Copy stand recommendations?

**Nick** · 3-Apr-2007, 09:02

Hello,

I have a need to duplicate quite a few pieces of flat artwork. Primarily paintings, acrylic, mixed media, oil, etc. Originals vary in size considerably, but I'd like to be able to shoot at least 30 inches on the long side, hopefully more.

I am initially going to use my zoerk & 5D to stitch 3-4 frames, but will hopefully move to something like a Betterlight + fotoman 45ps relatively quickly. I have a pretty good understanding of studio lighting and polarizing. What I am looking for is recommendations on a system that I can start out fairly cheaply (~1000 for stand & lights) but can grow with me if volume changes, art size changes, etc.

Does anyone here do this work. Any insights?
Thanks!

**scrichton** · 3-Apr-2007, 10:21

Look for old process cameras, with vaccum bases. I saw an afga one go for around £20 recently. One aquired simply remove the camera part on top and then re-wire the vaccum and the lights to a switch unit. I imagine you will save a huge amount on the costs. Plus the upside the leftovers make all the required parts for a LARGE format camera. The agfa for instance was 20 x 24 and that was a compact process one.

I would be quite interested to know how you get on with this project and also if you know where you can get a stitiching back from in Nikon fit.

Steven

**Ernest Purdum** · 3-Apr-2007, 13:16

Polaroid MP-4 long column units should work for you. You'd have to add a little to the baseboard, but that's no problem. These show up on eBay very frequently and at very low prices. You don't have to use the MP-4 camera, there is an adapter to others.

**Ted Harris** · 3-Apr-2007, 13:45

Contact Jerry Skapoff at Academic Imaging since they are the ones developing the Betterlight + Fotoman 45PS copy system for that purpose. He my hve something available that you can build on. www.academicimaging.com or 802-362-3169