Negative Supply’s Basic Film Carrier 35 MK2 keeps your film flatter for better scans
Jul 15, 2023
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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Negative Supply has announced its new Basic Film Carrier 35 MK2 (buy here). The successor to 2019’s original Basic Film Carrier, includes a number of features and parts in common with the company’s now discontinued Pro Film Carrier.
The company says it offers superior film flatness compared to its predecessor for better results. It also supports all 35mm film formats including half frame, full frame (standard 35mm), and panoramic sizes in a single capture.
Basic Film Carrier 35 MK2
Like its predecessor, the Basic Film Carrier 35 MK2 requires a light source. Negative Supply offers a range of light sources that they say work well with it, or you can figure out your own light source. Then you “scan” using your DSLR or mirrorless camera to photograph the negative or slide film placed within it.
Negative Supply says that it allows you to scan strips or complete uncut rolls of 35mm film and that it’ll let you scan a full roll in only two minutes or less. A number of masks are available to help you scan half-frame, full-frame or panoramic photographs. Other cassettes are also available to help you scan other formats, including 110, 126 and APS format film.
What else do I need besides this and a light?
The video above is for the original Basic Film Carrier 35. The components have been updated a little since then, but the general workflow remains pretty much the same today. You’ll need some form of copy stand. or a tripod that lets you rotate its centre column horizontally. Negative Supply sells their own copy stands, available in a number of kit options. But, if you want to go with a tripod, the Manfrotto Befree GT XPro (buy here) is one such tripod that springs to mind.
While dedicated flatbed and film scanners might still be the preferred option for many photographers looking to digitise their film images, the high-resolution cameras available today easily stand up to the task. They’re generally a lot quicker to work through if you have a lot of images to scan, too.
Overall, the Basic Film Carrier 35 MK2 looks to be a nicely refined update over the original, offering better and flatter film holding for more accurate “scans” of your images.
Price and Availability
The Negative Supply Basic Film Carrier 35mm MK2 is available to buy now starting at $79 from the Negative Supply website.
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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