Dialing In My Film Scanning Setup
I’ve been working through my film scanning setup lately, and like most things with photography, it started simple and then immediately turned into a rabbit hole.
At first, I figured scanning film with a digital camera would be pretty straightforward. Put the negative in front of a light, point the camera at it, take a photo, invert it, and call it good.
That is technically true, but the more I messed with it, the more I realized every little part of the setup matters. The lens matters. The light matters. The film holder matters. The distance from the lens to the film matters. Dust matters. Alignment matters. And if any one of those is off, the scan gets annoying fast.
Starting With What I Had
My main camera is a Canon R8, so I’m working with a full-frame sensor. That is great for scanning because a 35mm negative is basically the same size as a full-frame sensor: about 36mm by 24mm.
The catch is that to fill the frame with a 35mm negative, the lens needs to get to around 1:1 magnification.
I already had the Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM, so that was the first lens I tried. It is a good lens, but the word “macro” is a little misleading if you are thinking about film scanning. The RF 85mm only goes to 0.5x magnification, not 1:1.
For 120 film, especially 6x6 Hasselblad negatives, that is actually fine. You do not need as much magnification for medium format. But for 35mm, it just does not quite get there on a full-frame body.
That was my first big lesson:
Not every macro lens is a true 1:1 macro lens.
Fighting With Extension Tubes
Since the RF 85mm only gets to 0.5x, I tried using extension tubes to get more magnification.
This is where things started getting fiddly.
Extension tubes go between the camera body and the lens. They let the lens focus closer, which increases magnification. In theory, that should have solved the problem. In practice, it made the setup a lot more sensitive.
The hard part was not just getting more magnification. It was getting the film at the exact right distance from the lens. Once you add extension tubes, the focus range shifts, and suddenly the distance between the film holder and lens becomes a lot more critical.
And to make it more confusing, there are really two different kinds of “tubes” involved in this kind of setup:
Extension tubes go behind the lens and change magnification.
Distance tubes go in front of the lens and only set the physical distance to the film.
I had to work through that distinction because at first it is easy to treat all tubes like they are doing the same thing. They are not.
Trying the VALOI easy35
I also bought the VALOI easy35, and honestly, I like it.
It is a clean little setup. It gives you a light source, film holder, and distance tube system all in one compact package. For quick 35mm scanning, it makes a lot of sense.
But it did not completely solve the lens problem. With the RF 85mm, I was still limited by the fact that the lens only does 0.5x on its own. The easy35 helps with holding the film and keeping the workflow simple, but it does not change the magnification of the lens.
So with the RF 85mm, I was still either accepting a smaller scan area or dealing with extension tubes.
The easy35 is still useful, and I am keeping it around. It is nice for quick 35mm work. But I wanted a setup that handled both 35mm and 120 better, with less fiddling.
The Light Source Problem
One of the biggest issues I ran into early on was the light.
I was using a DIY-style setup, and I could actually see the individual LEDs showing up through the scan. That is not great.
I tried using a piece of paper as a diffuser, and it helped, but it was still not ideal. The problem with cheap or poorly diffused LED lights is that they can create uneven illumination, weird color casts, and visible patterns.
That became really obvious when I scanned some CineStill 800T. I got an image, and honestly it was not terrible, but the color was way cooler and more cyan than I wanted. Some of that can be the film stock, some can be exposure, and some can be conversion, but the light source was definitely part of the issue.
With color negative film, the light source matters a lot. It is not just about being bright. It needs to be even, diffused, and color consistent.
So that was another lesson:
A proper light source makes scanning way less painful.
Dust and Water Spots
Dust has also been a thing.
I knew dust would be part of scanning film, but once you start looking at scans closely, every little speck shows up. It is just part of the process.
My approach now is pretty simple:
First, use a blower.
Then, if needed, use an anti-static brush.
If there are fingerprints, residue, or stubborn marks, then I’ll use PEC Pads and PEC-12 carefully.
For water spots, I am more cautious. If it is one small spot, careful cleaning may help. But if a whole roll has drying marks, I would rather re-rinse it with distilled water and a little Photo-Flo than scrub the negatives.
