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- Beware this copier is not useful for negativesI bought the Opteka HD2 slide copier for the Canon EOS and then spend a few hours trying to learn how to use it. I copied a couple of slides with moderate success, using the unit attached to my 28-80 Canon lens. It was difficult to get the slide in focus and to get it lined up to shoot the image, but it was possible. What is not possible is to use it for copying negatives. Most independent editing programs (iPhoto, Photoshop Elements) do not have the necessary software to invert color negatives to positives. They can do black and white, but not color. So the Opteka, which has no software with it, just can't be used to invert color negatives. I had to send it back and buy a much more expensive slide and negative copier, the Nikon Coolscan V. I'm still waiting for delivery of the new machine, but I have high hopes, based on reviews by others. Rating: - Good ProductI've copied over 700 slides and have experienced excellent results. I used step down rings from 72mm to 52mm. At first, I had a problem with the step down rings cutting off the corners of my slides. This was solved by backing off on my zoom just enough to avoid the cut off's. Rating: - Opteka slide copier works great.I used a Canon Rebel XTI camera, with the Canon 55-135 telephoto lens. It required 2 step down rings, a 72-58, and a 58 to 52 to connect to the Opteka (about $15). The zoom lens allowed me to frame the slide precisely, and it easily focused correctly. Set the lens to manual focus (so as not to stress the auto focus motor in the lens). I put a 100 watt incandescant bulb about 1 foot from the back of the Opteka for light. This produced about a 3.2 meg digital rendition of each slide. You can do about 20 slides per minute. It takes a lot longer just to sort, group and align (right side up, correct face of slide to front) the slides than to insert the slides in the Opteka and shoot the picture. I built a little jig with stops at each end to limit the travel of the slide carrier so the slides always stop in the same horizontal position. With this, you dont even need to check the alignment of the the slide when you insert them- just insert slide, push the Opteka slide carrier over, and shoot the picture. Great product. Shipped promptly by 47 Street Photo. Rating: - Works greatI have a Canon XTi with the 18-55mm lens, it is perfect. I have to digitalize more than 1000 slides and it is the fastest way to do this I have found without spending a fortune on a slide scanner. Even with bad lighting the pictures come out great, the shutter just takes longer to shut. After taking the pictures one has to do some work fixing light, straightning and cropping, but if you have a good original picture, and you use the RAW format, it can come out as if you took the picture with the digital camera on the scene. Rating: - Opteka HD2This does not work easily with a Canon Zoom lenses. The front element of the zoom moves in and out when you zoom and the attached Opteka jams the lens. No harm is done if you go carefully but it is best to watch what you are doing when you zoom to maximize the picture. In addition the housing for the slide tends to slide up and down because the spring tension is so light on the slide holder. Otherwise it works OK
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