Slide copy stand

PerryAndrew wrote:

Hi from an oldy looking to digitize a few hundred half-frame slides. I have an Olympus 60mm macro lens for my MFT cameras. I have bought an old Pentax slide holder/bellows that was intended to mount on the Bellows M system, with a single M4 thumbscrew. I need a bracket that mounts to the camera base and offers a screw socket under the lens. I might need to extend this forward to achieve enough distance for the slide in front of the lens. The Pentax holder has a max distance of about 90mm from the mount screw to the slide plane.

In an ideal world I would machine up a 'device' but I don't have access to the required machines. Can anybody suggest a suitable commercial frame system that allows a device to be constructed to suit - rather in the manner of the old 'Meccano' construction set? I don't mind it looking 'Heath-Robinson' but I want it nice and robust and stable.

Well, if you have access to a 3D printer, there's my DupliHood .

However, if you don't have a 3D printer, you can seek out the device that gave me the idea in the first place: Spiratone's DupliScope. In particular, you'd want a "Vario-DupliScope" which is the version including a zoom facility so you can crop slides -- or in your case fill the frame with a cropped slide. I have one of these (which I used here as a variable 1:1 to 1:4 macro with the slide mount detached).

I see more than one Vario-DupliScope on eBay for less than $40 including shipping....

One warning: the dupliscope optics are slow -- to give enough DoF to cover any non-flatness of your slides. That means they'll show every speck of dust on your sensor. So, before using one, make sure your sensor is cleaned to the point that no dust shows at f/16.

PS: I just noticed you're using MFT. That means you need less than 1:1 and the DupliScopes don't do that. You can make a DupliHood for whatever magnification you want.

For DIY construction projects I recommend MakerBeam. You can find it at makerbeam.com and it’s also available elsewhere, e.g. https://www.technobotsonline.com/makerbeam.html in the UK.

I hope that’s helpful.

Sorry to bring this thread up again (I only just noticed it).

I’m thinking about copying slides as well. Could use some advice. I have the Voigtlander 110 macro lens (on Sony A7RIV camera).

I’m thinking about a copy stand (Bresser? Kaiser?), and a Kaiser light plate.

Any experiences here?

I’ve just bought a Kaiser 2453 Slimlite Plano Medium LED Light Panel and am very impressed by it. I’ll be using it as a backlight to illuminate slides that I am copying.

pixelSnaps wrote:

I’ve just bought a Kaiser 2453 Slimlite Plano Medium LED Light Panel and am very impressed by it. I’ll be using it as a backlight to illuminate slides that I am copying.

Thnxs pixelSnap. Do you use tripod or copy stand? If copy stand, which?

I’m using a tripod. Good copy stands are just too expensive for my budget!

pixelSnaps wrote:

I’m using a tripod. Good copy stands are just too expensive for my budget!

Thnxs again.

I was thinking about this one:

Bresser BR-CST Copy Stand H71

Don' t yet know how the quality is, but not too expensive I think. Have yet to see and try it in real.

That looks quite good!

About 2 months ago I was researching copy stands and all I could find were the expensive ones from Kaiser and the cheap Chinese knock-offs that had really bad reviews which is why I decided to go with a tripod with a reversible centre column that I already had. The reservation I have about the Bresser is the angled column: as you move the camera vertically the position of the object will also seem to move within the image frame. I know that once you’ve set it up for, say, reproducing slides it wouldn’t be an issue but it just seems odd to me!

if you are going to buy one perhaps you would be kind enough to tell us what it’s like and what you think of it. That would be most appreciated!

Stay safe.

pixelSnaps wrote:

That looks quite good!

About 2 months ago I was researching copy stands and all I could find were the expensive ones from Kaiser and the cheap Chinese knock-offs that had really bad reviews which is why I decided to go with a tripod with a reversible centre column that I already had. The reservation I have about the Bresser is the angled column: as you move the camera vertically the position of the object will also seem to move within the image frame. I know that once you’ve set it up for, say, reproducing slides it wouldn’t be an issue but it just seems odd to me!

Don't do that.

