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Why I developed a film scanner
Scanning film was either slow or fiddly, so I built a scanner that isn’t. Founder Nick Frank on how a motor-driven, camera-based scanner came to capture a 36-exposure roll of 35mm in about two and a half minutes.
It started with a problem
Why is scanning film still so complicated?
About a year ago, in June 2025, I discovered analog photography. After many years in commercial photography, that feeling was suddenly back. Taking things slowly. Shooting more deliberately. Taking ten pictures instead of 500.
What started as a small side interest quickly became a passion, almost an addiction. Like many others, I began developing my own film and then digitizing it. I wanted full control over my images, from start to finish.
There was no scanner I really wanted
The available solutions were either slow, expensive, inflexible, or all of the above.
Traditional film scanners deliver good results, but they take a lot of time, and their resolution no longer meets modern expectations. Especially if you shoot medium format and want to get everything out of your negatives.
Camera-based systems are faster, but often require a manual workflow. Lots of pushing, pulling, and fiddling around. Switching between 35mm and medium format often makes things even more complicated. You need different holders, or usually a completely different device. The light source often isn’t integrated. To me, these all felt like makeshift solutions, hardly suitable for someone who sometimes shoots ten rolls a week.
I wanted something different.
A scanner that combines the image quality of a modern camera setup with the speed and convenience of an automated system. Above all, I wanted a device I would actually enjoy using.
So I started developing my own solution with my friend Jan.
A small side project quickly turned into countless prototypes, new ideas, discarded concepts, and many hours at the computer and 3D printer.
Then an idea became a product.
Who the scanner is for
Our scanners aren’t aimed at people who digitize one roll a month or want to experiment with their scanning setup. There are other solutions for that.
They were developed for photographers who regularly shoot film.
For photo labs that process large volumes of film and want to save time.
For dedicated enthusiasts who expect high image quality but don’t want to spend several hours scanning a single roll.
And for anyone who switches between formats.
35mm. 6×4.5. 6×6. 6×7.
No rebuilding. No complicated adjustments.
One system instead of several devices.
Add a wireless controller for straightforward operation, and RECORD I, our Mac software, which controls film transport and fires the camera to capture each frame automatically.
How the scanner works
At its core, each General Film Labs scanner is camera-based: KBS MKI for 35mm and MFS MKI for 120 medium format.
An automated transport system feeds the film through the scanner and positions it precisely. Your own camera captures each frame as a raw file.
That sounds simple enough.
The real challenge, however, lies in the details.
Each frame needs to be positioned accurately. The light has to be perfectly even. The film must not be damaged. At the same time, the entire process needs to be as fast as possible.
That’s why the scanner uses diffuse high CRI LED illumination, precision film guides, and intelligent image detection that finds and positions each frame.
The result is a workflow that captures an entire 36-exposure roll of 35mm film in about two and a half minutes, and a 10-frame roll of 6×7 in under one.
Image quality is determined by the camera and lens you use, rather than being limited by the scanner.
If you want more resolution, use a higher-resolution camera.
The scanner grows with you.
Why I use it myself today
Many products start with market research. This scanner started with frustration.
I wanted to work faster. I wanted to spend less time digitizing and more time taking pictures.
Today, I scan all my film with it.
Not because I developed it. Because it has become exactly what I was looking for in the first place: a tool that fades into the background and simply does its job.
And that’s probably the highest compliment you can pay a tool.
Want the details? See how it works, step by step.
Questions and answers.
Why build a new film scanner?
Existing options were slow, expensive or inflexible. Traditional scanners take a long time per roll and their resolution falls short of modern cameras. Camera-based setups are faster but manual, and switching between 35mm and medium format usually means new holders or a second device.
How does a camera-based film scanner work?
A motor feeds the film through the scanner and intelligent image detection stops each frame in position over diffuse high CRI LED light. Your own camera, fired by RECORD I, captures every frame as a raw file. A 36-exposure roll of 35mm takes about two and a half minutes, a 10-frame roll of 6×7 under one, and resolution depends on your camera and lens, not the scanner.
Who is the General Film Labs scanner for?
Photographers who shoot film regularly, labs that process large volumes, and enthusiasts who want high image quality without spending hours on one roll. It also suits anyone who shoots both 35mm and 120: KBS MKI covers 35mm, MFS MKI covers 6×4.5, 6×6 and 6×7.