Super Slide Mounts
Q. Where can I find 2x2" slide mounts for 127 "super slides"?
David Erickson
via Internet

A. I was rather surprised to find several firms still offer mounts for the square "super slide" size of transparencies. Log onto www.freestylephoto.biz and in the upper left corner Search box enter "slide mounts." There they list Gepe Anti-Newton glass super slide mounts in boxes of 20 (catalog #456901). At www.adorama.com a search for slide mounts produced several dozen different sizes, including the Gepe glass mounts in boxes of 20. It appears there still is a market for this old, old format slide mount. I did not find any listing for cardboard mounts in this format. "

Battery Drain
Q. I am a very recent subscriber, and am wondering if you may have published a workaround for those of us who have cameras which use Ni-MH batteries, like my Fuji 9000. The camera is great, but the batteries drain very quickly with essentially no warning. Is there a solution?
Jeff Solley
Finksburg, MD

A. I'm assuming your Fuji digital camera uses rechargeable AA-size batteries. Although the more recent Ni-MH type of batteries do not have the memory problem typically found in NiCd rechargeable batteries, they run down rather fast and unexpectedly. I have not heard of any solution. Of course you can cut back on your monitor use and be sure to turn the camera off when not shooting for more than 10 minutes, but that's not the solution, just a way to help extend battery life. Do you have a battery tester that you can use to check the charge remaining in your batteries? This might assist you in knowing how much charge is left before you place any battery in the camera for use. I have several battery testers made by ZTS. All are multi-terminal that accept a variety of sizes and different voltage batteries. The Pulse Load tester is moderately priced and just slightly larger than a deck of cards, so it's easy to carry along. You can get more information and order one at www.ztsinc.com. I have been covering all types of batteries at the major photo convention for many years, and each year firms keep introducing new and improved rechargeable batteries, so they must be aware of the frustration typical users have with dying batteries.
Glad you found Shutterbug and like what we publish. I believe it's one of the broader general interest photo publications available today.

Pentax Contact
Q. Do you have the current address of Pentax Camera, Inc.? We have written the company at their old address but the mail was not received. We are trying to locate information on the Pentax MZ-S camera and specifications.
Claudia Phillips
Norfolk, VA

A. Pentax relocated their office several years ago. The post office normally will forward mail sent to a firm's former address, but sometimes they stop doing this after a year or two. Here is the new address: Pentax Imaging Company, 600 12th St., Ste. 300, Golden, CO 80401; (800) 877-0155; www.pentaxusa.com. If you are simply looking for an instruction book for your Pentax MZ-S camera you might want to also check with these firms that specialize in providing instructions for older photo equipment: John S. Craig (PO Box 1637, Torrington, CT 06790; (877) 572-3686; www.craigcamera.com/ib_a.htm) or Finger Lakes Photo Books (PO Box 1002, Elbridge, NY 13060; (315) 491-1188; www.photobooksonline.com). Another online source is www.manualsrus.com. I hope one or more of these places can provide the data you seek.

Slide Duper Query
Q. I have a slide duplicator that duplicates 1:1 and higher magnification. I like to copy slides to digital medium using a digital camera body. The problem is magnification. I am not able to get 1:1 copy. Can you suggest any brand that will give me compensation for the "Sensor Magnification factor"?
Rao Inala
via Internet

A. You don't indicate what type of slide duplicator or digital camera you have, so it's difficult to diagnose your problem and answer it properly. I'm assuming you don't have a stand-alone slide duplicator such as the Honeywell Repronar, which had an illuminator plus strobe in the base and an attached 35mm camera on the top. I assume you do have a slide copier such as the ones offered by numerous firms for use with their cameras. They generally consist of a metal unit with a slot at the back into which a 2x2" 35mm slide was placed in front of a sheet of white opal diffusion glass. The other end connects to the front of your camera's lens with a removable threaded adapter ring. Since you want to copy to digital medium, I assume you have a digital SLR camera to work with. If it has interchangeable lenses, you could get a lens with 1:1 focusing capability. You should be able to adjust the white balance of your camera's sensitivity to match whatever type of light you use for illumination.