Valoi easy35 V2: The Film Scanning Tool That Gets Better by Getting Simpler

The Phoblographer calls the Valoi easy35 V2 “a more finished, more consistent and more enjoyable product” — and the upgrade that actually changes scanning results is the new diffused dome, not the styling.

Why the Original Had a Ceiling

Camera scanning has become a legitimate alternative to professional flatbed scanning for 35mm film. The original easy35 established a strong baseline: portable, affordable, and compatible with any macro lens via extension tubes. But uneven illumination across the 35mm frame forced post-processing vignette corrections that partially eroded the tool’s advantage. For archival scans or large prints, that limitation was real.

The V2’s patent-pending diffused dome pushes light uniformity to near-100%, removing the vignetting that had become the easy35’s primary operational limitation. That single change is the reason to upgrade.

What Changed — and What Didn’t

The V2 simplifies rather than adds. The temperature control dial is gone; color temperature and light strength are now fixed. For photographers who’ve dialed in scanning WB adjustments in software — which is standard practice — consistent fixed illumination is actually easier to manage than variable illumination. One calibration per session, not per roll.

The power system was redesigned to allow continuous operation while charging. The original easy35 shut off when connected to USB during battery depletion — a genuine workflow interruption for long scanning sessions. The V2 eliminates this restriction, making it practical for extended archive digitization.

Film and slide holders received machining improvements: tighter tolerances mean negatives seat more consistently across a strip. That consistency directly affects focus uniformity when shooting a multi-frame roll without refocusing between frames. The external finish has also moved away from the 3D-printed aesthetic of the V1, which better reflects the tool’s positioning as a serious workflow product.

For existing V1 owners, Valoi offers an upgrade kit that preserves existing accessories while replacing the lighting module.

The Catch — and Who It’s For

The easy35 V2 is not a standalone scanner. It attaches to a mirrorless or DSLR camera with a macro lens and extension tubes. The results are competitive with dedicated scanners, but the setup assumes you already own the lens hardware. The slide holder still lacks a poker mechanism for faster loading — an acknowledged limitation that Valoi has not yet addressed.

This tool is for the working film photographer who wants to digitize their own negatives at high resolution without committing to a flatbed scanner or outsourcing to a lab. It is not for casual digitization of a few rolls.

Source: The Phoblographer

Content created with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.