Frequently Asked Questions About Stereo Stereo Slide Copying
Here are some frequently asked questions about using the Illumitran slide copier for duplicating stereo slides. This area is growing so stop back occasionally to see more answers.
FAQs
1. How difficult is it to set up an Illumitran copier so that I can start copying slides? The Illumitran instructions will walk you through the setup step by step. It will take you about one hour, and you will need a pencil, a clear ruler, and a piece of translucent plastic or paper.
2. What is the camera adapter that you mentioned? The Illumitran bellows has a round opening on each end with two set screws, this is where the camera and lens are respectively attached. To secure your camera and lens to the bellows you will need an adapter with a round ring that fits the bellows opening on one side, and a lens or camera coupling on the other. Adapters for many different cameras and lenses have been made over the years. There are several camera dealers online that have used camera adapters available (do a search on Yahoo or Google for Illumitran). If you don't mind using two adapter rings to attach your camera to the bellows, Calumet Photo still has a unversal body adapter ring for the Illumitran that fits what used to be called a "T" mount camera lens mount. T mount adapters are available for most cameras, and Calumet carries several brands. Attach the "T" mount adapter to your camera, then attach the Illumitran universal body adapter to your T mount adapter. Your camera can now be attached to the bellows.
3. What does the Contrast Control Unit (CCU) do? Color film tends to not record all of the shades of color that are contained in the original scene. If you are copying a slide that means you will increase the contrast each time you copy it. To reduce the amount of contrast that is added to each copy you can pre-flash your film (expose your film to a white light before the real exposure). This increases film sensitivity in shadow areas and lowers contrast by degrading the highlights. Bowens has made a Contrast Control Unit that does this step for you. The CCU is a second flash that fires at the same time as the base flash. A piece of glass set at a 45 degree angle between the main flash and the lens lets both the image and a pre-flash light reach the film at the same time. The biggest benefit of the CCU is that you can use any type of slide film to make your copies, not just slide copy film. I prefer Kodachrome 25, but any type of slide film can be used.
4. What kind of lens should I use on the Illumitran? You can use any kind of lens on the Illumitran. Just like for camera bodies, Illumitran maded adapter rings for most camera lenses. However, camera lenses are made for recording three dimensional objects and not a flat field like a slide. If you decide to use a regular camera lens for your copying, be sure to use a macro lens that has been designed for close-up work. A better choice is an enlarger lens in the 50mm - 60mm range. Enlarger lenses are designed for working with a flat field and will be sharp from center to edges. The best lenses are copy lenses, but they are expensive and very hard to find.
5. Can I still buy a new Illumitran copier? No, Bowens has stopped making them and Calumet Photo is sold out. Calumet still has a few replacement parts available, but they are very limited and very expensive.
6. When setting up the Illumitran, the modeling lights are too bright to get the exposure meter to zero out. What do I do? First, be sure that the red dot on the Intensity Control Knob is lined up with the red dot on the fron of the base unit, and that you have a good medium density slide in the holder. Using a pencil or small screwdriver, turn the trimmer control until the needle points to the zero position. If the needle is to the left of zero after a full adjustment, the bulbs are too dim and need to be replaced. If the needle is to the right of zero after a full adjustment remove one of the bulbs and recalibrate. If this make it too dim, switch modeling bulbs and try again. As a last resort, put a nuetral density filter in the filter tray (you may hay to try several different ones before you find the right combination).
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