The less I touch the film, the better.
Moving to a Copy Stand Setup
After messing with the RF 85mm, extension tubes, DIY diffusion, and the easy35, I decided to move toward a proper copy stand setup.
The setup now is:
Negative Supply Basic Film Carrier 35mm and 120 MK2 Combo
Negative Supply 4x5 Light Source Basic MK2, 97 CRI
VALOI 360 Essential Copy Stand V2
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Canon R8
Canon EF to RF control ring adapter
The big reason for going this route is flexibility. I shoot both 35mm and 120, and the price difference between getting only one Negative Supply carrier and getting the 35mm/120 combo was small enough that it made sense to just get both.
The copy stand setup also makes more sense for medium format. The easy35 is convenient, but it is really a 35mm solution. A copy stand gives me more room to work and makes it easier to handle different formats.
Why the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM?
The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM is the piece that makes the 35mm side easier.
Unlike the RF 85mm f/2 Macro, the EF 100mm is a true 1:1 macro lens. That means I can fill the Canon R8 frame with a 35mm negative without messing around with extension tubes.
The setup is simple:
Canon R8 → EF/RF adapter → Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM → copy stand → film carrier → light source
That is a lot cleaner than trying to make the RF 85mm act like a 1:1 lens.
The EF 100mm also gives me another useful lens outside of scanning. I can use it for product shots, close-up detail photos, gear photos, and general macro work. That matters to me because I would rather buy something useful than something that only solves one narrow problem.
Copy Stand vs easy35
I still think the VALOI easy35 is a good product.
For quick 35mm scans, it is convenient. It is compact, simple, and does not take up much room. If I just want to scan a roll without setting up a whole station, I can see myself still using it.
But the copy stand setup feels like the better main workflow.
With the copy stand, I can scan 35mm and 120. I can control the height. I can use a larger, better light source. I can swap carriers. I can make alignment more repeatable.
The tradeoff is that it takes more room and requires more careful setup. But for better scans, I think that is worth it.
My Starting Camera Settings
For now, my basic scanning settings are:
RAW
ISO 100
Manual exposure
Manual focus
f/5.6 as a starting point
f/8 if I need a little more depth or better corners
2-second timer or remote shutter
10x magnification for focusing
Exposure set bright enough without clipping
For 35mm, I use the EF 100mm Macro near 1:1.
For 120, I raise the camera higher on the copy stand and frame the negative at a lower magnification.
The big thing is alignment. The camera sensor and the film need to be parallel. If they are not, one side or one corner can go soft even if the lens is good.
What I’ve Learned So Far
The biggest thing I have learned is that scanning film is a system. It is not just about the camera.
A good camera with a bad light source is still frustrating.
A good lens with poor alignment still gives bad corners.
A good film holder with the wrong lens still causes magnification problems.
A clean setup with dusty negatives still means cleanup later.
Everything matters a little bit.
The main lessons for me have been:
Use a true 1:1 macro lens for 35mm.
The RF 85mm f/2 Macro is fine for 120, but for 35mm on a full-frame camera, it needs help.
Use a good light source.
Diffused paper over LEDs can work in a pinch, but it is not where I want to stay.
Keep the film flat.
A good carrier saves a lot of frustration.
Take alignment seriously.
Sharpness problems are not always the lens. Sometimes the film and sensor just are not parallel.
Control dust before scanning.
It is much easier to remove dust before the scan than to heal out a million spots later.
Final Thoughts
I started out trying to make the gear I already had work, and some of it did. The RF 85mm Macro is still useful, especially for 120. The VALOI easy35 is still a nice quick 35mm setup.
But for the way I want to scan film, the copy stand route makes more sense.
The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM solves the 35mm magnification issue. The Negative Supply carrier handles both 35mm and 120. The 4x5 light source gives me a better foundation than a DIY LED setup. And the copy stand makes the whole process more repeatable.
I do not think there is one perfect film scanning setup for everyone. But for me, this feels like the right balance between quality, flexibility, and not fighting the gear every time I want to scan a roll.
