There is nothing quite like the experience of shooting with a Pentax 67. The mechanical clunk of that massive mirror, the gorgeous 6x7 negatives, and the pure tactile joy of handling one of medium format's greatest legends. But if you are a film photographer who loves pushing boundaries, you don’t just stop at standard 120 film.
Recently, I loaded my Pentax 67 with Kodak Gold 200 in 35mm film using an eTone panoramic film holder. The goal? Massive, ultra-wide panoramic frames that stretch across the entire 6x7 gate, capturing those beautiful, exposed sprocket holes for a distinct, cinematic look.
The results got me excited, but it immediately brought me face-to-face with the classic analogue dilemma: How do you actually scan panoramic film without losing the sprockets? Standard flatbed scanners crop out the sprockets, so do lab scanners, and typical 35mm dedicated scanners can't handle a panoramic frame of this length. Enter the VALOI easy120. For a Pentax 67 owner like me, this isn't just a convenient tool; it is the most versatile camera scanning rig on the market and my absolute preferred way to scan film lately.
Scanning 35mm Panoramas: The Non-Standard Challenge
Scanning standard 120 or 35mm film is relatively straightforward nowadays. But the moment you start format-bending—like running 35mm film through a medium format chassis—most traditional workflows break down. It wouldn't make any sense to try this as well, because the film has no place to rest, so you'd just get a totally out-of-focus scan.
Here is how the VALOI easy120 handles this experimental panoramic setup effortlessly:
- The easy 120 Film Holder for 35mm Panoramic: When scanning 35mm panoramas shot on the Pentax 67, you need a gate wide enough to see the entire width of the 35mm film (including the sprockets) and long enough to capture the full 7cm frame length. The easy120 accommodates this without breaking a sweat.
- Flawless Film Flatness: Panoramic 35mm film has a nasty habit of curling, especially when adapted into larger cameras using an eTone holder. The easy120's specialized pull-through system uses an engineered S-curve path to ensure the film stays perfectly flat right at the moment of capture. Say goodbye to soft edges or mismatched focal planes.
More of a visual learner? Watch Tuomas from VALOI work his magic on the Panon Widelux.
Why the VALOI easy120 Is the Most Versatile Camera Scanning Rig
Camera scanning has traditionally required a massive footprint: a heavy copy stand, a separate light box, a leveling bubble, and a dark room to avoid stray reflections. The easy120 completely simplifies this process by integrating everything into a modular, compact system.
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Zero Alignment Headaches
Because the easy120 connects directly to your macro lens via rigid, precision-machined aluminum distance tubes, your camera sensor and your film are locked in perfect, permanent parallelism. You can pack it down, set it up on a tiny desk, and be scanning in under a minute without ever needing to level a copy stand. -
Built-in, High-CRI Lighting
You don’t need to hunt for a separate light source. Tucked inside the rugged metal body is a built-in CineStill CS-LITE LED. Boasting a 95+ CRI rating, it offers ultra-accurate color replication and includes tailored temperature presets for Color Negatives, Slides, and Black & White film. -
Complete Reflection Isolation
The enclosed tube design completely shields your film from ambient light. You can scan under bright studio lights or in a sunny living room without worrying about stray reflections ruining the contrast and color saturation of your panoramas.
The Ultimate Pentax 67 Camera Scanning Workflow
As a Pentax 67 shooter, my standards for resolution and sharpness are incredibly high. The main reason the easy120 has become my preferred scanning method is that it scales to match the quality of the infamous Takumar glass I shoot with.
When scanning a 35mm panorama with exposed sprockets, I slide my film into the panoramic holder, and use my mirrorless camera to capture the entire frame in a fraction of a second. If I want to maximize resolution, the rock-solid stability of the rig allows me to shoot multiple close-up frames across the panoramic negative and stitch them together in Lightroom for a massive file that rivals drum scans.
Then, when I want to pivot back to shooting a standard roll of 120 Portra in 6x7, I don't have to rebuild my setup. I simply pull the film through, adjust my framing, and keep going. And even when I just want to do standard 35mm, all it takes is taking away one distance tube and i'm set.
The Verdict: If your camera collection involves heavy-hitting medium format giants and experimental panoramic film holders, you need a scanning rig that is as adaptable as your imagination. The VALOI easy120 delivers unmatched speed, bulletproof alignment, and the absolute freedom to scan any format you throw at it.
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