COPY STAND # MINI300, A USA Made Compact & Mini Tool for Digitizing Documents, Old Photos and Macro Photography with Today's DSLR Super Megapixel Cameras

It's not bad, but it's not great either. The issue of leveling is a problem. Updated on December 16, 2019: br>It's not going to work out. I have a large collection of photo/video plates, as well as a number of ball-shaped photo/video plates. Nothing worked (I bought three more pieces in the hopes of finding a solution that would make this thing stable enough for me, but it just isn't). It's all about the L-word. A bracket that isn't thick enough or isn't well-reinforced. The only thing that worked was a rigging clamp attached to the main pole of the stand, which took the L-shape of the L-shape of the L-shape of the L-shape of the L-shape I could take brackets out of the equation completely, but that's absurd and not what I paid for. It's reverting to its previous state - It was close, but not quite there. Original Review 12 br>br> 2019: br>It isn't terrible. I'm sure it's fine for casual use, but I bought it for the purpose of scanning DSLR negatives, and it's been a pain in the neck. The L bracket isn't thick enough, and it flexes under the cantilever-weighted force of simply mounting a camera to it. The amount of flex it has is determined by the camera, whether the bracket is inverted or not, and where it is vertically along the run. As a result, the camera cants inward or outward (depending on the situation) and is rarely level. A good tripod ball head is the solution, but A) a cheap one will not hold securely, and B) a good one will add even more weight while also extending the camera's lens nearly to the edge of the base, so that won't work. br>My solution was to place a shim between the camera and the mount (I'm using a Manfrotto quick-release mount). release) to level the camre and compensate for the cant. The issue is that the thickness of whatever shim I use has to vary because the canting isn't uniform across the range (I hope this makes sense). br>To cut a long story short, as I previously stated, it's been a huge pain. I'm sure it's fine for quick digitizing of photographs if you don't care about the final "scan" quality, but the design doesn't quite work for negative and slide scanning unless you're willing to dial everything in for 5 - 10 minutes. Each time you want to scan, or if you decide to scan a different sized film format, set aside 10 minutes. Finally, the low-cost retaining clip that holds the two low-cost plastic washers in place on either side of the red-colored washer. EACH of the screw attachments with a handle has dislodged. AND. EVERY. TIME SINCE I'VE REMOVED A TRIPLE TRIPLE TRIPLE TRIPLE TRIPLE TRIPLE TRIPLE TRIPLE TRI I'm astounded that I've been able to track it down each time it's flown away. That kind of clip implementation is fine for something you don't want to remove or only want to remove very rarely, but it's a little ridiculous for this application. br>It's possible that mine will be returned. If the L-shaped piece of metal is It would be easy to get around the other barebones flaws of this stand if the bracket was just made of metal thick and strong enough to flex from the weight of a camera (you'd think this was obvious given what it's for), but that isn't the case here.

Sadie Snow

| Apr 18, 2021

I simply needed a way to quickly photograph my vintage and old family photos for art projects. It's a pain to set up the flatbed scanner for that, and I never seem to have the energy to just scan everything in. However, I don't have a DSLR. It's just a bunch of random mid-range and high-end point-and-shoot cameras, and it's been working out great so far.

Solomon Khan

| Mar 11, 2021

It's great for the price, but keep in mind that it will bend a little. With the Fujifilm X-T2 scanner, I'm digitizing my negatives. Fujinon 80mm Macro and Fujinon T3. So I went to Amazon and bought two more accessories, a rail to extend the arm and a Z mount to compensate for the inclination, both of which were relatively inexpensive, so I'm still saving money over buying other copy stands.

Della Boone

| Jul 10, 2021

The camera's slide is a little flimsy, and it bends under its own weight.

Nylah PICKERING

| Sep 02, 2021

3/16" steel is used to construct the L support angle (which holds the camera). I think it should be a little thicker, and I'd recommend moving it- Because it is not sturdy enough and moves slightly when accessing camera controls, such as manual focusing, it can be reduced by up to 1/4". Using the camera's timed shutter or an external camera release will not cause it to move. I gave it a shot with a different L-. Otherwise, a good product that is well-made and simple to use.

Braylon Costa

| Nov 12, 2021

It's very nice; I had a little trouble putting it together because one or two screw parts on the main pole were reversed, but it's very stable now that I've fixed it. My Lumix FZ1000 is easily supported by it. It comes with a magnetic grid and holder strips to help you center your photos and camera. To keep the grid from shifting on the main board, I taped it down. It is well worth the money.

Keanu Li

| Oct 09, 2021

I'm photographing a lot of old family photos (before digital photos) with this copy stand. I only use it on occasion, but it's great to be able to set it up and take it down as needed. It's substantial without being excessively large. It's fantastic, and I'm very happy with it.

Leila Chaney

| Nov 13, 2021