Let’s face it Using a Digital Camera to digitize your analogue film
makes sense. With a decent resolution digital camera, converting a film
negative into a 20 Megapixel image sounds great. Converting a film frame into a 50 Megapixel image is like
a dream come true! Heck, that’s in
drum scanning territory! If you are reading this, you’ll know the score... AND you’ll
want the results without having to spend a fortune!! The Challenge...Holding the negative flat It’s the biggest challenge to overcome. ‘THE’ biggest. With a flat negative, it is entirely possible to create a
digital image of your film frame that nears the limits of your camera. Flat negative = low distortion = great digital file. However... ...the available solutions are all over-engineered and
either very
expensive or very
slow in use. ...OR they need clamps, bends, clips or pegs that can
easily scratch and damage your negatives! The Essential Film Holder range sorts that problem in a flash!
Call it the EFH range, it’s snappier (no pun intended). “Essential” because the design tackles the essential
challenges and delivers a solution to the fundamentals of the problem. I’m an engineer and techie at heart and I came up with the
idea and design for the EFH range after getting fed up with average quality
scans from my Epson v600. I was fed-up with the Epson giving me barely passable
scans in an inordinate amount of time. I was finding that a quick scan on a
15-shot roll of 120 film of 6x4.5 frames could easily take me an entire
morning. A 36-shot 35mm roll could take a day. I’d just come back from a photo tour of Added to the pile of woe was the fact that I had 5 rolls
of 6x4.5 film to scan and a roll from my 6x6 pinhole. Looking around, I found there were some beautifully engineered metal scanning solutions, but complete systems covering 35mm and 120 could easily cost $1,100 or more. That simply did not pass my “sanity check” for an amateur photographer, or even many professional ones! Surely there had to be a better way! So whilst pondering my options, I looked at the
possibilities and challenges ahead for using my Nikon D850 to zap the films
into the digital domain. And I wanted to minimise the costs and outlay by making
use of things that I had lurking around amongst my photo kit. After a couple of weeks of head scratching, drawing,
cutting out bits of paper, re-doing CAD drawings galore, my first prototype
of the Essential Film Holder was back from the fabricators and the EFH was
born. And the design has not changed significantly since
then...it’s evolved a little and now “v3.2” is the standard design. Introduction to the EFH v3.2
Using Your EFH It’s simple. Your EFH is delivered fully assembled ready
for action! It’s been hand assembled and 100% film tested. Alternatively, you can buy your EFH in Self-Assembly
form and, in just a few minutes, your EFH unit is ready for use
Above the EFH, you align your camera. If you have a
macro/micro lens, that’s great. If not, then an extension tube works fine. Your film then passes through the EFH dual layers.
On to the next frame ...and the next... Reposition the
film within the aperture without moving the EFH (not your camera!) and take
the next shot. Repeat until your roll is completed. After you’ve gone through a roll or two, you’ll be able to
digitize a 36-shot, 35mm film within around 5-6 minutes or less.
Here’s a few things that make the EFH so special ·
Multiple
film formats fully supported in one design ·
Keeps negatives flat ·
Consistent
positioning ·
Even, diffused backlight ·
Super-quick
setup ·
FAST! ·
User-adjustable
configuration And above all... ·
Highly
affordable Sample Images OK, so we all know that sample images are largely
pointless – it’s down to how you capture, digitize and post process the
images once converted from negative. Nevertheless, here’s a few film images that I’ve “scanned”
with the aid of the Essential Film Holder. I’ve included larger
images to better demonstrate the detail that the EFH helps unlock in your
negatives. (More images can be seen on my Instagram page, link below)
Now, Let’s talk about price Think about the “other solutions” for a moment. Solution A – The
Do-It-Yourself options You could create your own “jig” from a cardboard box.
There are even simple examples and templates on the web for doing this. Very cheap, but little stability, little repeatability,
zero reliability... but fun if you want to play! One small step from cardboard are numerous “homebrew”
solutions – often in the form of a $50 kit of plastic toy parts from a low-budget
Kickstarter project. The fact you are here says that you know better than that!
