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BEOON

Godfrey

Well-known member
Just took delivery of a lovely condition Leica BEOON copy stand device. Talk about a thing that incites a bit of time travel...!

Such beautiful precision.. The BEOON was designed to work with a 50mm lens and an M3 (or other M or LTM body) netting standard magnifications of 1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2, and 1:3, which allows copying film or small prints precisely and easily. A focusing magnifier with ground glass, masks for the four formats, and a dedicated set of extension tubes are included. It's supremely rigid and wonderfully well made. The whole kit breaks down and fits into a small box that can hide in a desk drawer easily ... No need for the closet filling copy stand I have been using.

I'll be bending it to the task of being an efficient, tiny copy apparatus for Polaroid prints, using a 35 or 40 mm lens and either Sony A7, Olympus E-M1, or Leica M-P bodies.

It's just so cool. :)

G
 

Gbealnz

Member
Good on ya Godrey.
I found one on that auction site a few months back, wonderful piece of nostalgia. I initially bought a bellows unit to use as a scanning system, but then found the BEOON.

I might sell the bellows.

Enjoy it.
Gary
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Thanks Gary!

Had a short play with it last evening. I tried 35, 40, and 50 mm lenses on it with the notion of capturing a Polaroid Spectra print.

- A 35mm*lens (Color Skopar 35mm f/2.5) is too short ... the A tube extension is already too much to capture anything that isn't at least 13mm closer than the top of the base.

- 40mm (M-Rokkor 40mm f/2) does a bit better than that, but cannot capture enough of a Polaroid print.

- 50mm (Color Skopar 50mm f/2.5) is the most successful. There's some cutoff of the print, whether Spectra or SX70 format, but the capture (onto Sony A7 with Novoflex mount adapter) is crisp and clean, edge to edge, at f/5.6 or f/8.

I also tried it for 35mm film capture with a couple of frames of XP2 Super from a recent roll out of the M4-2 using the 50mm lens. I used a flat panel light box as the light source. It does a very nice job with that setup, although my film scanner workflow is probably a little more efficient. I didn't think to try some slides while I had it out, maybe I'll give that a try today.

I like working with the BEOON. I could see making an alternative camera mount, or a 45mm lens, that would allow me to obtain just a little less magnification so I can get the full Polaroid format into the capture. That new Voigtländer 40mm or a 35-40mm enlarging lens without a focusing mount might be the ideal lens to work with, come to think of it. I think I need 1:4 magnification to do the job. But I'll use it for other purposes as is. :)

G
 

Gbealnz

Member
LOL, they ARE fun indeed Godfrey.
I really only had a quick play with mine, and used the bog standard 50 Summicron M.

Oh, and a couple of enlarging lenses, a 50, and an 80mm. 50 was pretty good, used a spare M39 to M adaptor of course. Camera was an old X-E1. I will try my A7 as well once I get some adaptors.

I agree, your scanner is likely better, but in my case, the BEOON is all I have, apart from the bellows, so it's the best I have.
Gary
 

Tim

Active member
Thanks for the heads up on this little device G.
To be honest I am a little jealous as it looks to be a device I would use.
They seem a tad pricey but i will keep an eye out for one.
 
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