Repro Images

243 CHURCH ST. NW
VIENNA, VA 22180
(800) 998-DUPE
(703) 938-2604
fax (703) 938-2606  
info@reproimages.com
http://ww.reproimages.com/

IS IT LIVE, OR IS IT REPRO?

Long before the Star Wars galaxy envisioned Episode 2, there was an “attack of the clones” of a different kind—only this one took place not too long ago, and in our own galaxy, somewhere on the East Coast.

Around 1982 or 1983, a California-based manufacturer of photo laser discs was tired of paying outlandish fees for duping 35mm to 4 x 5 and contacted Jeff Whatley for a better solution. Whatley, who was running an audiovisual production house out of Washington, D.C., at the time, while offering slide duping on a limited scale, explained that 4 x 5 was the wrong aspect ratio; what was needed was 70mm. Only there were no 70mm cameras in existence. Whatley added that he could build a 70mm camera provided he had a large enough order warranting it, considering that he’d already built 35mm and 46mm (super slide) duping cameras for himself and National Geographic. With that done, Whatley proceeded to order film from Kodak—only the 70mm film format hadn’t been invented yet. So Kodak produced a special run, and 70mm was launched. FPG (in New York) was the first photo agency to use 70mm, with The Stock Market, Peter Arnold and others coming onboard as clients shortly after that. That marked a turning point, and a few years later, Repro Images was born and located in Vienna, Virginia.

Whatley explained that duping from 35mm to 70mm produced far better results than one-to-one slide duplicating. To ensure the sharpest results, the duping cameras at Repro Images are built on bedrock. Dupes on 70mm go for $8.50, with prices decreasing with quantity. Turnaround time is normally three to five days.

A few years ago, Pacific Stock Agency, a longtime client out of Honolulu, called, simply asking for advice about a digital alternative equivalent to the reproduction-quality 70mm dupes they were getting, but without the high cost of drum scans. Whatley pointed out that drum scans were necessary for that level of quality. That call marked the second turning point. By the end of the conversation, Repro Images found itself embarking on a digital voyage, to provide drum scans more economically. The Heidelberg Tango provided the answer. David Clayton now heads the digital arm of Repro Images. A typical drum scan, up to 65 mb, runs $30, fully retouched and color-corrected at no additional cost. Midlevel scans are also available, captured on other scanning devices. (Whatley points out that photo agencies should contact them for special pricing on all services.)

“Very recently,” he recalled, “that Honolulu agency sent over 5,000 transparencies, mostly 35mm, requesting we make ten sets of dupes in 70mm, also asking for 72 mb drum scans of all these images.” Upon receiving the scans, the client noticed some strange artifacts on one of the images. The originals were still in-house. Upon closer examination, it turned out that the problem was in the original transparency. “So we had to retouch the scan and output onto our Durst Rhino LVT as a new medium-format chrome master, from which we could make a new set of ten 70mm dupes.” Digital retouching runs $100 per hour, with a 15-minute minimum.

Whatley’s achievements don’t end with the 70mm camera. He has since devised an economical approach for duplicating 6 x 17cm panoramics. Initiated by a special order from a Japan-based agency, he custom-built the only pan-duping camera in the world. “And we’d like people to know they can order a pan dupe from us for just a little more than a 70mm dupe,” he concluded.

—Jack Neubart

photo © Steve Gotlieb