You can get a nice old enlarger for under $50, and most can easily have the head removed to function as a copy stand. Admittedly, that's NOT the case for my Beseler 23CII -- not cost not easy head removal. However, my Spiratone doublogram II makes a great copy stand, and is actually what I'm using as I give my lectures. The only problem is that these are big and heavy, so shipping can be significant.

The other alternative is building your own from either pipe parts or aluminum rail parts.

pixelSnaps wrote:

That looks quite good!

About 2 months ago I was researching copy stands and all I could find were the expensive ones from Kaiser and the cheap Chinese knock-offs that had really bad reviews which is why I decided to go with a tripod with a reversible centre column that I already had. The reservation I have about the Bresser is the angled column: as you move the camera vertically the position of the object will also seem to move within the image frame.

that’s exactly my reservation! I will have to actually see and try it.

know that once you’ve set it up for, say, reproducing slides it wouldn’t be an issue but it just seems odd to me!

same to me.

if you are going to buy one perhaps you would be kind enough to tell us what it’s like and what you think of it. That would be most appreciated!

I will....if I buy one.

Stay safe.

-- hide signature --

tfl.

ProfHankD wrote:

pixelSnaps wrote:

That looks quite good!

About 2 months ago I was researching copy stands and all I could find were the expensive ones from Kaiser and the cheap Chinese knock-offs that had really bad reviews which is why I decided to go with a tripod with a reversible centre column that I already had. The reservation I have about the Bresser is the angled column: as you move the camera vertically the position of the object will also seem to move within the image frame. I know that once you’ve set it up for, say, reproducing slides it wouldn’t be an issue but it just seems odd to me!

Don't do that.

why not? Because of the angled column?

You can get a nice old enlarger for under $50, and most can easily have the head removed to function as a copy stand. Admittedly, that's NOT the case for my Beseler 23CII -- not cost not easy head removal. However, my Spiratone doublogram II makes a great copy stand, and is actually what I'm using as I give my lectures. The only problem is that these are big and heavy, so shipping can be significant.

The other alternative is building your own from either pipe parts or aluminum rail parts.

ProfHankD wrote:

pixelSnaps wrote:

That looks quite good!

About 2 months ago I was researching copy stands and all I could find were the expensive ones from Kaiser and the cheap Chinese knock-offs that had really bad reviews which is why I decided to go with a tripod with a reversible centre column that I already had. The reservation I have about the Bresser is the angled column: as you move the camera vertically the position of the object will also seem to move within the image frame. I know that once you’ve set it up for, say, reproducing slides it wouldn’t be an issue but it just seems odd to me!

Don't do that.

Err - don’t do what exactly?

pixelSnaps wrote:

ProfHankD wrote:

pixelSnaps wrote:

That looks quite good!

About 2 months ago I was researching copy stands and all I could find were the expensive ones from Kaiser and the cheap Chinese knock-offs that had really bad reviews which is why I decided to go with a tripod with a reversible centre column that I already had. The reservation I have about the Bresser is the angled column: as you move the camera vertically the position of the object will also seem to move within the image frame. I know that once you’ve set it up for, say, reproducing slides it wouldn’t be an issue but it just seems odd to me!

Don't do that.

Err - don’t do what exactly?

Don't spend that much on a Bresser BR-CST Copy Stand H71 when you can find old enlargers for half that price or build your own copy stand for less than $20. Nothing against Bresser per se.

pixelSnaps wrote:

That looks quite good!

About 2 months ago I was researching copy stands and all I could find were the expensive ones from Kaiser and the cheap Chinese knock-offs that had really bad reviews which is why I decided to go with a tripod with a reversible centre column that I already had. The reservation I have about the Bresser is the angled column: as you move the camera vertically the position of the object will also seem to move within the image frame. I know that once you’ve set it up for, say, reproducing slides it wouldn’t be an issue but it just seems odd to me!

if you are going to buy one perhaps you would be kind enough to tell us what it’s like and what you think of it. That would be most appreciated!

Stay safe.

Just to tell you what I bought. For € 180,- I could buy a Kaiser RS1 + RA1 5510 copy stand. This one is like new...not even a scratch. Yes, it' s more expensive than that Bresser. But it' s VERY solid and functions like a dream. Perfect!