BTW, just for clarification - it looks like you’ve bolted the setup to an existing table?
As I was gathering supplies I was wondering how you avoided having the nuts cause the board to get lifted, but if you’ve bolted to a table as it appears on closer inspection, that answers that question.
Yes, I just drilled holes in the existing table top and bolted the floor flange onto it. It’s just a good, solid top from a folding table from a thrift store. I tried a piece of 3/4" plywood before that but it had some flex and didn’t lie as flat.
The bolts obviously will extend out the bottom of the base, so I just put these over the edge of the desk I’m using. It would also work to glue on some spacers.
The levelling head sounds like a good idea. It is nice to have a quick-release plate though - does it have that? The Manfrotto head I use is really solid so it doesn’t seem to cause any vibration, but it’s also helps to use a 2-5 second timer (or electronic shutter release) and live view or mirror lockup.
I suggest that if someone already has a good ball head to try it first. If there’s any blur from vibration then consider getting a better ball head or levelling head. Vanguard ball heads are reasonable in cost and have good reviews, although I haven’t tried them myself.
The levelling heads I’ve seen never have quick releases. I use Arca-Swiss style qr plates, so I added a Chinese-made quick release. The Chinese make perfectly adequate levelling heads as well, under a variety of brand names. They’re much less expensive than the Manfrotto.
Same here: Andoer CL-50LS levelling head (20€) on a LB-60 levelling head (45€)(Amazon.fr prices, 30% off if you shop on AliExpress) . The levelling head alone removes the need for a tripod head in many situations, I seldom use the 3D head that came with the tripod.
Nice setup!
Another thing to consider is an enlarger without the head. These are very inexpensive these days — our local thrift store just gave two of them away, because they couldn’t even get $1 for them!
Here’s my copy stand setup, using an enlarger. One advantage of the enlarger is the sloped column, so you can move up and down without getting the stand in the photo.
I use polarizing film on the strobes (Speedotron Brownline, which can be had very cheaply), crossed with one on the camera, and can shoot through glass with no reflection.
Yes, an enlarger makes a good copy stand but generally require some customizing to attach a camera, as your setup seems to have. It’s a bit disappointing that enlarger manufacturers didn’t make them to more easily convert to a copy stand. Looks like you have a film camera attached?
I use polarizer sheets as well, for photographing paintings, photographic prints etc. Works so well to eliminate reflections.
Yes, mine came like that. Got it at a swap-meet for $15! It is nice to have a platform at right-angles to the base, but it is very over-built. One could just as easily attach a ball-head and do the alignment by hand. Or better yet, something like the Manfrotto 410 gear-head, which one could calibrate by looking at a mirror, then clearly mark the knobs for an easy return to plumb-and-square if it gets moved.
Good eye! That’s the Olympus OM-4T, on the Olympus Focusing Rail, which makes fine-tuning easier than trying to crank the enlarger platform up and down by tiny increments.
Everything is held together with Manfrotto 394 quick releases, which it looks like you are using, too.
These things are strong as a horse, and more secure than Arca-Swiss clamps. I even put one on the bottom of my Kodak Carosel projector, so I wouldn’t have to mess around with books under legs when I was invited to give a presentation — just clamp it on the tripod and go! But they are a bit unwieldy when attached to smaller things.
So I made some of my own QR plates for the Manfrotto 394 out of aluminum 1/2" plate. I cut the bevel on a table saw with a carbide blade! (We don’t need no steenkeen CNC!) I can send you the specs if you want to roll your own.
The plates wouldn’t be compatible with my system, but others might find it useful.
Do please tell us a little about what else we can see - the radio transceivers and morse key etc.
Hi Martin. That’s my ham radio station.
On the bottom is an Icom R7000 receiver, 100kHz to 2GHz.
Next is an Icon IC-735 HF transceiver, 100 watts , 160 to 10 metres. The little box to the left is a controller for the Icom antenna tuner.
Next up is a home-brew power distribution box, takes 12VDC and routes it to everything through appropriate circuit breakers, and has some Anderson Powerpole™ connectors for plugging other stuff in. To the left is a 20 watt 2 meter amp, which I plug my 2 meter hand-held into.
Next is a Pakrat™ packet radio controller, for doing digital communication modes with the IC-735.
On top is a spectrum analyzer, can’t recall the brand. It plugs into the wideband IF output of the IC-735 or R7000, so I can see radio activity that is near my current frequency. These days, such functionality is built-in on most transceivers.
On the roof is a Butternut multi-band vertical, an all-band Windom off-centre dipole fed by the remote antenna tuner and ladder line, and a 5/8ths-wave 2 meter vertical.
This stuff is in the garage, waiting for time to put it on the air again. I haven’t been active in years, unfortunately. Photography takes a lot of time away from ham radio — and farming takes all the time away from both of them!
de N7JDB
Hi
This is excellent . I am collecting the different parts to assemble it also. I see you have a 60 mm macro on your D800, . I also have a D800
Is this the best focal length for 35 mm and 120 rolls? I don’t have any macro so I need to find a used one
Thanks again
The 60 or 105 or anything in between is fine, whatever good used one you can find. For 35mm, the 60 is close enough to the film that I take off the lens hood, but not a big deal. For 120, it’s probably a bit easier using the 60 as the 105 would be higher on the copy stand, but still workable. If you ever got into large format the 60 would be preferred because of the distance.
I also use the stand for copying photos and magazines. In those cases the 60 is definitely preferable. It’s also easy to swivel the Super Clamp around so you can photography a larger item on the floor.
Great Thanks for the answer . As soon as I get all the pieces together I will post a picture .
I was thinking if it’s possible to design a 3d printed tube to attach to a macro lens. In the end of the tube something to fix the slide to be scanned.
In that way you have a defined distance from the sensor to the slide, so the focus point will be the same.
Thingiverse is being wacky at the moment (veeeery slow loading), but I know ProfHankD has done this so it should be findable somewhere in About profhankd - Thingiverse
Thank you!! It seems that he can have lots of interesting things 
Hi! I’m greatly inspired by the OP’s setup, and I’ve been facing the same problems trying to find a stable copy stand.
I have a question: can I get away with a 1/2" steel pipe, instead of a 3/4"?
In my diagram, I forgot to add in a leveling head between the rail and the DSLR. The total weight would be around 5.5-6 lbs.
I’m planning to take photos at 4x-10x magnification. Would the 1/2" pipe be stable enough, or should I get a 3/4" pipe?
Thank you!
I haven’t tried 1/2" pipe. While it would be strong enough, my concern would be with vibration, especially with 4x - 10x magnification.
I recently purchased a Benro geared head for a project photographing paintings. It works well to get exact alignment with the mirror method, but wasn’t compatible with the Super Clamp because of the position of the Benro adjustment knobs. To get around that I rigged up another system. It works well but is just a rough prototype which I’ll clean up later.
Add something to dampen the vibrations between connections such as rubber.
