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I TESTEDtheKaiserFilmCopyVariousing
both35mmandmedium-format, and
workingwithslide,colournegative and black
& whitefilm.It worksreallywell, and makes
lightworkof shootinga batch of negatives
orslides.Indeedthemosttime-consuming
aspectsliewithsettingupand aligning the
camera,thenprocessingthe image fi les
aftershooting.
Probablythebiggestdrawback is the
price,whichfeelshighfora device that is,
ultimately,a filmholder,if anextremely good
one.Buythelightboxkitwith a couple of
medium-formatmasks,andyou’re looking
at spending£325ormore(assuming you
alreadyhavealltheotherkitrequired). In
comparison,theEpsonPerfection V600
flatbedscanneroffers6400dpi scanning,
medium-formatcompatibility and digital ICE
automateddustremovalfor£250.
Alternativelyif youonlyneed to handle
35mm,thenPlustek’sOpticFilm 8200i SE
desktopfilmscannerprovides 7200dpi
resolutionfor£300.
However,theFilmCopyVario has a
coupleof keystrengths.First, it produces
betterresultsfrommedium-format fi lm
thanI’vemanagedtogetfrom fl atbed
scannersin thepast.Secondly, it’s very
muchquickertodigitise multiple
imagesthananyfilm scanner.
Soif youhaveboxes full of slides
tocopy,it mightjust be the
perfectanswer.Our verdict
How to copy fi lm
No means of holding a camera is supplied in
the kit, so you’ll need a tripod with an invertible
centre column that allows you to point the
camera directly downwards unhindered (if you
own a copy stand, so much the better). You’ll
also need a proper macro lens that’s designed
for close-up shooting. The key point is to
ensure that the lightbox is placed on a fl at,
horizontal surface and the lens is pointing
perfectly downwards towards it; this is best
achieved using a hotshoe spirit level.
Naturally, it pays to employ good technique.
Set the lens to manual focus, and engage
magnifi ed live view to get the sharpest possible
results. Work in manual exposure mode, with
your camera’s base ISO and an aperture that
will give sharp results across the frame
(experiment with this fi rst if you’re not sure).
Set the lightbox to its maximum brightness,
and use a shutter speed that’s as long as
possible without clipping any highlights. When
it comes to taking the shot, use your camera’s
self-timer or a remote release.
As always when working with fi lm, it’s
important to keep everything scrupulously
clean and free of dust – the lightbox, fi lm,
and your camera’s sensor – to minimise
the retouching required. You’ll get best
results working in a darkened room,
to avoid stray light refl ecting off the
top surface of the fi lm. This is
particularly crucial when trying to
capture the full tonal range of slides.
You don’t get any imaging software
with the kit, so you’ll need to employ
your usual editor to process the fi les.
Naturally it’s best to work with raw
fi les, using a neutral colour profi le
to faithfully reproduce the
original colours. Minimal
further effort should be
required with slides
- just cropping and
brightness
adjustments, and
spotting out of dust and
blemishes. Likewise
working with black &
white fi lm is relatively
straightforward, initially requiring little
more than inversion from the negative
image to a positive, then levels adjustments to
compensate for the fi lm’s base density.
Colour negatives are much more tricky, due
to the coloured base that varies from fi lm to
fi lm. You’ll need to make a 16-bit raw
conversion, with the black-point slider set to
avoid clipping any data. Invert the image, then
experiment with levels and curves adjustments
to get the colours looking right (use adjustment
layers if your software supports them). This can
be a time-consuming process, but thankfully
once you’ve worked it all out, you can apply the
same adjustments to other frames taken with
the same type of fi lm. However good fi lm
scanners have a clear advantage here, as they
come with software that compensates for
the fi lm base automatically.Masks are available
for 6x4.5cm, 6x6cm
and 6x7cm formats
One of the four
sliding masks is visible
below the 35mm neg holderCopied from a 35mm
negative, with the
image inverted and
colour-corrected
using PhotoshopRecommended