Using a slide duplicator...

*Ratmagiclady* · 08-04-2009, 07:56 PM

Haha. So, I decided this month would be a good time to get together some little bits that ought to help speed up this aging laptop that I post here from.. (Time seems to be catching up,) Among them, an external hard drive, which ought to help, and also mean I can do more participating here even if I'm not booting up the imaging computer.

Also, more to the point, I picked up one of those T-mount slide duplicators off the 'Bay, in hopes I'll be able to adapt it for copying some negatives with my digital, bypassing my scanner woes for the time being. (I remember one of these kicking around a store where I worked, too bad I can't remember if they were junk, but we'll find out.

)

So, I was wondering if anyone's tried this or has any suggestions. We're pretty much talking about black and white, here, and I was figuring an ordinary compact flourescent might make a nice consistent light source if there are no complications regarding that.

Anybody?

*Blue* · 08-04-2009, 09:06 PM

A 75 watt halogen bulb that approximates daylight would be a good choice. You may have to play with some extension tubes to get close to 1:1.

titrisol · 08-05-2009, 12:48 AM

Yeah a fluorescent bulb and a piece of frosted glass or white polycarbonate will do

The main problem I've found is that DSLRs cropping gets you beyond 100% and you can only do the center portion of the negatives and not the full frame.

I have had good results placing the negatives on top of a slide-viewing glass and taking pictures of them with a digicrap.

*k100d* · 08-05-2009, 06:50 AM

it would be interesting to see what your slide duplication setup would look like, RatMagicLady

Nesster · 08-05-2009, 07:28 AM

I have the old Pentax bellows + slide dup setup, with digital the distances are all whacked and I had to play with different lenses and relative positioning to get it to work. I forget what I did now... there was something about either the 55 or 50 didin't quite work but the other one did.

Guess that's not very helpful

B Grace · 08-05-2009, 11:30 AM

While white balance is not a big issue with B&W shots it can still affect the output. Not as much as a person might think though.

The big concern with the slide duplicators is even lighting across the slide. My best setup was with using a small light box or table as a background.

*Ratmagiclady* · 08-05-2009, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by k100d

it would be interesting to see what your slide duplication setup would look like, RatMagicLady

Sounds like a challenge.

My idea involves a hacksaw, hose clamps and bicycle innertube, and possibly a bunch of empty filter rings or a compendium shade.

I was hoping this would be basically plug and play, but I think this one may take some surgery. What I got is an old Ritz zoom slide duplicator which I'd thought I might have recalled as something with enough leeway to cover the crop factor, but not so. At least I should be able to hack this into something that'll conveniently shoot some specimens for my sweetie.

Could possibly try one (or adapting this into one that might screw onto the kit lens, I think the worst that could happen there would probably be distortion.

I suppose a teleconverter would work, too. Maybe a bellows setup that could take my 75mm enlarging lens? (Have a nice 50, too, as well as a so-so one)

Think what I *need* is a bellows or tubes and a pile of enlarger parts. Standard and carriers seem like the'd be a good start.... I think enlarging lenses ought to be decent for the task, too. It does lead to real questions of if a cheesy negative scanner wouldn't be as much fun, or putting the effort toward replacing my wonky 4490 might not be better spent, (though there's the problem of the computer end being hard for me to get a good scan out of, even when it works. )

But, I'm at the point of brain shut-down, haven't been feeling well. I'll have to keep thinking about this.

*geauxpez* · 08-05-2009, 06:32 PM

RML -- would a Honeywell screwmount bellows and slide copier attachment work?

This would be the same one that you offered advice on cleaning some months ago, but I got busy and didn't want to fool with it. If you have a screwmount adapter and lens to use on it, PM me.

Cheers,

Adam

*Ratmagiclady* · 08-05-2009, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by geauxpez

RML -- would a Honeywell screwmount bellows and slide copier attachment work?

This would be the same one that you offered advice on cleaning some months ago, but I got busy and didn't want to fool with it. If you have a screwmount adapter and lens to use on it, PM me.

Cheers,

Adam

Oh, sure, I suppose if I wanted to do things *properly* or anything...

I might sure be able to make use of that. Though I haven't got a screwmount adapter, yet, it's just been waiting for the first excuse, for the most part.

*Ratmagiclady* · 08-06-2009, 04:12 PM

Ok... So, I guess I have Geauxpez's bellows and copier coming.

