VALOI easy120: Easy, fast, compact
Easy to use
The VALOI easy120 provides a comprehensive but easy-to-use scanning solution for most available roll film formats. The design means you avoid the alignment issues and light contamination often causing problems for camera scanning users.
Minimal setup
The easy120 does not need a copy stand or a separate light. Once the initial setup is done, you can go from storage to scanning in under a minute.
Stable
With the tubes, lens, light and film attached together, none of the parts can move independently and change your framing or focus. Equally, by effectively fixing sensor and film together with sturdy aluminum tubes, vibrations are greatly reduced, leading to sharper and more consistent results.
Quick
The easy120 allows you to capture a roll of film in 1-2 minutes. It achieves this using a clamp-less pull-through holder design where each frame is captured instantly by the camera and the next frame is presented in seconds by pulling the film through. You can add the optional easy120 Manual Advancer for additional speed and accuracy.
Professional results
With camera scanning and the easy120 you don’t have to choose between speed, cost and quality. With a normal 24MP resolution camera you can achieve professional lab-like results at home. The S-curve holders ensure flatness of the film, providing you with great quality images*.
Comprehensive solution
The easy120 is modular and multi-format oriented, with holders covering most formats and accessories like the Dust Brush and Advancer improving your scanning process.
Compact
Scanning does not have to take up a dedicated desk, even for medium format. In use, the easy120 has a footprint similar to a standard keyboard. Remove the tubes and it will fit in a drawer. No copy stand. No separate light source.
* Flatness may vary depending on your films curve and on the amount of leader in-front and behind the film. We recommend scanning full rolls where possible.
Features
- Minimal setup, with alignment taken care of by the design
- Holders available for 120 medium format, 35mm and more
- Quality CRI 95+ LED light source inside
- Adjustable temperature settings (warm, white, super-cold)
- No leveling adjustment needed
- Dramatically reduced vibrations with a rigid CNC machined distance tubes in aluminum
- No copy stand is needed, as the easy120 mounts directly to you macro lens
- Sturdy and long lasting with an all-metal body
- Supports most common macro lenses
- Easily replaceable holders with spring-click attachment
Includes
-
VALOI easy120 Body
Built-in CineStill CS-LITE inside
-
VALOI easy120 120 Universal Film Holder
Fits 120 film, up to 6x9 maximum size
-
VALOI easy120 Distance Tubes
1x 12mm, 1x 25mm, 1x 50mm, 2x 100mm
-
VALOI Filter Thread Adapters
Sizes: 39mm, 46mm, 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm
(Compatible out of the box with these thread sizes, with a native thread size of 62mm)
- VALOI easy120 Camera Support Bracket
-
easy120 English Manual
Other languages available online via QR codes
CineStill CS-LITE Inside
Built into the easy120, is a CS-LITE unit - a tried and true scanning light source, used by thousands of our discerning VALOI studio360 scanning system users.
The CS-LITE is USB-powered and requires a 5V/1.6A power brick (typically a phone charger) with USB-A. Even a small/older one will power this unit.
We chose to use the CS-LITE because it fulfills all the criteria of a great scanning light source: It has a CRI 95+ rating, variable color temperature and high brightness with low heat-output.
The color from this light source will provide vibrant, accurate results thanks to its color rendering capabilities (expressed in the standardized CRI scale). The temperature of the light also has three pre-set modes, optimized for scanning slides, black and white negatives and color negatives. With the color negative tuned mode, you will get improved color separation and noise levels from orange masked negative film.
Between the rigid connection through the aluminum tubes of the easy120 and the bright EV15+ output from the CS-LITE, the concern about vibrations is greatly reduced.
In use
To use the easy120, you first choose the right length of tube - you stack different lengths of tube to get the right distance from the front of the lens to the film. Once the length is right, you add the end-cap with a 62mm filter thread, and whatever (included) filter-thread adapter you need for your lens. You plug in the light source of the easy120 to a USB-A connection, turn it on and insert a holder by simply pushing it in.
To scan, you push film in on either side of the holder, adjust the focus and start scanning. For most lenses, we recommend scanning in a horizontal position (camera pointing forward), but for internally focusing lenses you can also scan in a vertical position (standing).
Once you have scanned your film, you import them to a computer or phone and process them using one of the recommend processing methods found on the VALOI website.
Information about lens compatibility
The easy120 is compatible with all system cameras (cameras with interchangeable lenses), including digital medium format cameras. We don’t recommend the use of any fixed-lens cameras.*
* Acceptable results can be achieved with high-end fixed-lens models like the Leica Q3 (28mm and 43mm) when scanning medium format.
easy120 main lens requirements
- The filter thread on the lens must be one of the following filter threads: 39mm, 46mm, 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm
- When focusing on the film you want to scan, the distance from the front of the lens to the film (working distance) must be smaller than 310mm. You can test this on your own, by placing the format you want to scan on the table and trying to focus on it, then measure the distance from the front of the lens to the film.
Approximate compatible focal lengths
Note that because there are many factors at play, we cannot guarantee that your setup will be compatible - we will do our best to advise you but the safest way is to measure the approximate distance using your lens and desired film format.
Maximum focal length for APS-C sensor: 70mm
Maximum focal length for FF sensor: 105mm
Maximum focal length on MFT sensor: 50mm (60mm lenses can be used for scanning 35mm only)
Maximum focal length for GFX/Hasselblad X sensor: 120mm
Using shorter focal length lenses has the benefit of making for a more compact scanning setup. This can be practical if you have a smaller desk or want to travel with your scanning setup.
Lens features and compatibility:
| Feature |
Compatible |
| Dedicated “macro” lens with fixed focal length (prime lens) |
Yes |
| Zoom lens with macro function |
No |
| Manual focus lens |
Yes |
| Auto focus lens |
Yes |
| 1:1 macro lens |
Yes |
| 1:2 macro lens |
Yes, only for 120 medium format (not for 35mm) |
| Filter thread size: 39mm, 46mm, 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm |
Yes |
| Filter thread size: E60 |
Not compatible |
| Medium format digital camera |
Yes |
| 100mm lens on APS-C sensor |
No, too long |
| Fixed lens camera |
Not compatible in most cases, not recommended |
| Enlarger lens |
No, most enlarger lenses have a not-compatible filter thread on the front (often 40.5mm)* |
* A 40.5mm to 62mm filter thread adapter can be purchased from a third party and the lens possibly used. Keep in mind that mounting an enlarger lens for use with the easy120 requires a sturdy helicoid. Using bellows is not recommended, as they might bend under the weight of the easy120.
Accessories
Did you know that there are accessories for the easy120? The easy120 has the ability to mount the easy120 / studio360 Dust Brush and has interchangeable holders. It can also take the easy120 Manual Advancer. You can find accessories in the easy120 collection.
To use this product, you need an interchangeable-lens digital camera and a macro lens capable of focusing to the appropriate magnification ratio for your film format.
