Lens for PB4 slide and negative copying.

[Martin Kellermann]

I have used the setup in the photo very successfully in copying slides and negatives. I used a 60mm Micro-Nikkor on the d800 and a Nikon flash in TTL mode connected to the camera by remote cable. In the devise, which I built from scrap wood, there is a continuous focussing light that reflects a little light on the slide to be copied from a 45 degree piece of glass, about 2-4% just enough for the d800 to focus automatically. It is dim enough not to influence the exposure from the flash. A piece of white Perspex ensures even lighting. The slide holder I obtained from a commercial slide copying device of yesteryear. The camera is mounted on a copying stand. I have copied many. many slides with this contraption, quality quite usable up to A4 prints. The image shows the device innards - e.g. I have unscrewed the one side. In operation it is obviously totally closed.

[Bent Hjarbo]

Nice setup 

[Hugh_3170]

On my LED panel, the LED sites showed up as an out of focus mottled background in the image taken by the camera.  An A4 sized sheet of frosted glass from my local glazier easily solved this problem.  Some of the LED panels come with a white plastic top surface which nicely hides the LED sites, thereby ensuring that this issue doesn't occur in the first place.

I missed this post!

Many thanks for this link, I have ordered an LED light panel.

It's far quicker and easier to lay the negatives out on a flat panel and photograph them using a copy stand (old enlarger!)  The subsequent discussion about fastidious laser aiming and suchlike left me cold but the basic idea of using an LED light panel seems to me to be a winner.  I am a bit concerned about light scatter from the panel but I think a black cardboard cover with a suitable aperture should deal with that.

This seems to be an excuse for me to progress my green slate photo slab, about 60Kg slab of polished green slate I propose to make into a copy stand which *should* be vibration proof.

[Asle F]

anybody tried a reversed 20/3.5? 

If you are thinking of heavy croping, that will work.

[Seapy]

On my LED panel, the LED sites showed up as an out of focus mottled background in the image taken by the camera.  An A4 sized sheet of frosted glass from my local glazier easily solved this problem.  Some of the LED panels come with a white plastic top surface which nicely hides the LED sites, thereby ensuring that this issue doesn't occur in the first place.

I have dismantled several flat screen monitors; they contain thin plastic sheets which diffuse light I keep them for projects such as this.  I use them as a neutral diffusing layer which tends not to impede light too much, occasionally in front of flash guns etc.  If needs be I will place a layer on the LED lamp, that should stop any LED sites showing through the image.

[Seapy]

I have used the setup in the photo very successfully in copying slides and negatives. I used a 60mm Micro-Nikkor on the d800 and a Nikon flash in TTL mode connected to the camera by remote cable. In the devise, which I built from scrap wood, there is a continuous focussing light that reflects a little light on the slide to be copied from a 45 degree piece of glass, about 2-4% just enough for the d800 to focus automatically. It is dim enough not to influence the exposure from the flash. A piece of white Perspex ensures even lighting. The slide holder I obtained from a commercial slide copying device of yesteryear. The camera is mounted on a copying stand. I have copied many. many slides with this contraption, quality quite usable up to A4 prints. The image shows the device innards - e.g. I have unscrewed the one side. In operation it is obviously totally closed.

Looks a really good setup Martin, using flash combined with a cool background light is a neat trick.

[pluton]

I like Martin's setup.  It appears to be an excellent solution for use with an auto focus lens.  For non-AF use, it seems like the modeling light would have to be more powerful in order to eye-focus the camera.

[Bernard Delley]

For slide copy I use this setup as shown with the AI 55mm f/3.5 Micro Nikkor. This setup also works with any short FL lens that goes to 1:1. The setup involves A DIY double clamp from the PB-6 to the nodal slide.  A simple, low price, IKEA LED light  is convenient and perfectly OK. The color balance will be finetuned in post processing along minor retouching and  final cropping.   The old 55mm f/3.5 also works using the bellows part, not shown, as its FL is just long enough for 1:1. Also the bellows extension does not work against the CRC design which was not yet part of this lens.  These days I mostly use the D7200 and the AFS 60mm f/2.8G with the double-clamp setup. 24Mpix seems quite enough. Yet on my next go at slide copying, I will cross-check against the D850.
I focus manually in LV, and  by moving the slide rider, rather than by the lens focus ring.