For various reasons I am going to be moving away from my on-lens neg holder (Valoi Easy35 minus the video light) to the more usual on-light source neg holder, and have ordered a Neg Supply 35mm carrier. I do not yet have a copy stand, and here in Japan, there don’t seem to be many around that are not pretty expensive.
I do already have a Manfrotto Magic Arm that seems pretty stable when tightened down, but I have not tried using it in a permanent setup where the camera is pulling on that joint constantly. Has anyone else used the Magic Arm, or is there a similar setup that is fixed in a 90 degree orthogonal position without any weak points?
Secondly, for fine alignment can someone recommend a reasonable priced geared head that can support a Sony A7Rii and Sigma 105 Art? I saw the Manfrotto 410 locally, which is not cheap, but not crazy. Any other suggestions?
Have you seen this thread, it covers a huge amount of options including ‘Magic Arm’ setups on hardware store pipe but also copy stands built from extruded aluminium sections - and much more besides!. I get the impression that the Magic Arm is very solid,but you have to be clamping it to a column that is equally solid. As you probably know already certain enlargers convert easily to copying stands (but many don’t).
I’ve seen the Leofoto G2 geared head recommended by experienced ‘camera scanners’ so I think it must be good. A tripod leveling base can work well also, particularly those with screw adjusters on the lines of the (expensive) Manfrotto 338 but other types as well.
Personally I use a large DIY leveling baseboard which also allows precise alignment and keeps the camera close to the column and also keeps the suspended weight down.
Definitely considering the Leofoto. It is lighter than the Manfrotto, which should help not strain the Arm. Also considering the SWFOTO GH-Proii, since it includes geared rotation as well. But the G2 seems like the winner, and are available used here.
I think the problem with the Magic Arm is that no matter how tight you make it, it can still creep at the joints. I think the solution may be to create a hard stop at the first joint (just don’t line up the ball joint slot and then let it fall all the way forward), then position the second segment nearly vertical. feels super vertically stable this way. The height is a little high this way, so I will need to lift the Scanlight/neg carrier. I have a box of bedpost risers, so that should be no problem.
I am not going to DIY anything because I don’t have tools, skills, or time :). But I think with what I have plus the G2, I should be set. If the Arm becomes an issue, i can just spend too much money and get the expensive LPL table clamp column. A little digital leveler should be handy as well.
Well there needn’t be too much DIY with a leveling baseboard, just a largish flat board, say 30cms sq. and thin card shims underneath. Alignment with the aid of a mirror is definitive whereas a level on the camera back and the film holder is not. You haven’t mentioned it but I would have thought that you’ll need a macro slider (Nisi?) as well. That way the super clamp only needs disturbing if you change formats.
I think I can probably get by without the slider, since I only shoot 35mm. Once the frame size is dialed in by raising the Scanlight, it never has to be changed. If it turns out to be too fiddly, I’ll look into the Nisi. Also, I think with the Leofoto head, I should have all the leveling taken care of, no?
I think you’ll find that focusing with the lens at around 1:1 is not very positive, unless perhaps you are happy with AF. Much more positive to set the lens for the framing and to then move the camera. Still you might find that it’s fine for you. Geared head and mirror should be fine for alignment, but geared head is not strictly necessary
Looking at the solutions shown in the thread printed above is definitely a good idea.
The scanning gear as per Valoi or a Nikon ES-2 provides the best possible solution and stability for single size scanning. These solutions can be transformed into a vertical setup, so that one can work more easily with film ends resting flat on a table (or something suitable).
Vertical setups can also serve to copy prints - if the lens and camera can be moved or fixed at different heights.
Alignment is easily done with a mirror, and Vlad’s test target provides extra info if you need it. A geared head is certainly quite comfortable, but shims can do, if applied carefully. I use a thin paper-like tape that does not flow under pressure. I’ve recently acquired a Leofoto G20 geared head. It can carry 20 kilos, not that my gear is that heavy, but it pays to have some overhead to prevent wobbly setups. I’ll test it on my latest contraption in the near future.
Focusing…by AF is not good enough. As is focus peeking. Manually focusing with enlarged live view is what helps to get the best possible focus, even with lenses that have focus shift, provided one can use live view with closed aperture.
