Kyle is an exceptional no-nonsense thoughtful presenter. He never wastes our time. He never hypes. He always presents evidence in a compelling and timely manner. Kyle thank you for this and for all of your videos. They are appreciated.
That's ridiculous Pricey!! You DON'T Need to buy everything folks. Just build one yourself. Lately I build DIY box scan for 35mm and 120mm films. It's only cost me $2.00 for Black Cardboard and works perfectly. As for light I already have small LED, as for stand I use my tripod. Much smarter and I safe tons of Money.😊
It's not cheap but the pricing is actually very competitive to its competition. For example, the Epson v850 is $1300 right now, and the cheapest model in the Plustek OpticFilm lineup is $350, while this whole easy35 setup is around $350. You can DIY on your own all you wanted, but for 99% of people, we want something that is guaranteed to work, easy to use and hassle free.
I got the easy35 on the pre-sale. It's now fitted to a Fujifilm X-E4 with an old Micro Nikkor 55/2.8 plus extension ring. I camscan before cutting (process my own C41). I don't use Lightroom but Grain2Pixel works like a charm, is free and does batches. Allows quite a lot of post conversion actions and even creates a virtual contact print. TIP: Leave a blank frame at the start and use it for white balance.
as someone who hates scanning their own 35mm film, this seems like a really great way to go about it efficiently. My V600 is kind of a nightmare for 35mm.
Yes,.they.really are useless for anything more than a 10x8 print.from 35mm, and that's assuming you can get a.dust free scan!! I don't know how Epson can get away with making their inflated resolution specs. Just because they can? Don't they know they'll be found out?
@@chrisfetto9400you won't get a perfectly clean scan no matter what system you use. Professional scanners just use infrared images to mask out the dust, with everything that does not offer that you won't get around having to quickly clone out dust. If you do black and white infrared won't work anyways. A film to digital workflow will always involve more digital work than just going digital.
try a dedicated film scanner. A used, mint, Minolta Scan Dual IV will set you back $300 (less than the price for one of these overpriced hipster holders) and will give you incredible scans. A DSLR setup will be faster but its output will be of poorer quality (due to the interpolating Bayer/X-trans sensor and demosaicising).
@@chrisfetto9400 What are you carrying on about? My Epson photo scanner scans as good as the specs claim. The one I had before it had higher rez, but was much slower. I've scanned hundreds of negatives and slides...and have always gotten excellent results from Epson scanners. I suspect you just don't know what you're doing.
@@giuseppeg.8461 *laughs in manual correction in photoshop*...Oh what's that? Yes, I used super resolution and now have a 160mp equivalent image...What's that?! Yes I used super res. went down to 1:1 and combined 100 images together, stitched 4 images together and now have every ounce of detail possible out of my medium format images. Yeah, thought so, keep your outdated scanner, and when it dies? Say bye bye.
Very useful video you shared here, pal! I have been seeking a not complicated way to scan my 135 mm and also my 120 mm film for quite a long now. I have had photography since 1978, you you can imagine how the mass of film stips I have in my archives. Thank you so much!!!!! 😃
Thanks@@TheOstorlab, that's kind. I've lots I'm grateful to him for, not least photography, but also music, gardening, a general approach of thoroughness etc. I was able to express this to him in recent years and also at the very end, which I'm very aware is a privilege that not all families get. Looking forward to going through his negs and slides, many of which I've not seen for decades! I offered to do this while he was alive, but he wasn't interested - I now of course wish I'd insisted and done this sooner of course! We always think there's more time...
I'm really sorry to hear about your Father, Andrew. Hope you're doing alright. We'll have to catch up soon. If you ever want to borrow the easy35 to scan those with, I'll post it over to you.
Yes!! After Plustek (slow af) and Epson (no sharpness) and also plenty other holders (which needed constant leveling) this solution made my year 2023 and made me scan all of my 135 stuff in just a matter of hours. Can’t recommend it enough!
Hi, have the plustek 8100 but looking to change systems especially since I’m noticing scan lines appearing on my conversions. Curious have you ever experienced that with the plustek?
am I the only one who thinks easy120 would be a great idea? Great job Kyle as usual, thanks a lot for the effort you put in these videos, appreciated it
I've been using my easy35 with a Panasonic S5 in the high res mode. Approx 90mp with an electronic shutter on a 2sec timer. Really happy with the results. Got the slide adapter on order.
@@Humungojerry not for every image. Snaps I'll just use the 24mp. Important images or ones I want cropping then the higher the better. For my professionally studio work I use a Sony A7RIII and always appreciate the resolution. It's good to know if I want a large print out that's possible with personal work too.
@@Humungojerry I don't mind real grain showing, would rather that than pixelation from a smaller file. I have the S5 for video so an added bonus it does the sensor shift high res.
it's all one connected system, you don't really need the 2 second timer. Sure, you don't want to bang it around, but if the whole setup is on a solid surface and you are gently hitting your shutter release, no camera shake is introduced.
I use the Nikon ES-2 which does almost exactly the same excepts that you need to bring your own light. Works fantastic! And unlike many people think, you don't need to use it with a Nikon lens or Nikon camera. Any macro lens with 62mm diameter or less can be used if you fit some extension tubes and perhaps step-down rings
Thank you. I just saw that and was wondering. I have a canon with a 50mm lens and wondering if I could make it work with that. Or the basic crappy lens that the camera comes with.
I use the Nikon ES-2 Film Digitiser system for digitizing my 35mm negs. It does not have its own light source but it's very easy to use. You don't need to parallel the film plain to the sensor plain as you say and you don't even need to keep the whole steady while taking the image. It doesn't do medium format.
that system isn't exactly cheap either... for 30 or 40 dollars more (depending on prices of each system) you could just get this one that does have a light source built in.
I love the slide duplicator method, 3D printed my own mechnically geared advancing one for 25GBP with parts off amazon and used a off shelf high CRI light so sub 50USD total cost, and with 61MP sensors pixel shift and exposure stacking with somnthing like a Sony A7RV today its as sane as scanning gets for people without drum scanners as you can rent camaras and optics as needed, but even my 42mp A7RIII fails to resolve modern Ektar 100 or ADOX CMS 20 II, getting that true 1:1 or 2:1 archival scan is the real hard part, next to getting a scanner frame that cuts non of the exposed frame area off position wise is somthing people forget.
