I have been reading up on camera “scanning”. I want to build a rig for 35mm and 120 film (6x4.5 and 6x6). First thing is to decide for an horizontal or a vertical rig. A horizontal setups seems to me intuitively easier to align, and both camera and negative holder can be held parallel with off the shelf parts.
Now I am inclined to use a holder with “advancing” functionality like the Valoi 360 system. It is conceived for vertical rigs with the advancer/holder sitting flat on the base.
Has anyone tried to mount the 360 advancer in a vertical rig? It has screw on feet undereath, so this could be attached (and levelled) to a plate which could be fixed to the rig. The holder could be held with rubber bands to to advancer, but I don’t know if this would work at all .
Imo, a vertical rig is easier to work with, if it fulfils a few requirements.
Having the scanning surface flat on a table with lighting installed underneath the tabletop makes handling very comfortable because you don’t have to stretch and hold your arms while doing delicate adjustments
Stability: Get the heaviest table and mount things directly to it. Prevent flexibility by NOT getting a flimsy column - or mount structures with robust parts.
Adjustability: Add a means to adjust alignment, e.g. with a geared head instead of something that is friction based like a ballhead.
Tethering: Prevents you from having to get up for live view.
A horizontal rig has its merits too, but stability requirements increase with heavier and longer lenses. Also, there is a higher risk of kinking your film unless you have a means to hold the loose ends e.g. of uncut film.
The prototype I show here and here can serve as a vertical rig as shown in the post - and it can be flipped backwards to make it horizontal. Observe the following: Heavy duty material, a short column and the lens support. I plan to further develop the rig though. Shielding stray light is the topic I’ll have to deal with.
Hi M,
In my case I found a vertical set up from American equipment (CR Kennedy) expensive and does not hold the film flat. I went for a horizontal set up - scratch built - with iron free anti reflective glass holding the film flat - no newton rings or interference issues. The Macro lens does droop with a rail however so I built a lens felt tipped holder to correct up and down and side ways. This gets the film absolutely square on to the sensor. My light source is a wave form bulb 95CRI 6500 USA purchase that allows ISO @ 100 and shutter speeds 80-200, apperture 4.5 - 7 with my lens. Yes my fix was a DIY and hands on woodwork and plumbing pipe usage, but for 35mm and even 120mm film it can handled by changing the mount aperture with a diffuser of course. The film glass is held flat with foam backed paddles against the glass at sides - it is possible to move the film for quarter close up of frame with accuracy and stitching later. My 35mm film was cut
for prints into 6 frames way back for prints - now I am digitising into my catalogue using NLP through Light Room but edit through On1 Raw these days. Meaning NLP only works with LrC
or Lr so I open DNG’s in On1.
I hope the pics of this gadget during construction helps you in your considerations - if only
I could load them - small JPG’s wierd.
I have tried to add some shots - they won’t load - not sure if it is I do not contribute enough
restriction. See if I can sort this out - a forum thing !!
Attaching images is controlled by how much someone has read or contributed. Until the linits are reached, it’s always possible to add a link to a share that holds the image(s).
I would recommend investing into a vertical setup - ideally with a copy stand, but if you’re just starting out then even a tripod will work well.
If you have experience with printing, check out my free design for 35 mm: toneCarrier Film Carrier for DSLR scanning 35 mm film (with sprockets!) by tonephotographic | Download free STL model | Printables.com. It doesn’t have an advancer, but it’s a robust design with a deep S-curve that reliably flattens the film. It doesn’t take much filament or time to print, so might be worth printing it just to see if a vertical setup is right for you. The housing also has flat, straight walls so you could experiment with using it in a horizontal configuration as well (but I have not personally tested it in that way).
I’ve also designed a system of holders with advancers, input and take-up trays, light guards and frame masks that I’ve had excellent feedback for from hundreds of people. You can see more details here: https://tonephotographic.com. Many have said that it’s much nicer to use than the alternatives on the market
