Kodachrome is legendary for its rich colors, fine grain, and unmatched archival longevity. However, its high optical density and physical emulsion make it very tricky to digitize.
The most common challenges when scanning slide film
Shadow details and high dynamic range.
Slide film is unique in the way it preserves light. The most common issue with traditional scanning methods like with flatbeds is that shadow details are often crushed. This results in scans looking flat and not "popping" like when projecting slides.
Dust and Artifacts
Flatbed scanners attract dust like fruit attracts flies. The common method to remove dust is via digital ICE (an infrared technology commonly found in scanners). Digital ICE does not work with Kodachrome, as the cyan dye absorbs infrared light and creates severe optical artifacts. The only effective way to remove dust is via a dust blower or through tedious post-processing.
Photographing projected slides off a screen/wall
While it may seem practical, taking photos of a projected slide isn’t as simple as it sounds. There’s the issue of distortion, uneven projection and the background not being smooth. It’s not a technique worth exploring.
Scanning Kodachrome with the easy35
Here are some side-by-side comparisons to explain the advantages of scanning Kodachrome slides with a digital camera scanning setup.
High dynamic range thanks to camera scanning
Here’s an example scan made with a camera scanning setup of a scene with a very strong backlit background. The shadow detail is completely flattened when metering for the highlights. Vice versa if you meter for the shadows, highlights are blown out (this is worse).
A straightforward fix to get the most out of your slide is to make multiple exposures and then combine the frames.
(Left: metered for highlights, no shadow detail. Center: metered for shadows, highlights blown out. Right: Multiple exposure)
Speed and accuracy
Scanning film with the easy35 is as intuitive as photographing. The practice is rooted in slide duplication, except that in this case you’re taking the photographs with a digital camera. Our easy35 slide holder ensures that your mounted slides are always flat and parallel to your camera sensor. This means edge-to-edge sharpness.
(Kodachrome 64 scanned with VALOI easy35 v2 + Panasonic S5IIX + Panasonic 100mm f/2.8 Macro)
Dust, distortion & sharpness
In flatbed scanners, there’s a plastic (or glass) surface that presses against the film. The easy35 has a closed housing that doesn’t allow dust to settle inside it. Using a dust blower is a reliable method of removing dust from the slide. Below is a side-by-side comparison of a slide scanned with an Epson V800 versus a camera scanning setup. Note that this is Ektachrome and not Kodachrome. The reason for this is to highlight the differences in sharpness and dust, rather than color rendition. You will notice significantly more dust on the flatbed scan and less overall sharpness. You can see similar comparisons in higher detail here and the full resolution scans here.
(Above: Ektachrome scanned with Epson V800. Below: Ektachrome scanned with Nikon D850 + VALOI easy35.)
Color Rendition
Scanning slide film requires a strong and even light source to fully illuminate it. The universal light dome (patent pending) of the easy35 v2 creates 99% light uniformity, meaning your slides are evenly illuminated each time you scan. In addition, thanks to the optimized light temperature of 6350K, there's virtually no need for color correction or post-processing.
(Above: Kodachrome 64 projected onto a white wall through a Kodak Carousel S-AV 1010 Projector. Below: Kodachrome 64 scanned with VALOI easy35 v2 + Panasonic S5IIX + Panasonic 100mm f/2.8 Macro)
Final Thoughts
Digitizing your Kodachrome slides shouldn't feel like setting up a full photo studio every time you pull out a box of family memories. That’s precisely what makes the VALOI easy35 v2 the most approachable way to scan slide film today; simply attach it to your digital camera and get started. Our scanning guides will help you get started.
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