It's easy to get overwhelmed in the black hole that is the internet when researching products and tools. I appreciate your simple, no-nonsense insight and opinions. Thank you.
The NLP plugin truly unlocked camera scanning, and therefore unlocked me being able to afford shooting lots of color film. Also, I’m still in love with the desert Southwest and the images it serves up. Your photos here are all old friends😎❤
I've been doing slide/negative copying since the mid 1970s. I can't disagree with anything you said, but the getting the right camera/lens thing is critical and needs to be addressed in detail. I've found it is the most important aspect of copying. Many lenses won't work with extension tubes, which is where many people will go first. You need a high quality lens with a flat field of focus, or at best the edges will be soft or totally out of focus. The lens also needs to be able to focus such that the film fills the digital image, otherwise pixels are wasted by "frame", or film area is lost. With slides or B&W negatives, the clear portions of the film are a straight path from lens to light source. If the light is not perfectly consistent in brightness and color balance, that's a real problem, especially when the light source is close to the film with stopped down apertures. My best copies have been with a light source as far from the film as possible (up to 2 meters with a studio light), with an aperture as open as possible for minimum depth of field so the focus plane is only at the film.
I highly recomment the Flads Test Slides, which where available on Valoi Website too, for perfect focussing setup, bevor running your Sildes through the camera
I have it since june 2023. It has made (135mm) film scanning finally accessible to me. Using an old 5D II with live view and adapted Nikkor 55 micro lens.
I've already got one of these for the community darkroom I'll be opening in a few weeks ... this makes me beyond excited, but also can serve as a handy instructional aid. Thank you!
God, I hope this is it. I have purchased a Minolta dedicated 35mm scanner, an Epson flatbed and then better scanning negative holders, pixl ltr film holder, over the years with just a few scans to show for it. I just ordered the easy35 with the slide holder. Let’s see if I can finally revisit the old memories
Funny I just ordered mine earlier so this is very timely! Have boxes of my Grandfather's Kodachrome slides that have been meaning to digitize, ordered the slide holder so looking forward to getting started. Thank you Kyle!
I use the Easy35 to scan my film. I scan at F8 and at base ISO, but I keep my shutter speed consistent throughout my roll. I do this because Negative Lab Pro recommends this for their latest v3 release. I also keep color temperature set to the coolest setting for color negative film, as this is what Valoi recommends. Have been very happy with my results. Glad you like the Easy35 too!
Fantastic! Personally I don't shoot film (yet), but recently found a bunch of old negatives from the 60's in the family stash and was looking for a solution to get them scanned by myself. This will be the way to go!
It's okaaaay. However, if your negative isn't sufficiently dense (anything other than a bright, daytime shot) you're likely going to see orange vignetting in the corners of your scans, and that's because the Valoi Easy35 has defective/uneven backlighting on it's panels. They tried to fix this issue and send out new models, but unfortunately the issue persists. (I've been through 2 units myself). You can take off the panel and then put something like a Viltrox in it's place which seems to remedy the issue... but it's an expensive modification as the Valoi Easy35 isn't actually cheap and obviously betrays the entire idea of the product. Despite all this, Valoi continues to market the product even tho they are well aware of the issue. Very disappointing.
Hi! I think I remember your case - of course very unfortunate. We genuinely couldn't figure out why your setup was never able to produce the expected results, and you're of course eligible for a return and refund. We have thousands of happy customers so it's always puzzling when someone has problems, but with a handful of setup combinations or negative types, there have been problems which we of course offer to replace or refund. - Arild
I scan film with Sony A7IV with a vintage OM macro lens too, it's a huge savings. I have just a light table for artists, this is enough for me now in terms of quality, but for better experience one day I hope to buy something more serious like this device🙏
I also scan with a GF 50R. A good tip is to use electronic shutter mode to preserve the mechanical shutter in the camera and increase its lifetime. Just look out for flickering at faster shutter speeds
Informative and interesting video Kyle. Like you I have the Valoi Advancer kit but do not have the space to leave my stand permanently erected so it can take longer setting up than scanning one roll of film! I've ordered an Easy 35, thanks for the discount code. I also support the suggestion that you don't need expensive cameras to scan film. I sold my Nikon mirrorless cameras last year when I went all in rangefinder and realised I didn't have a camera to scan with so I bought a beaten up Nikon D800 (36mpx) from MPB for 250 quid as I did keep the two F mount macro lenses. The results are just as good as with the Z7ii! Fortunately both the 60mm and 105 work with the Easy. I'll let you all know how it goes...once I blown the dust off my 35mm! Keep up the good work.
It seems a lot of people are complaining about vignetting. Valoi even made a video "showing" how to remove the vignetting, so, obviously it is a real problem. There are also concerns about a 3D printed plastic box to be this pricey, but then, you know the film scanning market is a rip off when a Hasselblad scanner costs as much as a new car.
Hey Kyle! Thanks for another great video. I like the Veloi, but in my opinion is too expensive. A year ago I found in Amazon a similar option for a fraction of the Veloi price "JJC Photo Slide and Film Digitizer Converter with 10-Levels Brightness LED Backlight for 35mm Slide and Negatives Copying Scanning to Digital for Select Canon Nikon Sony Macro Lenses" Maybe is not as good as the Veloi, but for me works fine at reasonable price. I hope this info helps somebody. Regards
Awesome! I always send people to your channel when they want to get into film scanning, and I love that you compare all the options out there! As an owner of the Plustek 8200i (and very selective of what frames I scan), I can appreciate this little setup! I could totally see putting my old Samsung NX3000 to use with this setup (as it's just collecting dust) if I wanted to quickly chew thru a bunch of film!
cool system. someday i hope someone comes up with a Kodak Pakon like system to fully automate the process, just load in the leader and press go and a few min later its done and you just batch convert and even auto dust removal.