I always hated Airfix models too! So, if the ‘Airfix’ approach is for you, then you’d
probably not be reading this! You could, of course, 3-D print some solution or fabricate
your own – that’s OK for certain types who have the equipment, knowledge and
skill to construct their own... I’m not one of these people, I’m afraid. I
like to use a tried-and-tested, proven solution! Solution B – Film
Scanner You could use a film scanner. This is probably where we
all started. I have an Epson v600 scanner that gives ‘ok’ results for 120
formats and just about ‘good enough’ results for 35mm. But it’s a very slow
process and there’s a lot of effort needed to tweak the scans of each
negative and film type. Price, around $300+ Solution C – An
All-Metal Frame You could use an all-metal flat frame that would hold your
negatives perfectly well. The Skier Film Holder does that. So does the Kaiser
FilmCopy. So do a plethora of ‘copycat’ solutions. They are just film holders. They hold your film. Metal-bodied systems covering both 35mm and 120 are typically several hundred dollars. For example, VALOI’s easy120 dual-format system is around $600+, while a comparable Negative Supply Pro setup is around $1,100+. The “Skier Sunray Copy Box II” adds a backlight and very basic
low-grade diffuser... however, that’s $600+ if you include Solution D – The Most
Expensive You could go the “whole hog” and get yourself the most
expensive holder available from Negative Supply. Their holders are nicely designed, built like tanks, and
will last a lifetime, probably. They include hinged trays, wind-on mechanisms, curved
entry and exit channels and dust brushes...what more could you want! At current prices, covering both 35mm and 120 with Negative Supply’s Pro film carriers, together with a suitable Negative Supply light diffuser comes to around $1,100. And you still need a backlight and a means of aligning your camera and
everything else. ...And THE Best Solution - the Essential Film Holder The Essential Film Holder comes in THREE basic variants. ·
EFH-01 for 35mm only ·
EFH-02 for 120 only ·
EFH-09-KIT for both 35mm and
120 Simply select the version you want... |
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NOTES: 1. After purchase you will have the option to add other masks to your order. 15 optional masks are now available, covering formats including 35mm slides, 120 slides, Half-Frame, XPAN, 35mm sprockets and 120 film borders. 2. If you buy EFH-01 or EFH-02
and then subsequently want to scan another format, then other masks can
always be added, as appropriate, at any time, for 35mm or 120 formats. Not ready to buy yet? Yes, of course, there’s a Mailing List Click HERE
to join the EFH mailing list. I'll share tips, guides, techniques and news to help you with your scanning. Materials Used Some people like to know. So here are the details. The film carriers, posts, spacers, nuts and pillars are
all made of quality engineering plastics. ZERO metal used throughout the designs, helping protect your scanning light, tablet and negatives from hard metal contact. Most importantly, designed to avoid scratching your negatives in normal use. The materials used for the layers of the EFH have been
carefully selected and are made from precision, laser-cut Polymethyl
Methacrylate. In some regions that’s what’s better known as Perspex or more
generally as acrylic. More specifically, the EFH uses only ‘cast acrylic’ for
it’s flatness and resistance to warping over time. Acrylic is tough, has very good scratch-resistant
properties and is unlikely to get dented or knocked. It’s strong, tough and
lightweight. For the film-carrier layers, the acrylic is soft-touch
matt black, known for it’s non-reflective performance. The latest “v3.2” ‘guide layers’ are made from high-hardness,
low-friction Acetal to ensure perfect alignments of your negatives every
time. It’s a low friction and ultra-hard material so it will not degrade with
use. The diffuser layer has been carefully selected to be 3mm Perspex Spectrum LED Opal 1TL2, an LED-optimised cast acrylic diffuser material designed to provide even, consistent illumination.The diffuser looses just 1-stop of light and has a flat response across the entire visible spectrum. That’s what you need for top-performing scanning products. Who Am I? I guess I should tell you a bit about me.
Then started-up my own business from scratch – sold that
one. Then started another company that designs, manufactures and sells
high-end computer audio products for home and studio use. It’s inconceivable that most people (especially in the You could say that I understand volume consumer product
development and sales! Am currently a non-exec director for a 360-degree camera
company in I’m a former Director and Trustee of the Royal Photographic Society, the UK’s leading photographic organisation. I’ve been a (mad-keen) photographer for 40+ years; and
have won a couple of global awards here and there. There’s still nothing like the excitement of film
photography, be it with a home-made 6x6 pinhole, a Holga, a Bronica ETRSi, a
6x9 Fuji GW690, or with my trusty Nikon F3. I used to run some workshops and walks on behalf of (/for)
a well known professional photographer in the Oh, and I shoot digital too with a Nikon D850 – which is
currently being used to digitize negatives at 46 Mega Pixels.
