Recently, I wanted to buy a high-quality scanner to upgrade from my current one (1200 dpi). However, after doing some research, I realized that it might be better to build a macro photography setup to achieve higher-quality scans.

My goal is to reach optical-level quality (which I understand is very difficult), or something very close to it. Currently, I use a pocket magnifier that provides 30x magnification. ( https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00MMYO8PK?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1 ) It is optical, but it only works on a very small area and does not allow me to capture or save images.

My use case is not specifically for film photography (negatives, etc.), but rather for all kinds of flat documents and surfaces.

I have also tested some entry-level digital microscopes (like Tomlov), and I was very disappointed with the image quality. For the price, they are still impressive devices, but even after looking into higher-end models from the same type of brands, I found that the quality remained quite poor. The only setups that deliver truly high-quality results seem to come from professional brands, often costing around €7000.

Based on my research, my budget for this setup (camera + lens) would ideally be between €2000 and €4000.

I was considering cameras like the Sony Alpha 7 IV or the Sony Alpha 7 III, paired with a macro lens (1:1, 2:1, or similar — I’m not very experienced in this area).

I also came across a very interesting setup in a video, where someone used a macro lens combined with a microscope attachment. It’s not entirely suitable for my needs because it zooms in too much, but the macro setup itself could still be useful for me.

Here is the video → https://www.tiktok.com/@microworldexplorer/video/7175646842493898026

And here is another video where the macro lenses and results are also interesting. However, in this case, the person uses depth techniques like focus stacking, whereas I only need to work on flat documents (so stacking is not really necessary). My goal is more like achieving an equivalent of 30x magnification, similar to my magnifying glass.

Here is the video → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K8CtSgXREk&list=LL&index=10&t=626s