I have an easy35 since maybe october and have now started to scan my old negatives - and that was when it showed that some choices I've made weren't as good as I thought. My Lightroom license is only for the cloud version (1 TB), and that means I can't use Negative Lab Pro until I upgrade to the "bigger" license including classic + 1 TB, but the current one is still valid for about 9 months. So I will have to wait a bit if I don't wont to waste any money. sigh But then again I am waiting for Valoi to make slide scanning available for the easy35 - looking forward to see all those old slides again.
In terms of preserving details camera scanning looks very good. However, the colors from dedicated scanners usually look better. The car's colors in the example look better on the Nikon scan in my opinion.
everything is better in his Nikoscans, it's just that Nikon doesn't make those scanners anymore and it's not paying youtubers to advertise its products..
@@giuseppeg.8461 I'd luke to add another thing. Once I had a Nikon LS-50. As far as I know, its 35mm scans are not very different from LS-8000 or LS-9000 scans. However, I didn't like that scans too much. Then I aquired a Noritsu scanner and I liked its scans much more (not talking about the scanning speed)! As for the camera scanning, I don't quite understand, how can a camera with a CMOS sensor make good scans at all?
@@KyleMcDougall Yeah, worries me that digital scanning is 'dumbing down' the colors of film (especially red + green). Colors might be limited or converted weirdly into digital spectrum of colors. Wonder what happens to dynamic range as well when you digitally scan via a camera
Thanks for the demonstration. I've been leaning toward this system to scan my grandfather's collection of film. He was mainly a show horse photographer, but I think he did some weddings as well. We have a huge collection of negatives to sort through!
Hi Kyle. Thanks for the video. I’ve been looking for an alternative to my flatbed scanner to scan my old negatives and slides and after hearing about this, I came across your video and decided to get one today (using your affiliate link).
I started scanning my own film quite recently and I build this contraption of books and an ipad for my Nikon 55mm 2.8 macro setup. I was just thinking of what actual setup to buy when I saw your video and instantly ordered one with the code since i mainly use 35mm. Would be a real treat if they made one for medium format.
I have one of these. For me it’s not working - I get a ton of haloing - I think that’s the word - reverse vignetting. No matter what brightness I set it to. Maybe it’s the macro lens I have - a micro Nikkor 60mm. I get the same problem with my Nikon D3x and the Z7ii.
It’s multi jet fusioned with reinforced nylon, not a cheap manufacturing process and produces some of the strongest engineered plastics. Most lens and camera enclosures are made with similar materials now a days… Someone also took the time and designed something that works well, in a pretty niche market. If you think you can design and 3D print something like this for less, go ahead, people have done it and made money
Anybody can finagle a bunch of words around to make something sound bad. What you said is a VAST oversimplification of this product. What’s a viable alternative in your opinion then? Seeing as how you didn’t respond to the other person, you have nothing of actual value to say.
@@rockon609JJC make a similar set up with a film holder that slides through rather than a feed mechanism. It’s about 1/3 of the price. It also comes with a slide holder at no extra cost.
A viable alternative is a small tripod and key light for like £40. To make the product in the video worth it (instead of lab scans) you would need to scan 40 rolls of film, which as a non-commercial photographer is a lot
Fantastic review, Kyle, thank you! Let me know if you would like to try my system for scanning medium format film 😉 It is already released and available.
For medium format same thing, from camflix (japanese product) , called 120L with 3 Film holders, 6x4,5 / 6x6/ 6x7 , which I got. Amazing piece. High Quality made really. My Light source will be flash, for any LED , physically, are never capable of covering the entire Lightspectrum. It's a Physics thing. So the full spectrum of colors will never really show entirely and such missing spectrum areas are always "fabricated" or left out . Something about LED Physics You should research maybe. (Note: this has nothing to do with Kelvin temperatures). A 50mb sensor or higher to do this with a 6x6 negative comes now very handy.... the medium camera unit from camflix is cheaper , btw...
Incorrect in so many ways. Our eyes are indeed able to see full spectrum daylight, camera Sensors cannot do this. thats just for starters. Considering your statement here, for the rest on this topic, you would not understand any of it anyways... LOL @@thomasmaughan4798
Would 3 extension tubes with a reasonably close focusing normal lens work, or is absolutely necessary to have a true macro lens? Great vid, by the way!
A very reassuring product review for anyone worried about a drop in quality moving from a dedicated scanner. Thank you. But I wonder about the effectiveness of the dust removal attachment, especially as dust accumulates on it. What's your assessment?
The dust attachment seemed to work well for me. I gave the negatives a blast with the rocket blower first as well. But dust seemed to be minimal in my scans.
Dang, just recorded almost the same last week, but you did it so much better😅 think that's going into the bin. Been really enjoying this system. Like you said, not having to have a dedicated space for it has been a lifesaver.Great job on the video!
Almost seemed like you guessed it, I'm just rebuilding my film setup and wanted to move from flatbed to DSLR scanning (or better said GFX scanning), and this video helped me make some decisions. Thanks for sharing great tips and great knowledge!
I was planning to splurge on a Negative Supply kit, but this one is much more convenient. Do you know if they have any plans for a 120, or is it technically impossible?
Looks like a great solution. Too bad my wife decided to throw away all of her negatives decades ago, not seeing the point of saving them if she had prints. All my film negatives are in a binder.
I'd be interested to know if their system can be adapted to use enlarger lenses (assuming threads exist on both ends) instead of SLR lenses. Unlike macro lenses, enlarger lenses are designed for photographing flat surfaces.
Kyle, thank you so much for this video -- so helpful and much needed. Quick question: so much of the appeal of this type of 35mm negative scanning relies on a question I rarely hear tabled on current videos, especially as someone who mostly shoots Black and White (tr-x 400 or Ilford) -- can you scan sharply and closely enough to see film grain on the negative?
