How to build a simple macro camera stand. Camera and subject movement for macrophotography.
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- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
- A very simple [and inexpensive] camera mount system for macro photography. Can be used with any slide rail and assorted hardware. Simple to adjust camera angle and focus distance. The key is the hinged section allowing for quick adjustment of camera viewing angle.
A foldable 'hinged board' test mount system for my macro photography. Adjustable for a wide range of rails and supports.
The adjustable parts of the subject support are from the Rogeti Tripod head accessories kit
rogeti.com/pro...
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Thicky McThick here - I was mounting the camera on the cross slide. Another epic tip, thanks!
Thanks - this one is definitely earning its keep. Used it on another job this afternoon. I've a few more 'mods' to consider.
Nice! Looks more solid than my previous attempts at a diy rig.
Thanks - the hinge and heavy board are what gives it a very solid feel
Nice bit of kit Keith
Thanks - I'm using it for some paid work today ;-)
The hinged platform is a brilliant, practical idea. Thank you for sharing it.
Thanks - it will be making some appearances in future videos I'm sure ;-)
Holy moly! Keith on macro! Just the man to ask but I have to check on something today first.
It's stuff I do... but... no insects, spiders and the like ;-)
I do have to remember too that I'm very much _not_ of the 'precise' nature that is often attracted to this sort of photography...
I mean, I use tilt shift lenses hand held :-)
@@KeithCooper OK Keith. I'll try and make this as easy as possible. I have Macro Lenses (100mm Canon L IS and Sony IS 90mm). I have crop and FF Canons. I have FF Sony. I want to do some greater than 1:1 but as you can see I have different options. I'm looking at the Laowa 100mm or to use what I have. But not sure to go Canon or Sony. One big thing I've noticed I do now with the Sony set up is going for shots I'd not try with the Canon because I'm on really extended tripod and I think the lens' IS is helping a lot. One avenue tho is use what I have. The thing I tried today was 5D II with 36mm ext tube and 100mm IS L. My non flash shots all seemed a bit soft and I noticed CA. Flash lit were better for sharpness. Looking at Live View with IS on, the view was drifting around. With IS off the LiveView was solid (faulty or this is what they do?). So IS negates any easy stacking. Also fixed ext tube was limiting. Maybe lens not ideal for 36mm tube? Contra to most I'm wanting to do available light shots not strobe macro, so softness and not having good IS is limiting. If I go the Sony route I may be fudged there as my body tells me IBIS is not available with the Sony Macro ( ;/ ). But I think there will be less kinetic energy with the Sony shutter than the Canon. Next is I'm thinking of upgrading. A 60MP Sony or used 5D SR. But can the Canon be triggered to leave about 10 seconds between mirror up and taking? I can't find the duration available in the menu. So that's about the size of it! So do you know a work around with the 5D SR to absolutely stop vibrations? Do you think the Sony route would be better? I cautiously tried the ext tube I had but reading whats on the market (to go the Canon route with what I have) seems there are too many reports of poor quality tubes, some loose fits and some damaging cameras) which also puts me off extending my ext tube range.
So faff with what I have with mirror slap and one tube.
Maybe 5D SR would obviate this?
Maybe higher model Sony would have IBIS that works for EOS mount (I have MC-11 adapter) or maybe the straight Sony E would have working IBIS with higher level Sony body. But I like the idea of manual F stops and thats only with one version of EOS. Because I think I'd rather have manually actuated f ring to save battery (my Sony actually shuts down the aperture as its selected and not just for the taking) which I think uses batteries - like I changed three a day.
Not straight forward from my perspective?
I think getting the Laowa lens itself over 100mm + ext tube would be a step in the right direction? But for what body I don't know.
Me 🤓
Keith Cooper 🤦♂why me?
@@killpop8255 That's a lot in a 'comment'... :-)
36mm is a tube I'd rarely use - I have a set of smaller ones
Can't comment on anything Sony - I'm not on their Christmas card list, so have never had a chance to test any of their gear at all.
To completely get rid of mirror shake I do my stacking from live-view on my 5Ds
I've also never used any form of IS with macro...
This is something to ask somewhere like the Macro forum at DPReview ;-)
@@KeithCooper Thanks Keith. I almost deleted the post because I felt I was asking too much then was a bit afraid to see a reply! But I knew you had the Canon and a Laowa ultra macro and you have a good general background. Thanks again.
That’s great Keith, I may have to make myself one of these
Thanks - it reflects the difficulty in quickly adjusting the viewing angle with traditional set-ups. The important bit is that hinged section.
@@KeithCooper getting it all perfectly square is important, time to brush up on my joinery skills.
This is why I had the MDF cut where I bought it from. A huge great sheet cutting frame - absolutely square in cutting. The piano hinge needs fitting with some care, but once in place it's all extremely solid feeling
Wow. Very cool.
Thanks!
Looks good.
Thanks!
I'd appreciate more information on the platform components. What would I look for on eBay or Amazon?
There is no 'buy these' list I'm afraid - the key idea is the hinged flap to mount things on [with 1/4" bolts]
The motorised rail is a long carriage Stackshot rail
The quick adjustment rail is a manfrotto 454
The blue scissor style up down support is from Temu - cost me £2, but seems to have gone back to £18
The grey slide and tripod heads is from a Rogeti kit
rogeti.com/products/rogeti-accessories-kit
There are lots of different ways of doing this - I just used what I'd got around.
I see quite a few types of slide rails on eBay and you don't need a motorised rail
I'll probably use the board in another few videos and be sure to include more details
Inchs?
An 8mm or thicker bolt should be able to control the rise and fall of your table. Similar for sideways movement.
A few years ago, I tried a 90mm macro lens plus extension tubes outside. The weight of me moving near the tripod was enough to cause camera movement,
Many years ago, I lived in Burwood Hwy, Burwood East, Victoria. The middle of the highway was a tram route, and whenever a tram went by, the house vibrated. I don't know what that did for house longevity, but I was glad the club darkroom was far away.
Yes - I still think in inches and feet and calculate/measure/cut in millimetres...
Equally comfortable with either, and inches help my US viewers ;-)
A bolt will do nothing without things around it... I don't have a workshop. The only bolts in this are 1/4" 20TPI ones through the board to anchor the stackshot - they may even be 1/4" Whitworth [from one of my assorted nuts n' bolt boxes.
The stuff here is used because it's what I had - the key element of the design is the hinged board.
I remember reading on the topic of vibrations in darkrooms, people in hi rises in IIRC New York could see the water in their toilets move courtesy of the building swaying.
Have you ever tried wide angle macro? I've been trying to do some macro and near-macro and the extreme background blur, thin dof and flat perspective of normal / long macro lenses often make it challenging to get an interesting composition.
Yes - I've reviewed several such lenses [probably before I started making videos to supplement the written reviews] www.northlight-images.co.uk/venus-laowa-15mm-macro-review/ - I also tested their 24mm macro probe lens quite a lot during its development
@@KeithCooper Those are certainly interesting. It's a shame about the missing AI lever, but the shift mechanism would probably make that hard. Being almost as bad as a Scotsman when it comes to spending money on a hobby, I'll probably ponder about this for a good year before deciding on anything (:
@@sruz25cz What's an 'AI Lever' ?
@@KeithCooper I mean the thing on F mount lenses the bodies use to (mechanically) control the aperture / keep it open while focusing.
Ok thanks
Nothing's going to have that these days - describing it as missing is a bit like saying my car has missing trafficators ;-) :-)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafficators
😊👍😎👏👏
Thanks