Scan negatives the awesome way: by taking pictures of them

If you don’t want to spend the bills on a high-quality negative scanner, but do want to get some of those old black and white 35mm rolls backed up digitally, this one’s for you. Basically, all you need to do is get yourself a toilet paper roll or two, stick them together, mount the film at the other end in an old slide mount, and stick the whole thing on the front of your camera.

I’d recommend a short telephoto lens on a crop sensor — around 75-120mm ought to be fine. Get a strong light source behind the film, double check your focus, and start snapping away.

[via DIY Photography, Gizmodo, and Wired]