Hello! I'm very happy to have found this video! I've been wanting to get back into shooting with film cameras for a while, but I live in a small town, and we don't have the option to scan film on demand. I still need to find an affordable way to develop negatives. Do you have any videos on the developing process as well? Regarding the scanning process, do you recommend using an old camera and vintage lenses because they are cheaper? If I have a modern camera like the Sony A7M3 and a macro lens like the Sigma 105mm, would I be able to scan film on my own? Thanks a lot for your hard work! 🥰
I scanned most of my negatives -- both 35 mm and 6x6 cm - around 10 years ago using the 4990. It took forever and the results weren't all that great, especially the 6x6 negs which are not perfectly flat in the film holder. My D300 is low res by today's standards but with good glass and proper extensions, I might give this a shot. Also, I borrowed a Coolscan (4000, I think) for slides and it was a disaster with constant jams using the slide feeder. Speaking of slides, any suggestions?
Nikon makes an excellent film/slide scanner. It scans the dust separately from the slide image and then has software to remove the dust from the image. If you have any imperfections in the slide / film there is no beating it. Never mail or ship your single copy originals to a scanning company. Delivery companies simply throw packages in the trash if something goes wrong with the delivery label. The insurance money isn't worth it.
Interesting video you did here. My main bone of contention with the VALOI easy35, it offers no 35mm slide holder. I have 35mm slides that haven't see the light of day in years. How can I scan them with a holder. Not so easy after all.
Ohh my! This looks like the solution I need and hopefully will mean that I will keep shooting 35mm film. Having limited space for my camera gear at home rules out the other options on the market. Already have a camera and macro lens. Have you tried shooting any black & White with this setup as well? Thoughts about that process? Thanks for a either great review.
I didn't have any vignetting. Unfortunately because I'm using a 120mm, I have to use that many distance rings. Would be much more compact with something like a 50-80mm.
Dare I buy this set up................... even when it means me searching the attic to try and find three years of hundreds of negatives from my Photography college days😀
Hey Kyle, great video! I'm actually using almost the same setup as you (same lens, GFX 50S) but I find myself having to use a few more extension tubes to get the negative in focus with the Pentax 120mm Macro. I noticed you have a different kind of adapter for the lens/body than me, does it maybe have to do something with that? Cheers!
With the Valoi. In 5-10 years time can you still get an exchange battery? Because I believe it is a rechargeable battery, and with all rechargeable they will eventually die, especially if it lays uncharged over time?!
I would lie if I said that scanning isn't a major reason why I'm not shooting more film, especially since I mostly shoot 4x5 and 120. Most sheet film taken at a high enough dpi takes about 5-10 mins per shot to scan. A time consuming process that is so robotic and monotonous
Hi Kyle, I’ve just ordered it and now looking forward to starting scanning my negatives. I’ve been getting different results from different labs so I’d like to see if I can scan myself and get good results. I still need to learn how to develop film… I have a question regarding pushing/pulling films; e.g. if I pull a film from iso 400 to 200, should I ask the lab to develop it at iso 200? Is this the general rule? I’m fairly new to the 35mm film photography and trying to learn best practices. Thank you, Maciej.
![How Does Film ACTUALLY Work? (It's MAGIC) [Photos and Development] - Smarter Every Day 258](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/TCxoZlFqzwA/mqdefault.jpg)
Kyle is an exceptional no-nonsense thoughtful presenter. He never wastes our time. He never hypes. He always presents evidence in a compelling and timely manner. Kyle thank you for this and for all of your videos. They are appreciated.
Thanks, Jefferey! I appreciate that.
Are you owing a favour to Kyle?😂
That's ridiculous Pricey!! You DON'T Need to buy everything folks. Just build one yourself. Lately I build DIY box scan for 35mm and 120mm films. It's only cost me $2.00 for Black Cardboard and works perfectly. As for light I already have small LED, as for stand I use my tripod. Much smarter and I safe tons of Money.😊
I was introduced to photography by my dad who made one of these. Just as you were saying.
Here we go again with a "I can do this in the basement for 2c" comment. Please do, and make it commercially available, until then, no one cares.
@@abhijit-sarkarapparently you do.
@@BelowZero Reading comprehension.
It's not cheap but the pricing is actually very competitive to its competition. For example, the Epson v850 is $1300 right now, and the cheapest model in the Plustek OpticFilm lineup is $350, while this whole easy35 setup is around $350.
You can DIY on your own all you wanted, but for 99% of people, we want something that is guaranteed to work, easy to use and hassle free.
I got the easy35 on the pre-sale. It's now fitted to a Fujifilm X-E4 with an old Micro Nikkor 55/2.8 plus extension ring. I camscan before cutting (process my own C41).
I don't use Lightroom but Grain2Pixel works like a charm, is free and does batches. Allows quite a lot of post conversion actions and even creates a virtual contact print.
TIP: Leave a blank frame at the start and use it for white balance.
as someone who hates scanning their own 35mm film, this seems like a really great way to go about it efficiently. My V600 is kind of a nightmare for 35mm.
Yes,.they.really are useless for anything more than a 10x8 print.from 35mm, and that's assuming you can get a.dust free scan!! I don't know how Epson can get away with making their inflated resolution specs. Just because they can? Don't they know they'll be found out?
@@chrisfetto9400you won't get a perfectly clean scan no matter what system you use. Professional scanners just use infrared images to mask out the dust, with everything that does not offer that you won't get around having to quickly clone out dust. If you do black and white infrared won't work anyways. A film to digital workflow will always involve more digital work than just going digital.
try a dedicated film scanner. A used, mint, Minolta Scan Dual IV will set you back $300 (less than the price for one of these overpriced hipster holders) and will give you incredible scans. A DSLR setup will be faster but its output will be of poorer quality (due to the interpolating Bayer/X-trans sensor and demosaicising).
@@chrisfetto9400 What are you carrying on about? My Epson photo scanner scans as good as the specs claim. The one I had before it had higher rez, but was much slower. I've scanned hundreds of negatives and slides...and have always gotten excellent results from Epson scanners. I suspect you just don't know what you're doing.
@@giuseppeg.8461 *laughs in manual correction in photoshop*...Oh what's that? Yes, I used super resolution and now have a 160mp equivalent image...What's that?! Yes I used super res. went down to 1:1 and combined 100 images together, stitched 4 images together and now have every ounce of detail possible out of my medium format images.
