How to scan 120 film, from 6x4.5 to 6x17
To scan 120 film with a camera, hold the strip flat over an even light and shoot each frame at about 0.4x on a full-frame sensor (about 0.5x for 6x4.5), with the same settings you use for 35mm. With a 24-megapixel camera, one shot of a 6x6, 6x7 or 6x9 frame gives about 16 to 24 megapixels, and two overlapping shots stitched together give more. Panoramic 6x12 and 6x17 frames need a longer holder and usually several shots.
What you need
The setup is the one in how to scan film with a camera: a camera that shoots RAW, a macro lens, a high-CRI light, a stand and a holder. For 120, check three things:
- The light covers the whole frame, with some margin. A light sized for 35mm is too small.
- The holder takes your format. Negative Supply’s 120 carriers come with masks for 6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7 and 6x9. Valoi’s easy120 takes 120 up to 6x9. The glassless pixl-latr takes 120 strips without add-ons. For 6x12, Negative Supply’s 4x5 carrier has masks for it. For 6x17, see below.
- Your stand is tall enough for about 0.4x with your lens. Lower magnification puts the camera farther from the film.
Every 120 format is the same height across the film, and only the length changes with the camera. Common 120 holders stop at 6x9; panoramic 6x12 and 6x17 frames need a longer holder.
The 120 formats
The camera decides the format, not the film. Every 120 frame is a little under 6 cm on its short side. The long side depends on the camera.
| Format | Shape | Frames per roll | Magnification on full frame |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6x4.5 | 4:3 | 15 or 16 | about 0.5x |
| 6x6 | square | 12 | about 0.4x |
| 6x7 | about 4:5 | 10 | about 0.4x |
| 6x9 | 3:2 | 8 | about 0.4x |
| 6x12 | 2:1 | 6 | about 0.3x |
| 6x17 | about 3:1 | (depends on camera) | about 0.2x |
As Hasselblad notes, the real picture is usually a little smaller than the format name. Measure one frame on your own film with a ruler. Then divide 24 mm (the short side of a full-frame sensor) by the short side of the frame, and check that the long side fits into 36 mm at that magnification. On an APS-C camera, divide the result by your crop factor.
One shot or two
Most of the time, one shot per frame is enough. It is quick, and you convert the file straight away.
Two shots, each covering a bit more than half the frame, raise the magnification and the pixel count. Shoot them with the same exposure and focus, stitch them, and convert the stitched file once. The steps and the apps are in the guide to scanning 4x5 film.
This table shows the sums for a 24-megapixel full-frame camera (6,000 × 4,000 pixels), frames 56 mm tall, and about 30% overlap between the two shots:
| Format | One shot | Two shots, stitched |
|---|---|---|
| 6x6 | about 0.43x, 16 MP | about 0.64x, 36 MP |
| 6x7 | about 0.43x, 20 MP | about 0.58x, 37 MP |
| 6x9 | about 0.43x, 24 MP | about 0.49x, 31 MP |
The square 6x6 frame gains the most from a second shot, because a single shot leaves the sides of the sensor empty. A 6x9 frame has the same 3:2 shape as the sensor, so one shot already uses all of it, and you need three shots for a big gain.
These are upper limits from the sensor. The film, the lens and the focus decide how much of it is real detail.
Panoramic 6x12 and 6x17
A 6x17 frame is longer than a 4x5 sheet, so it fits neither a 120 holder nor most 4x5 holders. You need a light and a holder at least as long as the frame, such as a sheet of glass over a large light.
In one shot, a 6x17 frame fills the width of a full-frame sensor but only about half its height. With a 24-megapixel camera, that leaves you about 12 megapixels for the whole panorama. Three or four overlapping shots along the frame give a much larger file. A 6x12 frame does better in one shot, but it gains from two or three as well.
Keep 120 film flat
120 film is wide and thin, and it often curls in two ways: along its length, from the spool, and across its width. A curled frame goes soft at the edges or in the middle.
- Use a holder that grips the film on both edges. A mask that only lies on top of the film lets the middle lift.
- Keep strips long. Valoi says the flatness of its easy120 depends on the curve of the film and on how much film is in front of and behind the frame, and it recommends scanning full rolls where possible.
- Store the strips flat in sleeves under a weight for a few days before you scan.
- Stop down to f/8 for some extra depth of field, and focus on the middle of the frame.
- Use glass for stubborn film. It holds the film flat, but where the base touches smooth glass you can get Newton rings. ANR glass prevents them.
More methods are in how to flatten curly film.
How I do it. I have 3D printed my own holders and used the Lomography DigitaLIZA. In the end, what works best for me is two plates of glass, with the film between them.
Frame spacing
Each camera spaces its frames in its own way. Some leave wide gaps, some leave narrow or uneven ones, and some old folding cameras and toy cameras can overlap frames. A fixed mask sized for a format can then hide part of a frame, or show part of the next one.
- If your frames do not line up with the mask, use the next larger mask or an open holder, and crop later.
- Leave a thin line of clear film around each frame. It shows you the whole picture and gives you a clean edge for the crop.
- For a camera with overlapping frames, shoot the full strip in a few overlapping captures and crop each picture out afterwards.
Common problems
- Soft edges or a soft middle. The film curls. Use a holder that grips both edges, flatten the strips, and refocus.
- Part of the frame is missing. The mask is too small for your camera’s frame, or the frame spacing does not match. Use a larger mask.
- Uneven brightness from one side to the other. The light is too small for the frame. Use a larger light, or move the strip so the frame sits in the centre of it.
- A visible seam in a two-shot scan. The two shots had different settings, or you converted them before you stitched them.
- Dark corners. Light falloff from a lens that is wide open, or a light that is too small. Stop down to f/8.