Copy stand lights

[Richard Wasserman]

I have a Bencher Copymate copy stand without lights. I was all set to order a set from B&H, but they estimate delivery at 6-10 weeks and I can't wait that long. I need to photograph about 120 11x14 B&W prints as soon as I can. What are my alternatives-hot lights, strobes? What works well, is reliable, repeatable, and easy would be good too? I have no experience doing this kind of work and need direction. Budget is max of $500.00, less if possible. Thanks!

Richard Wasserman

 

[bsdunek]

How about a couple of these:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=203219-1373-FL-302PDQ&lpage=none
Keep them at a low angle so you don't get reflections off the prints. If you're doing B&W, regular light bulbs will work fine. I you're doing color, use the blue photo bulbs.
They are $12.94 at Lowe's.

 

[archphoto]

All you need are 4 lamps, set at a 45 degree angle to your baseboard, 2 right, 2 left.
You can use regular lamps for it.

For checking the correct angle of the lights use a clothpeg upright in the middle, all shadows should be equaly long for even lighting.

Peter

 

[panastasia]

As long as the print you're copying is evenly illuminated you should get good copy negs with regular incandescent bulbs. I have the same copy stand and use the gray colored base as a gray card (18% gray, or close enough) to determine the exposure before I place the print to be copied. Check the illumination over the area where the print will be placed, especially the corners. I've done this with two 100w bulbs and 1 sec. exposure w/lens set at 2 stops from wide open. I recommend buying the polarizing filters for the new copy stand lights - used in conjunction with a polarizing filter on the camera lens - for copying glossy prints.

Paul

 

[Konical]

Good Afternoon, Richard,

A couple of floods with sockets adequate for 500W studio bulbs would probably be the cheapest and simplest. With originals as large as 11 x 14, the lights will need to be on light stands about three or four feet to each side of the copy stand; any closer and the lighting will be uneven. The size of your originals is at the edge of what can be evenly lit by only two lights, unless you have lots of room and can back them off some distance. If you have a matching pair of flash units, they could be used in similar manner. Once you have your set-up, it should take only a few sheets of film to determine proper exposure and processing.

Konical

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

The easiest setup I've used for work about that size is two studio studio strobes in plain 5" reflectors at 45-degree angles to the work, at a distance of about 4 feet from the lamp to the work. Copy stand lights can be tricky, since they're usually fairly close to the baseboard of the copy stand and are more prone to hotspots, but back them up to about 4 feet on regular light stands and it's fairly easy to get even lighting. I check the four corners and the center with a Minolta Flashmeter III and the flat diffuser.