Yeah, thought so, keep your outdated scanner, and when it dies? Say bye bye.
Very useful video you shared here, pal! I have been seeking a not complicated way to scan my 135 mm and also my 120 mm film for quite a long now. I have had photography since 1978, you you can imagine how the mass of film stips I have in my archives. Thank you so much!!!!! 😃
Very timely! We sadly lost dad on boxing day and there's a stack of photos from his OM1 35mm days to sort through, archive and display.
So sorry for your loss.
Thanks@@TheOstorlab, that's kind. I've lots I'm grateful to him for, not least photography, but also music, gardening, a general approach of thoroughness etc. I was able to express this to him in recent years and also at the very end, which I'm very aware is a privilege that not all families get. Looking forward to going through his negs and slides, many of which I've not seen for decades! I offered to do this while he was alive, but he wasn't interested - I now of course wish I'd insisted and done this sooner of course! We always think there's more time...
I'm really sorry to hear about your Father, Andrew. Hope you're doing alright. We'll have to catch up soon. If you ever want to borrow the easy35 to scan those with, I'll post it over to you.
@@KyleMcDougall Wow, that's really generous Kyle, yes please! I'll email my address in a moment :)
@@KyleMcDougall Just wanted to say that this is a lovely thing to offer
I just hope these guys make a Valoi Easy120 someday. I have the Easy35 and I think this gadget is pure genius.
Yes!! After Plustek (slow af) and Epson (no sharpness) and also plenty other holders (which needed constant leveling) this solution made my year 2023 and made me scan all of my 135 stuff in just a matter of hours. Can’t recommend it enough!
Hi, have the plustek 8100 but looking to change systems especially since I’m noticing scan lines appearing on my conversions. Curious have you ever experienced that with the plustek?
am I the only one who thinks easy120 would be a great idea? Great job Kyle as usual, thanks a lot for the effort you put in these videos, appreciated it
Yes, easy120 would be an instant purchase for me!
And it can digitize 35mm as well.
I've been using my easy35 with a Panasonic S5 in the high res mode. Approx 90mp with an electronic shutter on a 2sec timer. Really happy with the results. Got the slide adapter on order.
is 90mp really necessary for 35mm film?
@@Humungojerry not for every image. Snaps I'll just use the 24mp. Important images or ones I want cropping then the higher the better. For my professionally studio work I use a Sony A7RIII and always appreciate the resolution. It's good to know if I want a large print out that's possible with personal work too.
@@edshotsdotcodotukcool. i guess some film has a pretty high resolution
@@Humungojerry I don't mind real grain showing, would rather that than pixelation from a smaller file. I have the S5 for video so an added bonus it does the sensor shift high res.
it's all one connected system, you don't really need the 2 second timer. Sure, you don't want to bang it around, but if the whole setup is on a solid surface and you are gently hitting your shutter release, no camera shake is introduced.
I use the Nikon ES-2 which does almost exactly the same excepts that you need to bring your own light. Works fantastic! And unlike many people think, you don't need to use it with a Nikon lens or Nikon camera. Any macro lens with 62mm diameter or less can be used if you fit some extension tubes and perhaps step-down rings
Thank you. I just saw that and was wondering. I have a canon with a 50mm lens and wondering if I could make it work with that. Or the basic crappy lens that the camera comes with.
I use the Nikon ES-2 Film Digitiser system for digitizing my 35mm negs. It does not have its own light source but it's very easy to use. You don't need to parallel the film plain to the sensor plain as you say and you don't even need to keep the whole steady while taking the image. It doesn't do medium format.
that system isn't exactly cheap either... for 30 or 40 dollars more (depending on prices of each system) you could just get this one that does have a light source built in.
I love the slide duplicator method, 3D printed my own mechnically geared advancing one for 25GBP with parts off amazon and used a off shelf high CRI light so sub 50USD total cost, and with 61MP sensors pixel shift and exposure stacking with somnthing like a Sony A7RV today its as sane as scanning gets for people without drum scanners as you can rent camaras and optics as needed, but even my 42mp A7RIII fails to resolve modern Ektar 100 or ADOX CMS 20 II, getting that true 1:1 or 2:1 archival scan is the real hard part, next to getting a scanner frame that cuts non of the exposed frame area off position wise is somthing people forget.
It's easy to get overwhelmed in the black hole that is the internet when researching products and tools. I appreciate your simple, no-nonsense insight and opinions. Thank you.
Cheers!
completely agree!
The NLP plugin truly unlocked camera scanning, and therefore unlocked me being able to afford shooting lots of color film. Also, I’m still in love with the desert Southwest and the images it serves up. Your photos here are all old friends😎❤
NLP, and the other options on the market nowadays have really made conversion much easier!
I've been doing slide/negative copying since the mid 1970s. I can't disagree with anything you said, but the getting the right camera/lens thing is critical and needs to be addressed in detail. I've found it is the most important aspect of copying. Many lenses won't work with extension tubes, which is where many people will go first. You need a high quality lens with a flat field of focus, or at best the edges will be soft or totally out of focus. The lens also needs to be able to focus such that the film fills the digital image, otherwise pixels are wasted by "frame", or film area is lost.
With slides or B&W negatives, the clear portions of the film are a straight path from lens to light source. If the light is not perfectly consistent in brightness and color balance, that's a real problem, especially when the light source is close to the film with stopped down apertures. My best copies have been with a light source as far from the film as possible (up to 2 meters with a studio light), with an aperture as open as possible for minimum depth of field so the focus plane is only at the film.
Man I love your lighting setup. So super crisp and clean.
I highly recomment the Flads Test Slides, which where available on Valoi Website too, for perfect focussing setup, bevor running your Sildes through the camera
Link? I can't seem to find anything like that listed.
I saw this online the other day and was considering it but was holding out to find a good review on it and, well, here we are! Thank you!
I have it since june 2023. It has made (135mm) film scanning finally accessible to me. Using an old 5D II with live view and adapted Nikkor 55 micro lens.
ABSOLUTELY STUNNING images
I've already got one of these for the community darkroom I'll be opening in a few weeks ... this makes me beyond excited, but also can serve as a handy instructional aid. Thank you!
