Tips and Tricks
Let there be (quality) light!
Look for high quality light sources for scanning, which will accurately illuminate the colors in your original. LED panels with a high CRI are recommended. At Northeast Photographic, we use a Kaiser LED with a CRI in the range of 95. Some people have reported that iPads are also good quality sources.
Hold Steady
You want your capture camera held rigidly in place during scanning. We recommend a copy stand. These were made to copy documents, pieces of art, photographs etc. They are just about perfect. Keep scanning Craigslist or Facebook for used deals, as they are heavy and hard to ship. Most people who have them just want them out of their house.
KISS
Keep it simple, stupid! That rather rude saying is true in my experience. Any APS-C or Full Frame camera made in the last 10 years is likely well suited for scanning. We recommend native macro lenses which will work well, and should be available used on the cheap. Newer cameras do have some advantages but you do run into the law of diminishing returns at a certain point.
A to the F
We autofocus every single frame that runs through our Mark I scanning unit. In theory the film or camera should not move so a manual focus lens should be fine. In practice, even micro movements can throw off focus slightly. That being said, many do scan with manual lenses, just be sure to watch your focus as you move through the roll.
Film Scratch Fever
Avoid scratches by having a takeoff and landing area for your film roll. If your copy stand is on a small table you can fix bags or containers on each side. This way the film starts and ends in a safe place while being run through the scanner.
Contributors
Mark Sperry: Owner of Northeast Photographic
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