Features
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Includes just about everything you need to camera scan 35mm and 120 medium format film quickly and easily with the full VALOI 360 range of tools
CS-Lite light source allows adjustment for different types of film (color negative, B&W, slide film)
CS-LiteBrite+ light enhancement sheets make the CS-Lite up to 2.3X brighter, resulting in sharper and higher quality scans
Product Details
“Valoi” is a Finnish word meaning light and creation — a nod to the creativity of analog photography. The Scandinavian roots of VALOI are visible in the minimalist and functional design. VALOI 360 is a film holder system that provides an affordable way to digitize your rolls of 35mm and 120 medium format film using a digital camera, without compromising on features. This system will help you scan film quicker and, with the right setup, with higher quality than traditional flatbed scanners.
The VALOI 360 Complete Bundle includes just about everything you need to get started camera scanning 35mm and 120 medium format film with the VALOI 360 system and CineStill CS-LITE light source.
Included:
The VALOI Advancer significantly upgrades your at-home film scanning experience. Paired with the VALOI film holders, it allows you to scan quicker and more precisely with precision film-advancing knobs rather than manually pushing/pulling the film through the holders. The sturdy steel construction features four rubberized and threaded feet for ensuring the film holders are perfectly level. Additionally, the Advancer raises your film off of the light source for more even illumination. While best used with uncut rolls of film, it can also be used with cut strips as short as 3 frames.
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We all know dust can be a big problem in film scanning. And wiping away dust can generate static, which just attracts more dust! That's why the VALOI Film Duster was to made to screw right onto the back of the VALOI Advancer with two included thumbscrews. Its anti-static brushes will capture most of the dust without generating static electricity and give you a significantly cleaner scan. This is the perfect anti-dust solution for anyone with the Advancer.
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The CS-LITE slides into the Light Adapter and is secured with a set screw from the side. The Advancer can then be screwed into the top of the Light Adapter. Four adjustable rubber feet provide a firm grip onto the scanning surface and can be used to level the apparatus for perfectly sharp scans.
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The CS-LITE light is a compact light source specifically designed for scanning 35mm and medium format film with a digital camera. It features a CRI of 95+ for high color accuracy and a brightness of EV 15+ to provide sufficient illumination for even the densest of negatives. The color temperature can be adjusted to properly suit different types of film, such as color negative, color positive, and black and white using the built-in remote control.
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The CS-LiteBrite+ contains 2 light enhancement sheets designed to increase directional light output for camera scanning, which reduces spill light and enhances diffusion uniformity. Use a single CS-LiteBrite+ sheet placed directly on any diffused light source to increase brightness by more than 60%, or use both sheets correctly to get 130% increased light output for diffused light sources. That’s 2.3X brighter, resulting in sharper and higher quality scans.
360 35mm and 120 Film Holders
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The VALOI Film Holders are the perfect entry-point for trying out camera scanning and can be used on their own or with the VALOI Advancer. The double S-curved and precision-engineered track keeps the film flat, and the matte surface and built-in internal angles keep reflections off your scans. The design makes it quick and easy to scan film by allowing you to push film through the holder instead of a traditional clam-shell design that requires constant opening and closing.
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The Valoi 120 Film Masks reduce glare that can be caused by excess light outside of the image area when scanning 120 film formats smaller than the full 6x9 image area, especially with older macro lenses. Available in 6x4.5, 6x6, and 6x7 sizes, they are not necessary for everyone but can increase the quality of your 120 scans.
Recommended Accessories:
The most convenient option for a camera stand is something you already own, like a sturdy tripod with an invertible column so you can mount your camera underneath or an old enlarger with an adapter plate. However, if you want a camera stand made for camera scanning, we have a few affordable options including the convenient Foldable Copy Stand. This camera stand quickly collapses the telescopic center column with a quick buckle design and folds down to the base for convenient flat storage and carrying. The design also features a tapered quick release pin for easy secure mounting of your camera and a camera pitch angle knob to adjust flatness.
Camera & Lens
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 for insane resolution.
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 or 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. 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 stops 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.