Thats awesome!! Highly recommend our 3 part series with instructions for an in depth on the easy35. Found here on our UA-cam channel
@@valoico Thank you!
God, I hope this is it. I have purchased a Minolta dedicated 35mm scanner, an Epson flatbed and then better scanning negative holders, pixl ltr film holder, over the years with just a few scans to show for it. I just ordered the easy35 with the slide holder. Let’s see if I can finally revisit the old memories
Do you have issues with vignetting?
Are you liking it?
Do you like the light source it has? That's one of the downsides I've read about.
@@kristytillman6845I am a complete newbie at this so I may not be the best to judge the quality of the light but it seems fine to me.
Funny I just ordered mine earlier so this is very timely! Have boxes of my Grandfather's Kodachrome slides that have been meaning to digitize, ordered the slide holder so looking forward to getting started. Thank you Kyle!
I like how valoi gave us the border scanning mask for 135 format, wish they do the same for 120 format soon.
It's just a very different technical challenge that comes with compromises on one or more of the three areas (cost, usability, quality)...
I use the Easy35 to scan my film. I scan at F8 and at base ISO, but I keep my shutter speed consistent throughout my roll. I do this because Negative Lab Pro recommends this for their latest v3 release. I also keep color temperature set to the coolest setting for color negative film, as this is what Valoi recommends.
Have been very happy with my results. Glad you like the Easy35 too!
Also, white balance shouldn't matter if you're converting a raw file.
Fantastic! Personally I don't shoot film (yet), but recently found a bunch of old negatives from the 60's in the family stash and was looking for a solution to get them scanned by myself. This will be the way to go!
It's okaaaay. However, if your negative isn't sufficiently dense (anything other than a bright, daytime shot) you're likely going to see orange vignetting in the corners of your scans, and that's because the Valoi Easy35 has defective/uneven backlighting on it's panels. They tried to fix this issue and send out new models, but unfortunately the issue persists. (I've been through 2 units myself).
You can take off the panel and then put something like a Viltrox in it's place which seems to remedy the issue... but it's an expensive modification as the Valoi Easy35 isn't actually cheap and obviously betrays the entire idea of the product. Despite all this, Valoi continues to market the product even tho they are well aware of the issue. Very disappointing.
Hi! I think I remember your case - of course very unfortunate. We genuinely couldn't figure out why your setup was never able to produce the expected results, and you're of course eligible for a return and refund. We have thousands of happy customers so it's always puzzling when someone has problems, but with a handful of setup combinations or negative types, there have been problems which we of course offer to replace or refund.
- Arild
Sorry to hear you had issues, Julian. I didn't experience anything like that with mine.
Just bought one using the code! Can't wait to use this and not have to worry about leveling tripods or copy stands!
Cheers, Brad. I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
I scan film with Sony A7IV with a vintage OM macro lens too, it's a huge savings. I have just a light table for artists, this is enough for me now in terms of quality, but for better experience one day I hope to buy something more serious like this device🙏
I also scan with a GF 50R. A good tip is to use electronic shutter mode to preserve the mechanical shutter in the camera and increase its lifetime. Just look out for flickering at faster shutter speeds
Informative and interesting video Kyle.
Like you I have the Valoi Advancer kit but do not have the space to leave my stand permanently erected so it can take longer setting up than scanning one roll of film! I've ordered an Easy 35, thanks for the discount code.
I also support the suggestion that you don't need expensive cameras to scan film. I sold my Nikon mirrorless cameras last year when I went all in rangefinder and realised I didn't have a camera to scan with so I bought a beaten up Nikon D800 (36mpx) from MPB for 250 quid as I did keep the two F mount macro lenses. The results are just as good as with the Z7ii! Fortunately both the 60mm and 105 work with the Easy.
I'll let you all know how it goes...once I blown the dust off my 35mm! Keep up the good work.
Cheers, David! Yeah, the difference in quality between cheap and expensive cameras is pretty minimal (if you have your setup dialled in).
Forgot about the £50+ import tax & vat, ouch! I’m sure it will be available in UK soon, if not already.
It seems a lot of people are complaining about vignetting. Valoi even made a video "showing" how to remove the vignetting, so, obviously it is a real problem. There are also concerns about a 3D printed plastic box to be this pricey, but then, you know the film scanning market is a rip off when a Hasselblad scanner costs as much as a new car.
Hey Kyle! Thanks for another great video. I like the Veloi, but in my opinion is too expensive. A year ago I found in Amazon a similar option for a fraction of the Veloi price "JJC Photo Slide and Film Digitizer Converter with 10-Levels Brightness LED Backlight for 35mm Slide and Negatives Copying Scanning to Digital for Select Canon Nikon Sony Macro Lenses" Maybe is not as good as the Veloi, but for me works fine at reasonable price. I hope this info helps somebody. Regards
Awesome! I always send people to your channel when they want to get into film scanning, and I love that you compare all the options out there! As an owner of the Plustek 8200i (and very selective of what frames I scan), I can appreciate this little setup! I could totally see putting my old Samsung NX3000 to use with this setup (as it's just collecting dust) if I wanted to quickly chew thru a bunch of film!
Cheers, Patrick!
This is exactly the solution I'm looking for. Thanks for another great review.
cool system. someday i hope someone comes up with a Kodak Pakon like system to fully automate the process, just load in the leader and press go and a few min later its done and you just batch convert and even auto dust removal.
The Pakon is very cool. It's just a shame the resolution is so low.
I have an easy35 since maybe october and have now started to scan my old negatives - and that was when it showed that some choices I've made weren't as good as I thought. My Lightroom license is only for the cloud version (1 TB), and that means I can't use Negative Lab Pro until I upgrade to the "bigger" license including classic + 1 TB, but the current one is still valid for about 9 months. So I will have to wait a bit if I don't wont to waste any money. sigh
But then again I am waiting for Valoi to make slide scanning available for the easy35 - looking forward to see all those old slides again.
USE LIGHTROOM CLASSIC!! There's no cloud storing, it's all on your computer memory.
