Best photographic studio copying equipment according to redditors

I bought this one and am very happy with it.

picked up this as well, and while the lightbox is really nice and folds up flat, the lights are kind of shit, at least for my needs. you could probably do better

the macro stand, though, I'd buy that again in a minute if I needed it. It's designed very well and has a nice geared track.

You can use a wall, but you sometimes run into issues with that since it can pick up any reflections from the lights. You'll often see a lot of "hot spots" that get picked up in shots. You'd probably need to go with a specialty paint (non-glossy) to help eliminate that.

With that said, you can even shoot natural light (open window) with a wall, room, etc.. being it's own backdrop and not needing to spend any money on it.

If you want to go for the ceiling mounts, they make some great options -- I use this one: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5210-REG/Manfrotto_2961_Complete_AutoPole_Expan_Kit.html

This one sits nearly flush against a wall, has 2 poles that expand from floor to ceiling with rollers to throw paper onto.. but it's pricey.

If you're fine attaching things to the wall, this set is about 1/10th the price:
https://www.amazon.com/CowboyStudio-Photography-3-Roller-Mounting-Background/dp/B002P32990

Same idea, but it connects directly into the wall.. it has 3 rollers (so you can attach 3 different types of paper.. white/black/grey or any combination) and when you're done it all just rolls up to the ceiling (you pull the chain one way to move the backdrop down, the other to pull it back up)

Paper is good to get a nice variety - sometimes black is perfect, other times you might want to use a bright color or 'fun' colors with it instead.

I'm a photographer at a cultural institution. The main reason I don't use zoom lenses is that they have geometric distortion, although lightroom can correct most of that. It isn't important anyway if your goal is to read text on a page. My goal is to reproduce the page.

>I don't think I'm too worried about low-light shooting.

I think you are. If you plan to photograph archival documents under normal room illumination without flash, that is fairly low light, as far as hand held shooting goes. I think the D60 would be OK for that, although newer sensors have better low light performance.


At my institution, patrons are allowed to handle and photograph original materials, but some places just give patrons photocopies and keep originals in secure areas. Check with the places you plan to visit, make sure you can actually use the camera before you invest in it. We have some patrons who bring small copy stands in. With a stable camera any lighting is usable, because you don't have to worry about cranking the ISO up to freeze the motion of unsteady hands. But again, ask if you can use it before you buy.


Save this comment and inbox me if you have any questions about document photography or image processing.

My husband has to take photos of objects for his engineering practice and he uses a copy stand (the camera mounts on the upright post and goes up and down to bring the object into full). He's also taken pictures of old photos and they come out very nice (as long as the original is in focus). You could do the same thing by placing the photo album on a coffee table and taking photos. You might need an extra hand to hold the photo album flat.

I would suggest trying to do them yourself, if you don't have friends or family that can do it one the cheap, or free. As long as the sound is good, and the video clear people won't mind. You can get some decent quality from your phone, then do some voice over using a Mic on your PC. You can shoot a top down on a table using an arm like this (Amazon Link) or any other type of Horizontal Tripod mount. Top-down video gives you a great look at all the parts of your game.