the URL, it should end in 2500. If its not change the number to 2500 and hit enter. You can also right or two-finger click and open in a new tab or save-as to open in the image in another application.
38mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor 1.4x test setup
Camera: Sony α6300, model # ILCE-6300, also known as: A6300
Sensor size: APS-C. 23.5 × 15.6 mm. 28.21 mm diagonal. 3.92 micron sensor pitch
Flash: Godox TT350s wireless flash x 2 with one Godox X1s 2.4G wireless flash transmitter
Vertical stand: Nikon MM-11 with a Nikon focus block
For this test a stack of images was made with 5µ (5 micron) steps and the sharpest frame was then chosen using Photoshop at 100% actual pixel view. Separate images were selected for each crop area. Each image was processed in PS CC with identical settings with all noise reduction and lens correction turned off, all settings were zeroed out (true zero) and the same settings were used for all of the images. All of the images shown here are single files.
Center, edge and corner crop areas highlighted in blue.
1.4x Test: 38mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor vs Canon MP-E 65 f/2.8 lens
Canon MP-E 65 was tested at f/4.5. Due to the high contrast of the target wafer, chromatic aberrations were excessive at wider apertures.
Sharpness looks lightly better with the Scanner Nikkor in the center crop. Chromatic aberrations are well controlled with the SN, but the MP-E is showing a red glow, even in this center crop. See the glow around the edges of the blue square in the far upper left corner in the MP-E crop.
The micro-lettering is sharp out of both lenses, with an advantage going to the MP-E if you don’t mind the red fringing around the HTP-XEROX letters, I prefer the Scanner Nikkor image with less CAs. The red fringing was a lot worse at f/2.8-4 with the MP-E.
EV6 133E34278 is crisp and sharp in both crops. The MP-E has some red fringing the black areas, the Scanner Nikkor shows blue fringing. Good results from both lenses.
38mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor vs Canon MP-E results
The MP-E has a slightly sharper details, the Scanner-Nikkor images are a little cleaner, but its close between the two lenses.
1.4x Test: 38mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor vs Rodenstock Magnagon 5.6/75 lens
The Magnagon was designed specifically for scanning and the lens tested was removed from a Fuji Lanovia sprint C-550 flatbed scanner. The Magnagon is preset at the factory for f/5.6 that is actually measured at f/6.1. This lens was tested with the factory installed red filter in place.
The Scanner Nikkor image has slightly sharper better fine lines in the brown and green areas. CAs are well controlled in both sides.
Very good sharpness from both sides in these edge crops. The Scanner Nikkor shows some mild blue fringing around the blue box in the upper left of the frame.
Very good resolution from both lenses in the corner. The Scanner Nikkor might have a very slight advantage. The Magnagon has slightly less contrast but thats easy to correct and the CAs are better controlled on the Rodenstock image side.
38mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor vs Magnagon 5.6/75 Results
The Scanner-Nikkor 38 has better sharpness and contrast with slightly more CAs than the Rodenstock at 1.4x. Both are very good at this magnification.
1.4x Test: 38mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor vs 45mm f/2.8 Coolscan IV Scanner Nikkor ED Lens
The seven element 45mm Scanner Nikkor is CA free and with sharpness and contrast on another level when compared to the 6 element Scanner Nikkor.
The 7 element 45mm Scanner Nikkor has a big advantage here.
The corner crop out of the 6 element 38mm Scanner Nikkor look good until you look to the right, the 45mm Scanner Nikkor is just fantastic in these corner crops.
38mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor vs 45mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor Results
What about the 45mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor (SN45) that sells for about the same price as the 38mm?
The 45mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor
After spending a lot of time working on this test testing about a dozen lenses at 1.4x and examining the results carefully I can’t help but be impressed by the 45mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor (SN45) , it really stands out above the rest. The SN45 does very well against more expensive high-end line scan lenses, the Macro Varon and Rayfact GF. Take a look at the edge crops below for an idea of how sharp the SN45 output is.
The level of detail in all three of these crops is excellent and free from CAs. The Scanner Nikkor crop looks great, the Macro Varon crop has a little more detail, and the Rayfact sharpness level is the highest of the three. When you consider the price paid, $40-60 USD (two of these sold for $50 in November 2020) the Nikon is impossible to beat from a performance vs price standpoint. I can’t think of any lens that can beat it. The SN45 is an awesome value.
Comparing the retail cost of these lenses is interesting. The Nikon Coolscan IV ED with the SN45 was priced at $900 USD new in 2001, that is equal to $1300 USD in 2020. The Macro Varon CAS was quoted at $4600 USD a few years ago. In 2018 I contacted Tochigi Nikon for a current price on the Rayfact GF I was told the price was extremely expensive and pointed me to the cheaper Rayfact 95 lens for $8000 USD (this is the 95mm Printing Nikkor eco-replacement).
38mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor CHROMATIC ABERRATION TEST
Nothing to see here, no LoCAs. The SN38 samples are very clean and LoCA free at 1.4x.
What are LoCAs?
Longitudinal chromatic aberrations or LoCAs are purple and green fringing seen in the out of focus areas in front of and behind the focus point of an image. LoCAs are common, especially with fast lenses, so chances almost all of your lenses have at least a trace, you just never noticed. The problem is that LoCAs are extremely difficult to correct with complex designs using special glass to fully correct the aberration.
What are Lateral Chromatic aberrations (CAs)
Chromatic aberrations (CA) are one of several aberrations, or imperfections, that degrade image quality. Lateral CAs appear in images as purple and green fringing, mostly seen on near-vertical hard edges on the left and right corners of the image. This results in softening of edges in the corners of an image. CAs occur because the different wavelengths of light are magnified by slightly different amounts by the lens.
38mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor Bottom Line
At 1.4x the 38mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor lens can match or beat some very good lenses like the Canon MP-E 65 and the Rodenstock Magnagon 5.6/75 at this magnification for a small fraction of the price. You can’t go wrong if you need something small, compact and can live with the short focal length. The SN38 is easy to find on eBay for a low price.
Lenses That Did Not Make the 1.4x Test
There were some issues running some lenses at 1.4x for this test, these are some lenses that failed to make it into the test:
Canon MacroPhoto Lens 2.8/35
Factory Rec. Mag: 1.8x-5x
Issue: Out of range/could not setup for 1.4x
Tominon 4.5/35
Factory Rec. Mag: 5x-7.5x (excellent results at 2-3x)
Issue: Out of range/could not setup for 1.4x
Schneider APO-Componon 4/45
Factory Rec. Mag: 0.5x-2x
Issue: Poor corner sharpness at 1.4x in reverse
Schneider APO-Componon 2.8/40
Factory Rec. Mag: 0.5x-2x
Issue: Poor corner sharpness at 1.4x in reverse
Schneider Componon-S 2.8/50
Factory Rec. Mag: 0.5x-2x
Issue: Poor corner sharpness at 1.4x in reverse
Mounting the 38mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor Lens
Nikon scanner lenses are held in place by a bracket and do not use a lens mount so you will need a clamp type adapter. For this test I used a custom adapter from RafCamera with a 21.8 OD front female clamp and rear M42 x 1.0mm male threads.
RafCamera 21.8mm clamp to M42 x 1 male threads
Link tp the RafCamera site: https://rafcamera.com/adapter-id21-8mm-to-m42x1m
The Other Scanner Nikkors
Small to large; Nikon Coolscan LS-10 25mm, Coolscan III LS-30 38mm, Coolscan V ED LS-50 ED 45mm Scanner Lenses
Lens type and corresponding scanners
25mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor Lens
6 Elements in 4 Groups
Extra small size 16.5mm x 21.50mm
2700 dpi Optical Resolution
Scanners:
Coolscan LS-10
Coolscan II LS-20
Super Coolscan LS-1000
38mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor Lens
6 Elements in 4 Groups
Small size 24.6mm x 33mm
2700 dpi Optical Resolution
Scanners:
Super Coolscan 2000 LS-2000
Coolscan III LS-30
45mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor Lens
7 Elements in 4 Groups + ED Glass
Medium size 24.5mm x 39mm
4000 dpi Optical Resolution
Scanners:
Coolscan IV ED LS-40 ED (2900 dpi)
Coolscan V ED LS-50 ED
Super Coolscan 4000 ED LS-4000ED
Super Coolscan 5000 ED LS-5000ED
100mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor Lens
14 Elements in 6 Groups Lens + ED Glass
Large size 49mm x 84mm
4000 dpi Optical Resolution
Scanners:
Super Coolscan 8000 ED LS-8000 ED: 4000 dpi
Super Coolscan 9000 ED LS-9000 ED: 4000 dpi
Nikon Film Scanners By year
1988 LS-3500 (unknown lens type)
1992 LS-10: 25mm f/2.8 lens
1994 LS-3510AF (unknown lens type)
1995 LS-4500AF (unknown dual lens system)
1996 LS-1000 25mm f/2.8 lens
1996 LS-20 25mm f/2.8 lens
1998 LS-2000: 38mm f/2.8 lens
1998 LS-30 38mm f/2.8 lens
2001 LS-40 ED 45mm f/2.8 lens
2001 LS-4000 ED 45mm f/2.8 lens
2001 LS-8000 ED 100mm f/2.8 lens
2003 LS-50 ED 45mm f/2.8 lens
2003 LS-5000 ED 45mm f/2.8 lens
2004 LS-9000 ED 100mm f/2.8 lens
38mm f/2.8 Scanner Nikkor Lens Removal
Removing a SN38 lens is not difficult, the process should only take you about 10-15 minutes with a set of screwdrivers.