Use darktable. Its free and includes a module “negdoctor” for inverting color film
Or DPO same thing..
I have had mine for a month now. Well worth the money, in my opinion.
Do you have issues with vignetting?
@@laurencewhite4809 I haven't had any issues. Very easy and uncomplicated to use.
In terms of preserving details camera scanning looks very good. However, the colors from dedicated scanners usually look better. The car's colors in the example look better on the Nikon scan in my opinion.
everything is better in his Nikoscans, it's just that Nikon doesn't make those scanners anymore and it's not paying youtubers to advertise its products..
@@giuseppeg.8461 I'd luke to add another thing. Once I had a Nikon LS-50. As far as I know, its 35mm scans are not very different from LS-8000 or LS-9000 scans. However, I didn't like that scans too much. Then I aquired a Noritsu scanner and I liked its scans much more (not talking about the scanning speed)!
As for the camera scanning, I don't quite understand, how can a camera with a CMOS sensor make good scans at all?
Fair enough. I personally am very happy with the colours from camera 'scanning'. But I know a lot of people prefer dedicated scanners.
@@KyleMcDougall Yeah, worries me that digital scanning is 'dumbing down' the colors of film (especially red + green). Colors might be limited or converted weirdly into digital spectrum of colors. Wonder what happens to dynamic range as well when you digitally scan via a camera
i hope they will make one for 120, this looks the easiest among all other scanning alternatives
I'm hoping for a 120 version either from Valoi or another vendor this year!
I used your code and at was like 250 shipped. Excited to try this on the GFX 50s.
Thanks for the demonstration. I've been leaning toward this system to scan my grandfather's collection of film. He was mainly a show horse photographer, but I think he did some weddings as well. We have a huge collection of negatives to sort through!
Hi Kyle. Thanks for the video. I’ve been looking for an alternative to my flatbed scanner to scan my old negatives and slides and after hearing about this, I came across your video and decided to get one today (using your affiliate link).
Cheers, Chris. Enjoy!
I started scanning my own film quite recently and I build this contraption of books and an ipad for my Nikon 55mm 2.8 macro setup. I was just thinking of what actual setup to buy when I saw your video and instantly ordered one with the code since i mainly use 35mm. Would be a real treat if they made one for medium format.
I have one of these. For me it’s not working - I get a ton of haloing - I think that’s the word - reverse vignetting. No matter what brightness I set it to. Maybe it’s the macro lens I have - a micro Nikkor 60mm. I get the same problem with my Nikon D3x and the Z7ii.
Hey, I like the picture of the Hudson hornet. I remember them well I’m that old. They were good cars.
229 $ for a 3D printed plastic box with a led light? No thanks.
It’s multi jet fusioned with reinforced nylon, not a cheap manufacturing process and produces some of the strongest engineered plastics. Most lens and camera enclosures are made with similar materials now a days… Someone also took the time and designed something that works well, in a pretty niche market. If you think you can design and 3D print something like this for less, go ahead, people have done it and made money
Anybody can finagle a bunch of words around to make something sound bad. What you said is a VAST oversimplification of this product. What’s a viable alternative in your opinion then? Seeing as how you didn’t respond to the other person, you have nothing of actual value to say.
Just say you don’t have the budget and move on.
@@rockon609JJC make a similar set up with a film holder that slides through rather than a feed mechanism. It’s about 1/3 of the price. It also comes with a slide holder at no extra cost.
A viable alternative is a small tripod and key light for like £40. To make the product in the video worth it (instead of lab scans) you would need to scan 40 rolls of film, which as a non-commercial photographer is a lot
Thanks for the video!
Honestly, the cheap Fuji option, looked as good as the Nikon 9000 scan. I’m shocked how little difference there was between them.
Thanks for the info !
I have one and it is great , digitized lots of negs and colour slides
This is AMAZING!!!!!
Wish they had on for Medium Format
Fantastic review, Kyle, thank you! Let me know if you would like to try my system for scanning medium format film 😉 It is already released and available.
For medium format same thing, from camflix (japanese product) , called 120L with 3 Film holders, 6x4,5 / 6x6/ 6x7 , which I got. Amazing piece. High Quality made really. My Light source will be flash, for any LED , physically, are never capable of covering the entire Lightspectrum. It's a Physics thing. So the full spectrum of colors will never really show entirely and such missing spectrum areas are always "fabricated" or left out . Something about LED Physics You should research maybe. (Note: this has nothing to do with Kelvin temperatures). A 50mb sensor or higher to do this with a 6x6 negative comes now very handy.... the medium camera unit from camflix is cheaper , btw...
Full spectrum illumination isn't really all that critical. The camera sensor is usually just R, G and B; so are your eyes.
Incorrect in so many ways. Our eyes are indeed able to see full spectrum daylight, camera Sensors cannot do this. thats just for starters. Considering your statement here, for the rest on this topic, you would not understand any of it anyways... LOL @@thomasmaughan4798
Nice marketing. Nikon ES-2 Film Digitizing Adapter Set is #1 seller and the price is the winner! Nikon quality for sure! Good luck!
I'd consider that if I could run an entire uncut roll through. Having to load a strip at a time in the holder seems like quite the time suck.
Seems as though you’re the one marketing 🤔🤔🤔
Nice pictures/photos
Amazing what people are creating in their spare bedroom with 3d printers well done
Would 3 extension tubes with a reasonably close focusing normal lens work, or is absolutely necessary to have a true macro lens? Great vid, by the way!
A very reassuring product review for anyone worried about a drop in quality moving from a dedicated scanner. Thank you. But I wonder about the effectiveness of the dust removal attachment, especially as dust accumulates on it. What's your assessment?
The dust attachment seemed to work well for me. I gave the negatives a blast with the rocket blower first as well. But dust seemed to be minimal in my scans.
@@KyleMcDougalldust is always minimal when you process your own film
Just blown away seeing the dynamic range. But still wondering how LR distinguish and convert to the original colour.
are you referring to the lightroom plugin "Negative Lab Pro"
Dang, just recorded almost the same last week, but you did it so much better😅 think that's going into the bin. Been really enjoying this system. Like you said, not having to have a dedicated space for it has been a lifesaver.Great job on the video!
