My First 2 Hours with the VALOI easy35 v2 Prototype

Hi there,

I’ve been using VALOI products since long before I joined the team. I’ve always loved their simplicity, but as a "darkroom first" photographer, I mostly used the original easy35 to get quick, high-quality previews of my negatives before heading to the enlarger.

Recently, Arild handed me a basic, unfinished prototype of the brand-new easy35 v2 for some internal testing. I wanted to see if it actually changed the "feel" of the workflow, so I paired it with the new Panasonic 100mm Macro lens and a few rolls of Santa 800 I was testing.

Here is what it’s actually like to use.

First Impressions: Tighter, Smoother, Sturdier 

The moment I picked up the v2, I could feel the difference. Even as a prototype, the entire unit feels incredibly solid. Everything feels tighter and more robust—a direct result of the tighter tolerances in this new design.
The biggest "quality of life" improvement for me was the film holders. The film now sits in the newly designed holders like a glove; there’s no play, no fiddling. It just feels... professional. Because the Panasonic 100mm is an internally focusing lens, I was able to stand the whole rig vertically. Between the solid build of the v2 and the stability of the lens, the scanning workflow was the smoothest I’ve ever experienced. Especially when tethering, the entire v2 setup feels incredibly secure and reliable. This is also reflected in the sleek design: there’s just one button, one charging port, and one slot for your film holder. You’re not guessing—you’re scanning!

(Panasonic LUMIX S5iiX + Panasonic 100mm f/2.8 Macro + easy35 v2. Keep in mind this is a prototype, final v2 might have slight alterations in finishing) 

The "No Guesswork" Light Source

I’ll admit it: with the v1, I occasionally started questioning my life choices because I’d forget to check the color temperature and my scans would come out looking "funky."
With the v2, VALOI has moved to a fixed temperature and brightness. During my two-hour testing session, this was a revelation. It’s truly "plug-and-play-ish" now. You turn it on, and you know the light is exactly where it needs to be.

(Santa800 shot on Nikon F2 + 55mm Micro Nikkor. Scanned with the easy35 v2)

Speaking of that light—it’s the new (patent pending) Integration Dome. While the tech specs say the uniformity has jumped from 81% to 99%, what I actually saw in my files was the total disappearance of that annoying edge-vignetting. In the past, I’d rely on post-processing to fix uneven illumination, which isn’t the worst thing in the world. 

Badly exposed negatives are worse. With the v2, the raw scans are so uniform that the software has much less "correcting" to do, which simply leads to better image quality. A good rule of thumb with film is to keep in mind that software does meddle with film and the best way to judge a negative is by physically just looking at it with your own eyes and perhaps a loupe.

(Santa800 shot on Nikon F2 + 55mm Micro Nikkor. Scanned with the easy35 v2)

The Battery Stress Test

When Arild gave me the unit, I didn’t actually know how much charge it had. I never plugged it in. I spent two hours straight scanning, and the light never even flickered. For those marathon sessions, you can now plug the v2 into a power source and scan indefinitely without draining the internal battery—a huge relief for anyone with a massive backlog of negatives.

The Verdict

I’ll be honest—I work for VALOI, so take my excitement for what it’s worth. But using this prototype felt like the jump from a hobbyist tool to a seriously upgraded professional film scanner.
If you’re scanning 35mm or smaller formats like half-frame, Minox, or 110, this is the way forward. Paired with a good macro lens, the easy35 v2 won't leave you wanting more—unless, of course, you’re shooting 8x10” large format. But for the rest of us?

Happy scanning!

P.S If you want the new easy35 v2, pre-order yours now for a discounted price here: https://valoi.co/en-eu/products/easy35