lateral arm for gitzo tripod?

[Chester McCheeserton]

I have a series 3 carbon fiber tripod...

About to take on a large copy work job and think I need one of those lateral arms to move the camera out far enough horizontally so that the legs are out of the way when I am shooting with the camera pointed straight down....

1. Did they ever make a carbon fiber version of the lateral arm for this tripod? (GT3530S)
(i can see a few aluminum ones for sale on ebay but no CF anywhere)

2. it looks like gitzo also made a (very expensive) right angle bracket, which in theory one could just use in conjunction with a second CF center column (also $$$)

3. Does anyone have experience rigging up a temporary sort of copy stand like this and could offer any tips? My idea I guess is to get the used aluminum arm and a tiny ballhead, set up some strobes with softboxes for lighting, throw a few sandbags on my legs and just run and gun....

[Greg]

Consider a Polaroid MP-4 stand and the 4 lamps that came with it. State Surplus stores seemed to always have had some of them around going for very little money. Polaroid did make a horizontal insert with 1/4" tripod screw to replace the MP-4's camera system. I have and have used a 90 degree bracket which extended the center column horizontally on a Linhof Heavy Duty tripod. Once used it to hold a Sinar Norma vertically over some rare documents that was commissioned to copy. Had to use 2 commercially available bags of sand (the ones that one carries in the back of a pickup in the wintertime here in New England) to precariously counterweight the camera. After that shoot, acquired a Linhof copy stand and never looked back.

[Mark Woods]

You can use aluminum pipe with Speed Rail fittings and make almost anything. This is extensively used in the motion picture industry.

[Bob Salomon]

Do it right a buy a Kaiser copy stand. Alignment is critical and trying to jury rig a tripod won’t work if you have a critical customer. You can not maintain alignment while changing heights for different sizes with a tripod and outrigger. Then get proper lights and, if required, polarizers for the lights

[Chester McCheeserton]

Do it right a buy a Kaiser copy stand. Alignment is critical and trying to jury rig a tripod won’t work if you have a critical customer. You can not maintain alignment while changing heights for different sizes with a tripod and outrigger. Then get proper lights and, if required, polarizers for the lights

I know this would be the proper way to go....but pretty sure this is a one-time job...though it is hundreds of pieces varying in size from 20 inches to 36 inches on long side...so think the larger pieces are too big for traditional size copy stand...but I was thinking to borrow one for all the smaller stuff

[Chester McCheeserton]

You can use aluminum pipe with Speed Rail fittings and make almost anything. This is extensively used in the motion picture industry.

Cool - Thanks, sounds like an economical way to go

[Chester McCheeserton]

Consider a Polaroid MP-4 stand and the 4 lamps that came with it. State Surplus stores seemed to always have had some of them around going for very little money. Polaroid did make a horizontal insert with 1/4" tripod screw to replace the MP-4's camera system. I have and have used a 90 degree bracket which extended the center column horizontally on a Linhof Heavy Duty tripod. Once used it to hold a Sinar Norma vertically over some rare documents that was commissioned to copy. Had to use 2 commercially available bags of sand (the ones that one carries in the back of a pickup in the wintertime here in New England) to precariously counterweight the camera. After that shoot, acquired a Linhof copy stand and never looked back.

Thanks for the tip...yeah I'll just be using a little sony mirrorless camera for this...but trying to balance doing it right vs getting it done and still coming out with a profit....

[Sasquatchian]

This is the best one I've found. Gitzo's own sidearms suck and are way overpriced. This version of the Manfrotto comes with two clamps on the crossbar and you can attach a head to either end. There are less expensive versions without the clamps but they are really great to have.

https://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-131DD-Accessory-Arm-Heads/dp/B001AMRX84/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Manfrotto+131DDB&qid=1586635207&sr=8-2

I shoot copy work all the time and while I typically use a 12 foot Cambo stand with a three foot adjustable sidearm built in. Alignment is never really an issue especially if you shoot straight down. Get the Clinometer app for your phone and use that to first measure X and Y axis of your art work, then match the same for the camera.

[Pieter]

I use a Manfrotto arm on my Gitzo 3 all the time--not for copying, but for high angles in the studio.

202498

[LabRat]

You can use aluminum pipe with Speed Rail fittings and make almost anything. This is extensively used in the motion picture industry.

Isn't the OP in LA??? Get this stuff from Industrial Metal Supply on San Fernando Rd, Sun Valley... They have lotsa this stuff...

But borrow a copy stand if you could (it will make life easier)...