Anyone think a 50 or 75mm enlarging lens would work with this setup? I could just get a simple adapter to m39 and plug one of those in: it seems like that'd be ideal for the purpose if I can get focus and coverage.

*Blue* · 08-06-2009, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by Ratmagiclady

Ok... So, I guess I have Geauxpez's bellows and copier coming.

Anyone think a 50 or 75mm enlarging lens would work with this setup? I could just get a simple adapter to m39 and plug one of those in: it seems like that'd be ideal for the purpose if I can get focus and coverage.

I used to use a 50mm macro but that was on film. You may have to take into account the crop factor as Adam mentioned. My Honeywell Bellows II setup fits over lenses setup for a 49mm filter. Screw mount with my particular system. It will fit the 50mm macro-tak, 35mm f3.5 super tak for sure. With the crop, the 35mm may be what you want unless you actually want to crop.

*Ratmagiclady* · 08-06-2009, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by Blue

I used to use a 50mm macro but that was on film. You may have to take into account the crop factor as Adam mentioned.

Indeed. This old duplicator would work if not for that pesky crop factor. (My sinuses are refusing to let me try and estimate at this point. I suppose I may as well get the adapter, anyway: should at least give good macro to play with.

It's a bit of a hope that I can get the distances to work out so it'll cover, though. (Is the copier held up by the lens or the rail? I suppose it'll all be clearer once I play with the thing. A 35mm lens wouldn't be an unreasonable purchase, in general, I suppose, but it may have to wait till next month. )

I'm also wondering if any of the cheaper adapters could live on the bellows and mount the camera as a regular K-mount without fussing with keys, (say if I locked it in place on the bellows with a set screw or something) or if I may as well take the excuse to get the genuine Pentax one. (This T-mount stays just fine)

*Blue* · 08-06-2009, 05:23 PM

I picked up a Nikon LS-1000 scanner for $25 from a local professional photographer. The catch is there aren't drivers to run them on Vista and XP is tricky. He got from an FSU sale and scanned all of his slides and then sold it to me. I've seen another one around here for $19 but don't know if it works or not.

*geauxpez* · 08-06-2009, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by Ratmagiclady

(Is the copier held up by the lens or the rail? I suppose it'll all be clearer once I play with the thing. A 35mm lens wouldn't be an unreasonable purchase, in general, I suppose, but it may have to wait till next month. )

I'm also wondering if any of the cheaper adapters could live on the bellows and mount the camera as a regular K-mount without fussing with keys, (say if I locked it in place on the bellows with a set screw or something) or if I may as well take the excuse to get the genuine Pentax one. (This T-mount stays just fine)

I already have everything packed up and I'm too lazy to unpack it all now for a setup photo. (c: The copier attaches to the end of the bellows rail via a screw.

As for screwmount to k-mount adapters, I ordered the genuine article from the Pentax webstore on Monday since I haven't seen any listed here in quite some time. Then on Tuesday I saw one for sale in the marketplace and another on Craigslist. DOH!

PBO might still have his available in the marketplace. He's a good seller.

A

*Ratmagiclady* · 08-07-2009, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by geauxpez

I already have everything packed up and I'm too lazy to unpack it all now for a setup photo. (c: The copier attaches to the end of the bellows rail via a screw.

A

That's probably all I need to know, then, at least for my enlarging lens idea. If the filter ring isn't a structural necessity, all I'd need to do is bridge the gap to keep stray light out. If the ol' EL-Nikkor doesn't work, I think I can cannibalize the element from this slide duplicator and clamp that to the front standard: my guess is that if it could get somewhat closer to the camera, it might still work. (This is the presumption under which my hacksaw-and-hose-clamps idea was to operate.

)

As for mounting to the camera, the reason I asked about the cheaper M42-K mount adapters is having heard that some could be basically permanently affixed to lenses. Since I won't need infinity focus, it'd be convenient to not have to keep taking the adapter in and out of the camera, you see. My thought is that I'll just mount the whole affair to a board, and I could put it right here where I end up sitting a lot of the day.

*glees.* And, my new external hard drive for this laptop is here. A place to put all these images and hopefully speed up the works by freeing up some drive space. (At least when the USB 2.0 adapter and card-slot SD reader I found arrive from Hong Kong. And assuming everything works. I've gone pretty cheap. But, with everything in place, I ought to be able to come home, plug in a memory card, and participate here with more actual... photography, even if I'm too wiped to run between rooms.

)