This document is for anyone who’s interested in scanning film with a digital camera, especially if you’re building or refining your own setup.
<aside> 💡 If you’re wondering why I don’t use a dedicated film scanner, see the first writeup linked below.
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Configured for 120 film scanning
<aside> 💡 If you’d like me to print and ship you any of the parts described in this breakdown, shoot me an email! If you’d like to print them yourself, I’ve linked to all the designs.
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I scan 120 and 35mm film with a Pentax K-1 and Pentax-FA 50mm f/2.8 Macro lens.
This scanning station is based on a standard copy stand + macro lens + film holder design. I’ve made changes to improve the ergonomics of this design in light of my workflow requirements:
Introducing an L Bracket with a quick-release screw between the camera and copy stand addresses these points, making it easy to remove/replace the camera and rotating it 90 degrees so the film feed is perpendicular.
The optimal distance from the lens for scanning 35mm film is closer than for 120 film, so I designed and printed a riser that moves the 35mm film carrier up to the optimal height from the lens. This allows the camera to stay at a fixed height on the riser, which is critical, because it’s impossible to move such a heavy camera up and down the riser in a precise and repeatable way.
I also mixed and matched brands for the light source and film carrier, since I wanted brightness and low price of the CineStill CS-Lite along with the film flatness and build quality of the NS Basic Film Carrier 120. To do this without compromising the robustness of the station, I designed and 3D printed a bracket to mate the light source and film carrier.
The light source is simply mounted to the copy stand base with clear Mounting Tape, which is strong but not permanent. This has let me reposition the light source as I dial in the placement of all the pieces.
I use a 3D printed spool to keep whole 35mm rolls free of dust and scratches. Eventually I will design and print one for 120 film as well (for now I tape 120 to the wall behind the station), and I’ll update the designs so they attach right to the film carriers.
This writeup is from March 2023 but covers some aspects of the setup in more detail, including why I abandoned by dedicated film scanners.