Vertical vs. Horizontal: Most gear is meant to be used in what translates to be a horizontal setup. Using gear in a vertical setup could stress portions of the gear in ways that were not part of the design process. Therefore, getting heavy duty items will benefit the rig by less wobble and/or slack. This is why I used gear from video rigs like e.g. an ARRI style baseplate. Video gear is often more expensive, but I found that e.g. Sirui and Proaim provide sets of gear at reasonable prices. Note that a full cage for the camera increases stability.
PS Note that I’m not paid for listing anything here.
The issue with continuing with the Valoi is that my light source is now Jack’s Big Scanlight, which, unlike white light sources, produces significant color vignetting through the Valoi mounting tubes. I can get around this by laying the neg directly on the panel, so switching to a vertical setup should fix everything. I suppose it has something to do with the RGB peaks not traveling through that long tube the same way a continuous source would, but I like the color results from the RGB so much more that I feel it is worth the investment.
I have manually focused the Sigma lens via tethered live view in Lightroom and/or Sony Remote with no problems so far. To be honest, AF has also been dead on nearly every time. I may try a rail in the future to see if it adds any convenience, but I am concerned about adding unnecessary torque and more joints to jeopardize alignment. I hated the MF on the Sigma 70, though. That was one of the big reasons I upgraded to the 105.
Yes, I was looking at that one, and will likely be picking one up, even though they are not cheap. I like the design because it does not have any protruding levers or parts on the backside, so it can be used on a table near a wall. Much more elegant than the Magic Arm.
yes, Leofoto takes care of all leveling . here is the picture of G2, simple micro rail, LPL copy stand and camera in the cage(!) . Of course you need to shoot tethered to avoid any vibration.
Ok, I stopped a local shop that had both the Leofoto G2 and Manfrotto heads on display. Honestly, I was much more impressed by the Manfrotto 410 than the G2. The G2 certainly has the weight/torque advantage, but the knobs had a lot of play, and the lack of a rotation gear could be a serious annoyance.
The 410 felt robust with solid adjustments. Very small movements possible without any backlash or play. But it is heavier and taller.
I think my body/lens combo is around 1.34kg, and the 410 is 1.22, so that is under the rated max of the LPL stand that I ordered, but just. I wonder if this would be a problem in practice. I went with the baseboard version of the LPL so I can easily move it around if necessary.
Edit: It just occurred to me that since I already have a Super Clamp, i could try attaching the 410 to the column that way. This could reduce the forward rotational pull quite a bit. I only need to set the correct height once, so that could make this setup much more stable.
Not an advert, just a recommendation, but definitely worth having one of Vlad’s Test Targets to make sure that you’re getting the best out of your system.
I ordered one along with the Negative Supply carrier/hood! Definitely would not want to try aligning without it.
I realized after the fact that I made a mistake, though. I did not order the NS adapter plate (which should be compatible with the Scanlight). Does the carrier work fine without shifting if you skip the plate? It’s the Pro Carrier mk2.
CNC cage or L braket conveniently add arca swiss mount to your camera. Its just a matter of avoiding mounting camera using just the bottom screw. It also prevents camera from rotating around the screw and so on. Typical bracket simply adds mechanical protection to camera so you may use the simplest one - it just should fit your camera snuggly.
The issue i see with Manfrotto 410 is that it adds weight and most importantly length to the “arm” holding the camera. That may make the whole assembly susceptible to any external vibrations. Once you have everything carefully evaluate the vibration - set camera in live view 10x and observe image of the film original while walking around and releasing the shutter. remember you need to shoot at ISO 100 - so you may not have shutter speed fast enough to freeze the vibrations
That’s my concern, which is why I thought perhaps the Super Clamp might help. I will assess the stability of the stand once it arrives later today. I have a Magic Arm as well, so I will try clamping it to the column and seeing how stable it feels at various extensions.
I have CNC L-grips on every camera that I use however for your purposes you could also consider a lens collar with an Arca-Swiss compatible foot, I believe IShoot make/made one for that lens. It is something of an advantage to be able to leave the lens in place, properly aligned, and then use the camera for other less dedicated purposes.
If I go with the 410 head, I would have the option of either adapting it to Arca with an inexpensive iShoot conversion plate, then using an inexpensive L bracket, or for roughly the same price, use a more expensive bracket with secondary mounting holes on the bottom with a second screw in the 410 slot. Or I could just use some purple Loctite in the default configuration and hope for the best. I will test it out when it comes together.
I don’t use the camera for anything else, so a permanent-ish mounting is fine.