Steve K

[Sasquatchian]

Chester - Are all the pieces flat or are they somewhat dimensional? If they are flat art then the traditional method of lighting - two lights at 45 deg angle with Polarizing film over each light and a Polarizer over the lens is the best way to go, but sometimes you still want a bit of reflection in the piece so you back off on the PL or add a third or fourth non Polarized light and I'm sure everyone knows to lay a nickel or a quarter down and adjust the PL until it disappears. And have a meter that reads in tenths of a stop and adjust the lights until you're within 2-3 tenths across the piece.

[Chester McCheeserton]

Thanks everyone - appreciate all the suggestions... Looks like the manfrotto arm would be the way to go if I don't just build my own....

https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?152182-Lighting-for-a-copy-stand

will likely end up having to do something like tin can describes here...except have to set it up on site where the artwork is....good thing is I'll have a dedicated secure room so can leave it all set up until the job is done.

Sasquatchian - they are flat - but some may be be curled...they're like screenprints with bright colors....I may have to get a piece of museum glass for the worst ones...Hope to avoid messing with polarizing stuff - don't think the surfaces are that reflective....and think that if I bounce strobes or use big softboxes that I can get pretty even coverage....

[Bob Salomon]

Thanks everyone - appreciate all the suggestions... Looks like the manfrotto arm would be the way to go if I don't just build my own....

https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?152182-Lighting-for-a-copy-stand

will likely end up having to do something like tin can describes here...except have to set it up on site where the artwork is....good thing is I'll have a dedicated secure room so can leave it all set up until the job is done.

Sasquatchian - they are flat - but some may be be curled...they're like screenprints with bright colors....I may have to get a piece of museum glass for the worst ones...Hope to avoid messing with polarizing stuff - don't think the surfaces are that reflective....and think that if I bounce strobes or use big softboxes that I can get pretty even coverage....

If you want even coverage use two lights of equal output, one on each side of the camera at the same angle to the art. Point the left one at the right edge of the copy and the right one at the left edge of the copy. That way the illumination will be even across the Art. If you point each at the center of the Art then the center of the Art will have more light then the edges.

Umbrellas, soft boxes and bounce are not good copy light sources.

[jonby]

Have you considered getting a board for the artwork and tilting it somewhat so that you could have the camera to one side rather than directly overhead? Should be possible to do without the tilt being so great that the artwork slides off. That way you wouldn't have to modify your tripod. It also makes it way easier to get to your camera. You can use a mirror which lies flat on the board to ensure that the sensor plane is parallel.

This setup does make it more work if you have to change the camera distance, but you could probably plan this out so that you don't have to do that very often.

[Pieter]

Since the mid-70's, I have made photos to document paintings for a good friend. I started shooting 8x10 transparencies, because that was the best way to record the large paintings. Now, I use a digital camera and don't have to sweat as much about getting everything perfectly squared up because photoshop allows you to easily correct for such things. I also have always used polarizing filters over the lights (strobes) and a circular polarizer on the lens.

A vacuum easel is very handy to keep works on paper flat when shooting. Once again, digital is your friend--you can easily mask or crop out the easel if it shows. If the work has plain borders, small, strong magnets and a metal surface will hold it flat and can be cloned out in photoshop.

[Sasquatchian]

I just copied a newspaper I found in my father's garage after he died. Monterey Herald from November 22, 1963. It had been folded in a box for over fifty years and because the Monterey Herald was an evening paper they were able to get the headline on the day.

I shot straight down with a Canon 135mm T/S-E, with a 5DSR on a 12' Cambo stand. Polarized both lights and the lens and laid a 30x30x1/4 piece of glass from the local glass shop over it. That glass which cost me about thirty dollars is all the special you need. Holds everything flat, disappears under Polarization and does not degrade the image.

[Pieter]

Sometimes you need to capture texture and reflections when copying art. One of the challenges I remember was a piece that incorporated metallic foil. Without some reflection, it was dead and not a good representation of the art. So there are no hard and fast rules when copying.

[Chester McCheeserton]

Have you considered getting a board for the artwork and tilting it somewhat so that you could have the camera to one side rather than directly overhead?

Yes – I may do this for the larger pieces....Thanks.

and the regular glass, vacuum easel, and magnets are also worthwhile considerations....appreciate all the input.

need to inspect in person just how bad the curling is before making the leap into polarizing and glass...

[LabRat]

I used an enlarging easel to hold curled smaller works on paper...

Steve K

[Jim Andrada]

I have a monster Majestic tripod with a side arm I think the tube is 2 1/4 inch - haven't actually measured it - but I've hung an 8 x 10 Linhof Kardan Bi out on the arm for a vertical shot and it was pretty stable)

Of course it would be nicer to have one of the Gigant stands... Some enlargers could be used for copying IIRC.