CineStill’s new calibrated light source — CS-LITE+ SpectraCOLOR™ — for digital camera scanning rigs.
A poor light source can cause issues when scanning film using a digital camera. The colours may appear muted or show a colour cast that isn’t easily or completely correctable. Best results come from sources that use a fine-tuned combination of colour LEDs to render light as close to the natural, full-spectrum illumination as possible.
Today, CineStill is offering a new light source design, which they have rebuilt from the ground up to produce an improved colour specifically for film scans made with digital cameras:
“The CS-LITE+ transforms the light from ultra-bright single-band LEDs into specific multispectral wavelengths, powered by a standard 5V/1.5A USB cable with a single dimmable on/off switch, and can be used in three different modes: for Color Negative, Black & White, and Slide film.”
CineStill says that their product will yield results that are better than those you can achieve with high-quality light sources already on the market:
“Most light sources currently available aren’t originally created for film scanning and, even at a high CRI, fail to get the job done due to lack of control and generic design. These light sources produce color cross-talk, resulting in poor contrast, reduced saturation, and color casts in the image. The CS-LITE+ delivers light that has been spectrally-optimized to produce only the precise, ultra-narrowband wavelengths required for scanning color negative film — something unachievable with traditional LED technology. This uniquely matches the color channels of digital capture to the separate color layers of film, finally making true-to-film scans a reality.”
In addition to the light source, the box will include several filter gels (to further optimize for either black-and-white/colour-negative/colour-positive film) and a mask to help reduce reflections that can bleed in from the sides while scanning film. The light source is compatible with film carriers from VALOI, Negative Supply, Lomography, and others. As expected, it will work with your favourite film negative inversion software, such as film Q (analog.cafe/app/filmq).
It took the company three years of experimentation and research to design this new light.
CS-LITE+ is available today for $89.95 (an introductory price) at cinestillfilm.com along with further details and examples.
The rest of the retailers will start shipping by Fall 2025.
Dmitri Aug 8, ‘25