“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 Light Adapter is designed to secure the CineStill CS-LITE to the VALOI 360 Advancer for a more complete, stable scanning platform. 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. Camera Scanning Considerations: Camera Body Just about any semi-modern, interchangeable-lens digital camera will work great for camera scanning. There are many mirrorless or DSLR options to choose from with large lens catalogs, tethered capture capability, and excellent image quality. Some high end cameras can even use pixel stitching to deliver extremely high levels of resolution. Macro Lens For camera scanning, the one real requirement is that your lens focuses close enough to capture the entire frame. 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-sensor bodies, 1:1 lenses focus even closer. 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 macro lens stopped down 2-3 stops from wide open, as this gives a good combination of depth of field and sharpness. Software for Negative Conversion There are a few plugins and standalone programs for converting captured negatives into positive images. Some older and some newer, all of them try to harness the color science based in darkroom paper to various degrees. After all, even a professional lab scanner is essentially a digital camera and a light source. Most of the options presented here allow you to download a demo version to try before you buy and determine which one best suits your workflow. SOFTWARE REQUIRES CONTROL COST CS Negative+ Adobe CC/Mobile Prosumer FREE SmartConvert Mac/PC Consumer $$ FilmLab Mac/PC Consumer $$ Negative Lab Pro Adobe Lr Classic Prosumer $$ LaserSoft NegaFix SilverFast HDR 8 Professional $$$ ColorPerfect Adobe Ps Professional $
