Macro slider

[richlewis]

Hi all
I am looking to shoot some stacking shots with a small DOF and I am not sure what slider/rail to look at, I am using a 50d with a sigma 105, also the next question! Do I buy an extention tube or a teleconverter to go with the camera and lens, thanks

[bripriuk]

Hi
You will need a focussing rail. The Manfrotto one is probably the best, with the finest control:

Manfrotto 454 Micropositioning Sliding Plate

There are cheaper ones with coarser control available on Ebay:

2-way Macro Focusing Rail Slider for Nikon Canon Pentax | eBay UK

If you want to go closer you will need extension tubes, a teleconverter is not suitable.

Brian

[Lancashire Lad]

If I were you, I'd do some searching of dedicated macro photography site forums and see what the concensus is before buying anything.

Whether you actually need a macro-slide or not really depends on the type of subject that you will be photographing.

When I first got seriously into macro, I bought the Manfrotto 454 that bripriuk advocates. - But in all honesty, I think it is overpriced - and it is by no means perfect where very small increment stacking is concerned. It does have very fine control of forward motion, but the need to loosen the locking screw slightly in order to allow that forward motion gives the possibility of a small but nevertheless significant lateral movement of the camera/lens during a stack sequence, which can cause problems.

If your stacking photography is to be done in controlled "studio" type conditions, then you would probably be better off going for some type of micro adjustable x-y stage that your subject would sit on, and adjust that to get the stack whilst keeping the camera/lens static.

But again, if your stacking only consists of a few shots, it's usually easier just to refocus the lens further and further into the subject.

I do focus stacks (maximum thus far being a 27 shot stack) of small fungi, with a Nikon D80 and Sigma 180mm macro lens. - Probably 95% of my shots are done "in the field" wherever the fungi are found.

I no longer use a macro rail, preferring just to set the camera/lens up on the tripod, and keep it in the one position, refocussing for each shot that any given stack needs.

On the few occasions where I shoot stacks at home, I use exactly the same technique - keep the camera static, and just refocus the lens however many times required to get the stack.

Typical examples - (9 image stack and 14 image stack): -


I readily admit that this won't work for high magnifications that require stacks of hundreds of shots, but if your intentions lie in that direction, then you really will need an x-y micro stage, and might even need to consider step-motor movement control of camera or subject holder.

Also, I do use a 1.4x Sigma teleconverter with the Sigma 180, as it does allow a little more magnification with no noticeable loss of quality. (I occasionally use Raynox 150 and 250 supplementary lenses on the front of the Sigma 180 as well. See: - Lenses & Converters).

Regards,
Mike.

[richlewis]

Thanks for the sound advice both, have recently bought the kenko extention tubes so will go with that and the tripod for a while, I will be doing both home and field shots all in the area of nature/ wildlife

[Lancashire Lad]

I'd just add to my original post, that, depending on what type of tripod is being used, a macro slider can be useful in enabling some fine control of the framing of the subject, which is what most people use them for.

But with specific regard to the Manfrotto 454, the physical shape of the device prevented my being able to turn the camera (NB: with battery pack fitted), through 90 degrees for portrait shots, using the Sigma's lens collar. - The camera's battery pack fouled on the brass forward-backward adjustment screw.

I did get around that by making a riser block which then went between the macro slide and the lens collar's tripod mount. However, this had the downside of raising the lens axis up by about 40mm, and also reduced the overall rigidity that I need for stack shots.

So these days, I just have the Sigma's collar fixed directly to the tripod quick release plate.
Using the Manfrotto 055XB tripod/405 geared head combination gives me a very rigid and finely adjustable platform, and I don't find the loss of forward/backward movement afforded by a macro rail to be of any detriment to my type of shots.

Regards,
Mike.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by bripriuk

2-way Macro Focusing Rail Slider for Nikon Canon Pentax | eBay UK

It would be nice to fit one of these with a stepper motor driving a ball screw and controlled by a microcontroller.

Hmm, I might have a play!

Jim

[OLDBALDY]

if you're into messing have a
look at this
Create An Automated Macro Rail For Image Stacking | DIYPhotography.net

[richlewis]

Thanks all

[nightshade]

I bought a pair of the Fotomate sliders off e-bay, they work fine but the fourway slider may be better made at around £44.
Thinking outside the box, if you are serious there are any number of relatively
cheap accurate machine tables that could be adapted. For example;
Buy Compound Table for Micro Drill from Axminster, fast delivery for the UK
Some have micrometer calibrated movement handles.