Print display stand
My camera club currently uses a home made illuminated single print stand for when a judge assesses the prints. This works well but is quite bulky. I am sure a while ago I saw a manufactured version made of metal which I believe folded down slightly to make it more portable or easy to store. I have searched on internet and can't find it anymore. Can anyone point me in the right direction please?
We use a custom made one with inbuilt lights but is is bulky. It was made to accommodate different size mounts but nowadays we only use 40x50 standard size.
You could use a simple wooden stand with a couple of daylight LED lamps.Not seen anything commercial - perhaps not much call for them and may be costly.
You could use a simple wooden stand with a couple of daylight LED lamps.Not seen anything commercial - perhaps not much call for them and may be costly.
Another low cost option is a white image on a laptop.
Most clubs project digital images for some competitions and lectures anyway via a computer and projector.
A little experiment with the white image density, perhaps with a black surround, should quickly produce a suitable density and size light source.
Perhaps a better option, having regard to the cost of replacement projector bulbs, would be a 2 led spot lamps - but check the colour gamut of the led lamps first.
Most clubs project digital images for some competitions and lectures anyway via a computer and projector.
A little experiment with the white image density, perhaps with a black surround, should quickly produce a suitable density and size light source.
Perhaps a better option, having regard to the cost of replacement projector bulbs, would be a 2 led spot lamps - but check the colour gamut of the led lamps first.
Ray, my club has two home made print stands. One is old and uses daylight fluorescent bulb and works well. The other uses more recent LED lights but be warned most LED lights are very narrow spectrum. Although for general lighting these LED lights seem OK it is composed of very narrow spectrum peaks and the net result is that the light can cause some colours on a print to fluoresce and look very odd. There are now a combination of LED and fluorescent material which does give a broad spectrum white light but not sure where you would buy them etc.
Key information is that we researched commercial availability and found only 1 US manufacturer and you can but the items from Permajet (Stratford upon Avon). The problems is that they are very expensive over £1000. We decided to revert to our older homemade version. While in our large room we project the images as well but we must use a print stand for the judge who must only consider the print. Prints are always much better quality than projected images although the gap is narrowing.
Dave
Key information is that we researched commercial availability and found only 1 US manufacturer and you can but the items from Permajet (Stratford upon Avon). The problems is that they are very expensive over £1000. We decided to revert to our older homemade version. While in our large room we project the images as well but we must use a print stand for the judge who must only consider the print. Prints are always much better quality than projected images although the gap is narrowing.
Dave
Have you looked through this discussion - there is something very lovely towards the end.
https://www.ephotozine.com/forums/topic/display-stand-for-camera-club-competitions-92837/p-1
https://www.ephotozine.com/forums/topic/display-stand-for-camera-club-competitions-92837/p-1
Quote:Dave -Many thanks. I have looked on the Permajet site but can’t see any relevant product. It may be that they no longer sell the item but do you remember who manufactured it or what it was called. Cheers. Ray
They are still advertised on the site Permajet GTI Viewer
They are called GTI Viewers and several sizes are available. I believe we also discovered that it was more difficult to set up than our old system.
Dave
Quote:Dave - Thanks again. This looks like the item I saw previously.
At over £1,000 - I wonder if they have sold many - or even any?
The unit appears to have a white background instead a normal black
Quote:
At over £1,000 - I wonder if they have sold many - or even any?
The unit appears to have a white background instead a normal black
I did have a chat with one of the sales staff who is also in a camera club. They have sold some but not many to camera clubs. While my club could afford to buy it, we were not convinced that we would be better off. When we originally had difficulties it was because our storage area was in the basement of the hall. However, since refurbishment we have a storage area on the same level just a few feet from where we need it. This GTI viewer has a daylight white source at the top and bottom as does our exiting club unit. I have seen more than one club which either do not use daylight tubes or only have them at the top.
Dave
Dave
Quote:
The other option is an artists easel from an art shop and a clip-on lamp from the DIY shop.
Artists easels from my local camera shop cost less than £25.
Both of my recent camera clubs used a viewing box constructed of plywood and pine. They were similar and may have been made by the same person. They are both quite heavy. If I was making one I think I would use more good quality plywood and less pine with the emphasis on portability.
Modern flexible led strip lights could, cut to size, also be used for illumination rather than flourescent tubes.(After checking for colour casts.)
Incidentally I am selling my clean Daler Rowney artists easel - it is ebay item 324102314914, collection in person preferred. But postage rate could be negotiated.
Modern flexible led strip lights could, cut to size, also be used for illumination rather than flourescent tubes.(After checking for colour casts.)
Incidentally I am selling my clean Daler Rowney artists easel - it is ebay item 324102314914, collection in person preferred. But postage rate could be negotiated.
As well as the physical construction you do need to be careful about choosing and positioning the light source. The aim should be for an even spread of light and a broad full colour spectrum. At my club the daylight fluorescent tubes top and bottom do meet both these requirements. Our LED version has four light sources but is able to meet the evenness by placing the LED sources back about 15 cms or so. However, this results in several problems in that because the light is thrown backward a lot spills onto the large screen showing the projected images. It does not matter for the judge but does matter for the audience. The two must be well separated or careful use of light baffles is required. The other issue is that LED’s from the recent past do not have a full spectrum but a few sharp peaks at specific colours which has caused strange visual effects with some prints (not a colour cast). I have a print where the shadow areas look bright purple under these LED lights but perfectly normal when viewed by daylight or fluorescent. When I last looked at the market all commercial print viewers use daylight fluorescent. However, I know there has been much development in this area for LED’s so careful investigation is needed.
Does it matter? For those who go to the extra trouble to prepare and producing a print it does. Print quality is still much better than projected so it is important that the judge sees that quality as intended.
Dave
Does it matter? For those who go to the extra trouble to prepare and producing a print it does. Print quality is still much better than projected so it is important that the judge sees that quality as intended.
Dave