Great comparison, I would say your setups produce nicer scans than the nikon scanner
2:26 Yes, that's my problem (lots of medium format 6x7 negatives).
Most interesting, thanks.
This gadget and pixel shifted full frame or newer gfx setup could be spectacular?!
Almost seemed like you guessed it, I'm just rebuilding my film setup and wanted to move from flatbed to DSLR scanning (or better said GFX scanning), and this video helped me make some decisions. Thanks for sharing great tips and great knowledge!
You're welcome. Cheers.
Would buy a 120 version in a heartbeat
I was planning to splurge on a Negative Supply kit, but this one is much more convenient. Do you know if they have any plans for a 120, or is it technically impossible?
This 👀
Not sure. I hope so.
Looks like a great solution. Too bad my wife decided to throw away all of her negatives decades ago, not seeing the point of saving them if she had prints. All my film negatives are in a binder.
OMG I Just ordered the Negative Supply kits...
I'd be interested to know if their system can be adapted to use enlarger lenses (assuming threads exist on both ends) instead of SLR lenses. Unlike macro lenses, enlarger lenses are designed for photographing flat surfaces.
Sure it can! Just make sure its an enlarger lens with a front filter thread. Not all have that
Kyle, thank you so much for this video -- so helpful and much needed. Quick question: so much of the appeal of this type of 35mm negative scanning relies on a question I rarely hear tabled on current videos, especially as someone who mostly shoots Black and White (tr-x 400 or Ilford) -- can you scan sharply and closely enough to see film grain on the negative?
All depends on the lens you choose, but in my experience, yes.
Great content - thank you.
Nice to see you wear gloves 👍nice job
Genius. Thanks for the video
I'll stick with my vintage Nikon Cool Scan.
Great review. Thank you for this; I've placed an order now. :)
I bet they come out with a 120 version
Hello! I'm very happy to have found this video! I've been wanting to get back into shooting with film cameras for a while, but I live in a small town, and we don't have the option to scan film on demand. I still need to find an affordable way to develop negatives. Do you have any videos on the developing process as well? Regarding the scanning process, do you recommend using an old camera and vintage lenses because they are cheaper? If I have a modern camera like the Sony A7M3 and a macro lens like the Sigma 105mm, would I be able to scan film on my own? Thanks a lot for your hard work! 🥰
I shoot a lot of 35 and I am getting tired of always readjusting my film scanning set up.
Plustek OpticFilm nuff said.
Cool!
Thanks!
I scanned most of my negatives -- both 35 mm and 6x6 cm - around 10 years ago using the 4990. It took forever and the results weren't all that great, especially the 6x6 negs which are not perfectly flat in the film holder. My D300 is low res by today's standards but with good glass and proper extensions, I might give this a shot. Also, I borrowed a Coolscan (4000, I think) for slides and it was a disaster with constant jams using the slide feeder. Speaking of slides, any suggestions?
Nikon makes an excellent film/slide scanner. It scans the dust separately from the slide image and then has software to remove the dust from the image. If you have any imperfections in the slide / film there is no beating it. Never mail or ship your single copy originals to a scanning company. Delivery companies simply throw packages in the trash if something goes wrong with the delivery label. The insurance money isn't worth it.
Excellent content, well delivered. Could you tell me what adapter you used to mount the Pentax lens? Cheers!
Interesting video you did here. My main bone of contention with the VALOI easy35, it offers no 35mm slide holder. I have 35mm slides that haven't see the light of day in years. How can I scan them with a holder. Not so easy after all.
Ohh my! This looks like the solution I need and hopefully will mean that I will keep shooting 35mm film. Having limited space for my camera gear at home rules out the other options on the market. Already have a camera and macro lens.
Have you tried shooting any black & White with this setup as well? Thoughts about that process?
Thanks for a either great review.
I haven't scanned any B&W with the easy35, but it would be exactly the same as the colour.
That much for a 3D printed box is kinda crazy imo
You have so many distance rings between your lens and the Easy 35. Don't you have trouble with vignetting in your shots, especially on darker frames?
I didn't have any vignetting. Unfortunately because I'm using a 120mm, I have to use that many distance rings. Would be much more compact with something like a 50-80mm.
@@KyleMcDougallcan you use a close focus adapter and adjust accordingly without the extra tube(s)
Dare I buy this set up................... even when it means me searching the attic to try and find three years of hundreds of negatives from my Photography college days😀
Hey Kyle, great video! I'm actually using almost the same setup as you (same lens, GFX 50S) but I find myself having to use a few more extension tubes to get the negative in focus with the Pentax 120mm Macro. I noticed you have a different kind of adapter for the lens/body than me, does it maybe have to do something with that? Cheers!
Do you use extension tubes with the lens? I’m in the same boat, the 35mm frame only fills centre of the frame at 1:1 as it’s 1:1 for a 645 frame
This looks like a great setup if your film is perfectly flat. Many times film is curled. How do you deal with that?
I wonder if a easy120 product would be possible. Love using the easy35 myself.
With the Valoi. In 5-10 years time can you still get an exchange battery? Because I believe it is a rechargeable battery, and with all rechargeable they will eventually die, especially if it lays uncharged over time?!
I would lie if I said that scanning isn't a major reason why I'm not shooting more film, especially since I mostly shoot 4x5 and 120. Most sheet film taken at a high enough dpi takes about 5-10 mins per shot to scan. A time consuming process that is so robotic and monotonous
Just don’t tighten the adaptor ring to your lens too tight. It’s a pig to get off.
Great video have you heard of 120 in the future
Hi Kyle, I’ve just ordered it and now looking forward to starting scanning my negatives.
I’ve been getting different results from different labs so I’d like to see if I can scan myself and get good results.
I still need to learn how to develop film…
I have a question regarding pushing/pulling films; e.g. if I pull a film from iso 400 to 200, should I ask the lab to develop it at iso 200? Is this the general rule?
I’m fairly new to the 35mm film photography and trying to learn best practices.
Thank you, Maciej.