Frame and diffuser panel provides perfect set up for rephotographing 35mm, roll film & large format negs and transparencies
(Image credit: Pixl-latr)
The Pixl-latr is a beautifully simple solution to the problem of how best to scan all those old negatives and slides that you, or your parents, have hidden away in drawers or boxes. Brought alive by through a Kickstarter campaign, the Pixl-lator is a frame that holds the film perfectly in place as you photograph it with your own digital camera. And it does not just handle 35mm film negatives and transparencies – it can cope with 120, 220 and 5x4in film formats too.
Most people use film scanners for this process - but these can be an unnecessary investment if you already have a suitable camera and lens in your kit bag. You can fashion your own way of rephotographing your prints (as you can see in this tutorial ) – but the issue is how to get the film held flat, and perfectly lit.
Pixl-lator set up for 35mm transparencies(Image credit: Pixl-latr)
Pixl-lator set up for a 5x4in large format negative(Image credit: Pixl-latr)
Pixl-lator set up for medium format negatives(Image credit: Pixl-latr)
The Pixl-lator is a frame with its own diffusing frame that helps ensure that the lighting is even – and comes with six interlocking gates of different sizes, that are designed to keep your film flat and perfectly aligned with the frame. The frame has a pair of legs that can be used to prop it up, so that you can use window light, desk lamp or an LED panel for illumination. Alternatively, with the legs removed, you can put the frame on a lightbox.
Chris George has worked on Digital Camera World since its launch in 2017. He has been writing about photography, mobile phones, video making and technology for over 30 years – and has edited numerous magazines including PhotoPlus, N-Photo, Digital Camera, Video Camera, and Professional Photography.
His first serious camera was the iconic Olympus OM10, with which he won the title of Young Photographer of the Year - long before the advent of autofocus and memory cards. Today he uses a Nikon D800, a Fujifilm X-T1, a Sony A7, and his iPhone 15 Pro Max.
He has written about technology for countless publications and websites including The Sunday Times Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, Dorling Kindersley, What Cellphone, T3 and Techradar.