Rear view LS-30
First, remove the 4 fasteners securing the outer case, and the 4 fasteners along the bottom of the rear panel. Remove the outer case and flip the scanner on its side for the next step.
LS-30 top view
From the top, remove the following fasteners:
-The 2 bracket fasteners (see the center of the image)
-Single fastener at the bottom (near the spring at the bottom right of the image)
-The two fasteners at the top (upper left in the image)
LS-30 main board, bottom
Flip the unit over to access the bottom, remove these 4 fasteners and any cable harnesses and remove the green main board.
LS-30 bottom view
With the main board out of the way, remove the two fasteners from the black bracket (near the center). Also remove the two fasteners along the edge (near the bottom of the image). This will allow you to remove the scanner unit.
Slide the scanner unit out of the main chassis after disconnecting any cables.
LS-30 scanner unit
With the scanner unit removed from the main unit, there is now access to the top section of this unit, which needs to be removed for access the lens. Remove these two fasteners in the above image then lift off the upper section.
This allows for access to the lens unit, just above the spring in the above photo.
LS-30 Lower scanning unit
With the upper half of the scanner unit off, there is access to the lens. You just need to remove a thin plastic cover. Insert a flat bladed screwdriver under the cover and lift it off to reveal the lens.
LS-30 lens
With the thin plastic cover gone the lens bracket needs to be removed. The lens is held in place with an aluminum bracket secured by a single fastener. Remove the fastener and bracket to remove the lens with your finger tips, just be careful not to touch the lens glass with your fingers to avoid getting oil on the lens surfaces.
Notice the dirty mirror in the left side of the image above, this has to be some kind of record for dirt accumulation, the worst mirror I have ever seen!
LS30 CCD Sensor Specs and Data Sheet
Finally I was able to ID the LS30 CCD and locate some data for the Sony ILX505A. This is a 2592 pixel CCD with 11 μm square pixels. The ILX505A has a maximum resolution of 2309 ppi (without any optical scaling). In the LS30 scanner the ILX505A sensor is being used with a scan width of 24 mm so the resolution at the subject is 2741 ppi maximum optical resolution. These are maximum figures, in the real world optical resolution is the combined resolution of lens resolving power, film transport and sensor sampling rate. 2741 ppi does match Nikon’s official 2700 ppi resolution nicely so I think Nikon deserves some applause for truth-in-advertising.
CCD Sensor: Sony ILX505A
Sensor active area width: 28.5
Package: 22-pin CERDIP 400 mil DIP through-hole mount IC chip
Sensor cost: around $7.00 each new depending on quantity (out of production)
Sensor Origin: Made in Japan
Note: as far as I know Sony has stopped making these this CCD type.
Links for more information
LS30 Reference Manual on Nikon’s site:
https://cdn-10.nikon-cdn.com/pdf/ls30rm.pdf
LS30 users guide on the official Nikon site:
https://cdn-10.nikon-cdn.com/pdf/ls30ug.pdf
LS30 info and specs on the Nikon site:
https://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/scanner/coolscan_3/
Scanner Nikkor ED 14 element lens test on Closeuphotography.com:
https://www.closeuphotography.com/scanner-nikkor-ed-lens
Scanner Nikkor ED 7 element lens test, also here on Closeuphotography.com:
https://www.closeuphotography.com/scanner-nikkor-ed-7-element-lens
2020 USED SCANNER PRICES
These are the prices that I’ve paid for the scanner lens purchases in 2020. Most of these scanners were sold as is, for repair, parts only condition.
Nikon Scanners
LS-10 25mm f/2.8: $25 + free shipping, down to $20 in November.
LS-20 25mm f/2.8: Same lens as LS-10
LS-30 38mm f/2.8: $50 + free shipping, about the same price as the LS-40/LS-4000ED lens.
LS-1000 25mm f/2.8: $18 + shipping
LS-2000 38mm f/2.8: Same lens as LS-30
LS-4000ED 45mm f/2.8: $60 + free shipping, this price has dropped to $50 + free shipping since (same eBay seller, sold as lens only).
Other Manufacturers
Fuji Lanovia Sprint C-550: $50 - local pick up. Magnagon lens source.
Minolta AF-2840: $20 + shipping
Minolta AF-3200: $30 + shipping
Polaroid SprintScan 4000/Microtek ArtixScan 4000T: $29 + free shipping
Scitex Eversmart: $200 - local pick up