FAQ How long will it take for my EFH to arrive? The aim is to dispatch all orders within around 20 working days. As you can imagine, the Essential Film Holder is in great demand, so during periods of peak demand, this may extend by a few days. What’s the shipping time? Dispatch will normally take place within around 20 working days of purchase. During periods of peak demand, this may extend by a few days. You’ll always receive a courier’s tracking number
when your pack dispatches. Shipping times within the All shipments will originate from here in
Is this a kit of bits that I have to contruct? No, the original EFH comes ready assembled in the
configuration that I think gives the best results. By the nature of its design, you will have the option to
adjust the positioning of the various layers of the EFH to best suit your
ideas of quality and to suit your workflow. Once it’s set up (or left as delivered) it’s extremely
fast to set up, meaning that you don’t need to fiddle with it each time you
want to scan another batch of negatives. The recent Self Assembly version (EFH-09-SA) will arrive
along with a simple instructions booklet, ready for assembly and you can be set
to start digitising your film within 10-15 minutes. But surely the $1,000+ all metal scanning system has to be better? Yes, perhaps. The premium metal systems are certainly solid, weighty and seemingly well engineered. But does spending ten or fifteen times as much produce images that are ten or fifteen times better? Only you can judge, but I struggle to think it could, and
that’s part of the reasoning why the EFH came into being. Do I need a special light source? Yes and no. Yes, because the quality of the light makes a
difference to the image that you can capture. No because that difference is
probably only for the few. In my experience a basic LED light panel can be
good enough, if the light it produces is fundamentally “full spectrum” across
the great majority of the visible spectrum. A small, £30 LED panel from
Amazon is a perfect choice for many users. Can I use my Android Tablet, iPad or iPhone as the light source? Yes. At a pinch. Create a blank white image and display it
at maximum brightness and you will get decent results. Actually, more recent iPads (Retina display) give a
remarkably good, even light; even the ‘iPad mini’. Samsung Tablet devices are pretty good too (I occasionally
use a little 7.0” Tab A). Is it essential to have a macro lens? Not really. If you have one, then that’s great. A 60mm
macro lens is idea, as is a 105mm macro lens. However, it’s not essential at
all. Read on... How to select extension tubes to fit to my lens? An extension tube is just that. It increases the lens to
camera/sensor distance, thereby giving you a magnification. Generally sold in sets of three that can be used in any
combination, giving 6 extension distances, usually from 10mm up to 80mm. They come in cheap, no-lens, no-electronic version – they
are fine. They also come in more advanced (and expensive) versions to allow
for an auto-focus capability. I use a DX/Crop camera – can I still do this? Sure. You’ll get a “closer” image, magnified by the crop
factor (typically around 1.5x). You’ll still be able to use your extension
tubes in the same way. I only have a zoom lens – will that be OK? Well, the “experts” will tell you that a zoom lens is not
good for close-up work. It’s certainly
more difficult to use. However, that should not put you off. Give it a go, and
you might just be pleasantly surprised. Set it at 50, 60, 100mm, or
thereabouts, and get those extension tubes out. My lens is auto-focus – is that OK? Yes. However, to use auto-focus, you will need a more
elaborate set of extension tubes – ones with electrical contacts to allow the
lens to continue to talk to the camera body. My lens is manual focus – is that OK? Yes. Personally, I prefer manual lenses for digitizing
film. Why? Because once you are focussed on the film substrate, you can
simply leave it alone, without fear of the camera wanting to continually
re-focus for each frame. Will I need a wide aperture – there’s not much light around? No! Your camera, lens and the EFH (and therefore your
negatives) are all held perfectly still. So there’s no need to worry if your
shutter speed gets a little long. Typically with an LED light panel and f/8
on my lens, I’d expect a shutter speed of around ½ second at most. Use either
a cable release, or your camera’s self timer (set to a couple of seconds) and
you’ll get perfectly sharp images. Isn’t Camera alignment crucial? How do I do this? Yes, it is crucial. Your camera’s sensor needs to be as
parallel to the film frame as is humanly possible. And central too. However,
if you ditch all the so-called “expert” fancy solutions for this, it’s easy.
Really easy. Using a simple procedure, you can get to within 1 or 2 degrees
and within less than a millimetre of centralisation. I’ll mail your a full
“how to” guide after your EFH order is processed. Do I need a dark room to process these shots? No. However, any stray light will mess up the capture. If
you are in, for example, an office environment, close your curtains, switch
off room lighting and you’re set to go. If you have a large lightbox/source,
you ay want to mask off the areas beyond the area of the EFH, again to avoid
stray light. You’re trying to get ALL light coming through the diffuser
layer, not around it. Surely dust is an issue? It can be. I suggest using a Rocket-style air blower
across your negative before pressing the shutter if you are concerned about
dust. A quick wipe around the work area with a damp duster, 30 minutes
before you get your negatives out, usually minimises the dust on nearby
surfaces. Some film holder products come with extra-price film
‘duster’ attachments. An additional £30++ that’s entirely unnecessary, in my view –
you just need a bit of basic common sense when handling your film strips. Do I need to use a piece of glass to keep the negatives flat? No! There is no need for glass to be used at all. No
fringing, no ‘Newton Rings’ and no sharp edges to handle. The entire film holder is metal-free, avoiding hard metal contact with your negatives and light panel. Is the Essential Film Holder Recyclable? In this day and age, we all need to be aware of what we
are doing to the planet. Whilst the EFH is made from high quality Acrylic, it IS a
plastic. However, I have been very careful to select and use only
plastics that can be 100% recycled. Not only that, but the Acrylic from manufacturers Perspex
is made in a reduced carbon footprint, heat recovery, infrared-lit facility in the And, many years from now, when your EFH is at its “End of
Life”, you can be assured that it can be efficiently and fully recycled back
to raw materials to be used again. Even our packaging, wrapping, boxes and bags are recycled
and recyclable and are fully environmentally friendly. How do I convert my negative images into positive images? There are plenty of different methods for inverting
negatives in Lightroom or Photoshop (or in many other image editing
packages). My recommendation is to use a Lightroom plugin called
“Negative Lab Pro”. I’m just a plain-old user of the software – I cannot
influence what new features and functions get added, I’m afraid. I have personally grown very confident in its evolving ability
to create inverted images that I like. All of the sample images on this page
are converted using Negative Lab Pro.
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