Abstract: An optical film reader for projecting and enlarging micro copy information recorded in rollfiche format on rolls of photographic film or the like which provides a film transport mechanism enabling rapid manual scanning of the enclosed rollfiche strip in both directions, with instantaneous reversal of the scanning direction without backlash in the film drive. A low glare, high contrast viewing screen is mounted at 45.degree. to the vertical and placed low at the front of the unit perpendicular to the viewer's line of sight. Movable projection optics are provided for scanning of rollfiche microcopy which is wider than that projectable on a fixed sized screen at one given time at a given magnification ratio; the movable projection optics allow projection of the micro copy data or eye-readable index area of the rollfiche by means of a single scanning lever.