Features
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Digital camera film scanning kit for scanning 35mm
Basic Riser MK3 provides a stable support for nearly any camera and macro lens combination
Basic Film Carrier MK2 holds film exceptionally flat for high quality scans
Basic Film Carrier Stabilizing Mask attaches the film holder to the light source, masks extraneous light, and improves scan quality
4x5 Light Source Basic MK2 is compact, bright, and has a very high CRI of 99 for great scans
Inline Power Switch for 4x5 Light Source Basic MK2 allows users to leave the light source plugged in to prevent accidental movement of the light
Product Details
Negative Supply exists to create tools for film photographers who want to spend more time photographing and less time scanning. Their products allow you to digitize negatives using your digital camera and a macro lens in just a few minutes.
The Negative Supply 35mm Enthusiast Kit with Basic Riser MK3 is perfect for beginners just getting into scanning their own 35mm at home with a digital camera. Offering the full line-up of the Negative Supply Basic MK2 line, the next generation of Negative Supply starts now.
Includes:
Basic Riser MK3: With a solid steel base, anodized aluminum central column, and design cues from the Pro Riser MK3, the new Basic Riser MK3 is a massive upgrade over the Basic Riser MK2. It is ideal for users looking to scan 35mm and 120 with nearly any camera and macro lens combination.
Basic Film Carrier 35 MK2: Using shared parts and processes from our Pro Film Carrier 35, the all-new Basic Film Carrier 35 MK2 offers superior film flatness to its predecessor and is capable of scanning all 35mm film formats including half frame, full frame (standard 35mm), and panoramic sizes in a single capture.
Basic Film Carrier 35 MK2 Stabilizing Mask: This accessory holds the Basic Film Carrier 35 MK2 firmly to the light source and helps mask extraneous light when scanning to ensure flare-free scans.
4x5 Light Source Basic MK2 (99 CRI): Compact and bright, the 4x5 Light Source Basic MK2 is great for both color and B+W film. A high CRI ensures highly accurate colors.
Inline Power Switch for 4x5 Light Source Basic MK2 (99 CRI): This accessory allows you to leave your light source plugged in and turn the light on and off via a toggle switch, preventing accidental movement of the light.
Digital camera scanning is becoming popular because it’s an easy and resourceful way to scan your own work with equipment you may already have.
DSLR/Mirrorless scanning is relatively new to film, but it gives added speed, convenience, and precision for capturing frames in full detail. Modern cameras with high resolution also capture slide film with better reproduction quality and color due to CMOS sensor technology.
“After having scanned all our film for over a decade using a professional Fuji Frontier minilab scanner (essentially a Camera Scanner), Epson v750 flatbed and various others, camera scanning is finally emerging as a premium workflow solution for scanning your own work in all formats. The Negative Supply products solve many of the initial struggles of camera scanning. It is now fast and reliable with potentially higher resolution in a much smaller package and simply more efficient in nearly every way.” - Brandon Wright Creator & Co-Founder of CineStill Film
Scanning film with a digital camera is the future digitization. Speed up scanning time by capturing entire rolls and advance between frames with a high quality stainless steel drive mechanism. Each frame can be precisely centered while capturing every detail quickly and efficiently.
Camera Body
Just about any semi-modern interchangeable camera will work great for camera scanning. There are many mirrorless or DSLR options to choose from, with the most convenient offering tethered live view capture to your computer. The Canon T2i is probably the cheapest option out there with tethering and large lens selection, and new cameras like the Sony A7 series are now very affordable with great IQ. High end setups may even use the new full frame Panasonic mirrorless cameras with pixel stitching.
Macro Lens
For camera scanning, the one real requirement is that your lens focuses close enough to capture the entire frame, without having to digitally crop. For full frame cameras and capturing 35mm film, the term 1:1 designates a lens that will reproduce the 35mm frame exactly onto the full frame digital sensor. With crop bodies, 1:1 focus even closer. There are also options to use extension tubes for older macro lenses. We have had excellent results with an inexpensive Nikon 55mm macro from the film days, using a simple extension tube to get 1:1 on our full frame bodies. Higher end, yet affordable options include the excellent Sigma 70mm ART Macro. The Outside of reproduction factor (1:1), also look out for lenses that are sharp, have good color reproduction, limit internal reflections (modern coatings), and have very little vignetting. Finally, it’s generally best to use your lens stopped down 2-3 from wide open, as this gives a good combination between depth of field and brightness.
Software for Negative Conversion
There are a few plugins and standalone programs for converting negatives into positives. Some older and some newer, all of them try to harness the color science based in darkroom paper to various degrees. Many professional scanners have used LaserSoft applications or some proprietary/built-in software to emulate darkroom printing. After all, even a professional lab scanner is simply a digital camera and a light source. The applications below do the same thing for converting negatives captured with you digital camera rather than a digital camera built into a scanner. We recommend choosing the one that best suits your workflow.
