Copying Slides

Off set zooms on to a sharp slide looks a lot better than straight in zooms. Stills cut into other real moving shots often won't be noticed as a still. To do this it is easier to move the slide to hold focus and flatness. Canon makes a great little slide copier, FP 100, for camcorders. The source is day light corrected, is small and covers the frame well. I use strong corrected diopters to focus close and move the slide with a small cam that gives a smooth start and stop. Century Precision Optics has corrected diopters. (See Crank Dollies)

For camcorders a close-up tube adapter with a diopter is also available from Canon, but most consumer camcorders have poor zoom controls. This diopter allows some closer focus. Adding an additional diopter allows tighter zooms. Cut in two, it will allow the front section which holds the slide copier above to be moved separately. The tubes are a handy 2.00" OD.

Because the moves are small they have to be very smooth and the camera and slide equipment has to be well connected to each other.

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