Geared Heads and Magic Arms

Just set up the LPL stand and tested it out zoomed in. The default setup is actually very steady. Short of tapping the table, the image did not move much at all. I tried some shots around 1/4s and did not have any motion blur from the shutter shock. I hesitate to use the electronic shutter on my A7RII, as it lowers bit depth. Later this year, I may upgrade to the 7RIV for this and a couple of other reasons.

In light of how this feels in general, I think my safest option is the G2 head with the Super Clamp, so I went ahead and ordered one. I noticed that the column is hollow, so I may open that up and fill it halfway with something to add weight.

Not a bad little copy stand, but not exactly heavy duty. It should work ok with this setup, though.

The Leophoto head I ordered comes with the NP-60 plate, which has an adjustable lip to prevent rotation, so I think I can skip the bracket for now. The fewer parts, the better at this point.

Indeed, less parts mean less joints that make things more flexible…but using a full frame for the EOS R7 I mostly scan with, I can say that the frame is well ahead of anything I tried before. The frame I use locks into the strap lugs and this definitely makes a difference.

2 Likes

My current set Alzo copy stand with Nikon Z6II/NIKKOR Z MC 105mm Negative supply MK2 120 and 135 carriers. modified with leofoto panning head