Frequently Asked Questions About Slide Copying
Here are some frequently asked questions about using the Illumitran slide copier for duplicating 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. You will need a pencil, a clear ruler, and a piece of translucent plastic or paper to complete the setup.
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. I have a few extras for sale on the main copier page, or you may find some used camera dealers online that carry them.
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, but any type of slide film can be used.
4. What kind of lens should I use on the Illumitran? You can use many kinds of lens on the Illumitran. Just like for camera bodies, Illumitran made 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 around 1999.
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 front 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 neutral density filter in the filter tray (you may have to try several different ones before you find the right combination).
7. Can I use a DSLR camera on the Illumitran copier? Yes you can, but there are several variables you must address to determine which pieces of equipment will be needed to give you the best results. For more information go to the Using a DSLR on an Illumitran Copier Information page.
8. What filters should I use? This is one question that you will have to work out for yourself. If you are using a digital camera, start with no filters and then check your copies to the originals to determine which colors you need more or less of. If you are using a film camera, I suggest that you buy your film in 100ft rolls and load the film into reusable cassettes. When you shoot your test rolls, start with big bracketed ranges and refine the corrections with each roll. Every time you switch types of film or even batch numbers (the reason I suggest getting the 100 ft roll) you will need to run at least one bracketed test roll. Here is a printable pdf of a test bracket recording sheet to record the filtering that you used for each shot (I also suggest using a different image for your first shot that is different from the rest so that you can easily identify the start and end of your roll). I use Ektachrome duplicating film and for that I use Y60, M10, C05 at f8 1/2. I also include a UV filter.
9. How do I unfold the plastic dust cover, it is really stiff? To soften the plastic on the dust cover, unfold it as much as you can, then while holding it with one hand, use a hair set to "hot" in the other hand and sweep back and forth across the folds (do not hold the hair dryer in one place or you may melt the cover!). As the cover starts to unfold, you can put it over your copier so that you do not have to hold it.
10. What parts am I missing? Go to the Illumitran Copier Parts page to see what parts you need.
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