The Perfect Combo for Duplicating Slides and Negatives with Larry Tiefenbrunn

Photos and Text by Larry Tiefenbrunn

Every photographer has old slides and negatives that deserve to be preserved digitally. But it’s always a project pushed to the backburner. Well, here’s an easy setup that takes a minimal investment with outstanding results. 

Using your own DSLR and a macro lens, you can add a slide duplicator and be ready for action. You need a bright and reliable light source. This is where Platypod and Litra come to the rescue. 

Using any tripod ball head, place your camera on the Platypod Max or Ultra.  Add a set of the new goosenecks as well as a pair of Litra Torch 2.0 lights and *poof* you have a convenient set up that can be placed anywhere. It can just sit on a table, or you mount it on your tripod with the screw hole at the center of the Platypod. Sit back and start copying.

You could use any light source, but these particular lights give a nice clean and even illumination with reliable output at 5700° Kelvin color temperature with a CRI of 90. Our goosenecks mount conveniently into the screw holes at the front end of either Platypod. The other end connects with the provided cross-nut directly into the ¼ inch socket in the Litra Torch.

The set up shown here utilizes the Nikon 60 mm macro lens and a Nikon Nikon ES-2 Film Digitizing Adapter Set.  A generic unit would work as well. For example, the one from Polaroid can be found HERE.

And, the Platypod/Litra portion of the setup is currently available as a holiday special for the 2019 season HERE.