If you're feeling the itch to give it a go, here are your options for scanning your film at home. Fortunately, I've used all three of these so I'm speaking from experience on all.

1. Flatbed scanners. This is probably the most popular at home option and arguably the most accessible for people new to scanning film. Depending on the model you choose these can cost anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars USD. Not any old flatbed scanner will work, however. You have to find one that can specifically scan film, as it needs the light unit in the top to illuminate your transparent film. I personally have the Epson V600, which as of writing this article, is going for $350 (though it was $200 when I bought mine back in 2020. Thank you, inflation.) The V600 can scan 35mm & 120 formats. You can technically scan 4x5 & 5x7 if you're a large format shooter, though it will take some creativity. You'll have to scan your sheet film in parts and then stitch together on your computer. My V600 was my main scanner for 120 & 4x5 until a year ago when I switched to DSLR scanning for everything. The higher end Epson models can scan up to 8x10 without the need to stitch in post, but they will be well over a thousand dollars. Many people argue that flatbed scanners aren't good for 35mm. I think that really depends on the person and your needs. I've scanned 35mm on my V600 before and found the scans to be usable, especially for posting on social media. I don't know if I would have gotten great large prints from them, but definitely usable files for many other purposes. If you want to cut down on the costs of a flatbed scanner, you can always peruse your local thrifts. I've seen some pop up at my nearby Goodwills from time to time. Of course you have to know what models to keep an eye out for. Also, if you're grabbing one from a thrift store, it'll likely be missing the required cables and film holders, but those can be found online easily enough. You can also find working used models on eBay for reduced prices. For instance, you can nab a working Epson V550 (the predecessor to the V600) for about $125 right now. In my experience, the film holders that come with flatbed scanners don't always work the best or hold your film super flat. There are third party film holder options from places like Lomography that are worth a try. It's all about finding what works best for you.

2. Dedicated film scanners. These are scanners that are made purely for the function of scanning photographic film and nothing else. Plustek is the main producer of these types of scanners, though Nikon Coolscans are also highly sought after (Nikons are no longer produced though, so you’ll have to find them on the used market). Dedicated film scanners are well known for producing high quality scans. Like flatbeds, these can run from several hundred up to several thousand dollars depending on the model. There are some cons as they often can only scan one format of film (35mm or 120, not typically both but there are a few dual models). So if you shoot multiple formats you'll either have to invest in a dual model which will be pricey or buy two separate scanners for 35mm & 120 which will also be pricey. I personally have a Plustek 7200i that by luck of the gods I found at Goodwill for $5 in 2020. It only scans 35mm, so it was my primary 35mm scanner up until I switched to DSLR scanning last year. If you’re looking to save a little money, used Plusteks can be found on eBay for $100-$300 depending on the model. For the love of god, please do not buy the cheap Kodak mini scanners, or any similar models. They will not give you any usable results.

3. DSLR or Mirrorless Scanning. This method uses a digital camera (usually either a DSLR or a mirrorless camera) to digitize your film. This is the current method I use for all my film scanning, and I plan to write a separate article in detail about my DSLR scanning process. I switched over in early 2023 after being convinced by several friends to give it a go. In my opinion, DSLR scanning is the most finicky of the methods but gives by far the best results that I have found. Of all the methods I've used, scans with my DSLR are the sharpest and have the least amount of grain and artifacts. It does require investment in a number of items, including: a digital camera (obviously), a macro lens, a tripod, a tripod head, a light panel, film holder, and a level. Due to the number of items you might need to get if they are not already in your arsenal, it can be quite an investment, but you can get some savings by grabbing used gear. 

Tips for scanning at home:

The biggest tip I have is be patient and give yourself grace as you figure this out. Scanning film at home is a learning experience and will take time to find a workflow. There are a number of different scanning programs you can download if you’ll be using a flatbed or dedicated film scanner. Vuescan & Silverfast are the most popular. Epson scanners come with the Epson Scan program as well. Play around, download some free trials, and find which program you like the best. They’ll all give you slightly different results, so it’ll take some time to find what really gives you the look you want. If you go with DSLR or Mirrorless Scanning, you’ll have to find a way to invert your negatives to positives. I use the Negative Lab Pro plugin for Lightroom, and I really love the ease and the consistent results I get. But you can also invert your negatives by yourself in Photoshop. Again, it comes down to your budget and what works for you. I started scanning my own film at the start of 2020, and I think it took me a good 2 months before I felt like I was really in a routine that I was happy with. And then I went through the learning curve and re-finding a work flow all over again when I switched to DSLR scanning last year. 

Also, invest in a good rocket blower and a microfiber cloth. Dust will be your enemy and you’ll need to do everything you can to keep it off your negatives and scanning surfaces.

With any scanning method you chose, I highly recommend having photo editing software. I have an Adobe subscription and the main program I use is Lightroom. But there are free options including Darktable and Gimp. I know editing film can be a hot topic for some, but ultimately I think it’s best to post process your film. Otherwise you’re letting your scanner and scanning software make all the decisions for you. As Ansel said, the negative is the score and the print is the performance. Before the age of computers and Photoshop, photographers did tons of edits in the darkroom. Check out all the notes and scribbles photographers would make on test prints to get their final print edit right. Taking that little bit of extra time to tweak your photo until you’re truly happy is worth it in my opinion. 

Ultimately, I’m really happy I’ve been scanning my own film for close to five years now. Gaining this control over the process took my photos to the next level and even helped me discover past photos I had written off.