Also, focusing rails make it far easier to focus stack your macro photos, which can be valuable for capturing the greatest possible depth of field with nonmoving subjects. This package also offers the versatility of allowing the use of both camera plates and lens plates. It keeps your camera still, lets you microadjust the focus you place on your scene. A macro focusing rail is a great tool to have when shooting subjects up close. Try o avoid any that stand to tall because when it comes to macro you dont want to be titlting the lens down too much. Focusing rails what to look for photography forums.
Choosing the best focusing rail for macro photography lensvid. This item neewer pro 4way macro focusing focus rail slidercloseup shooting for canon nikon, pentax, olympus, sony, samsung and other digital slr camera and dc with standard 14inch screw hole macro focusing rail slider for dslr milc camera, tripod ballhead and phone, portable damping video stabilizer track mini precision focus closeup. Ebay note this is a common item traded on ebay and there are many sellers of this product search macro focusing rail for other retailers. Learn how to use a macro rail for close up macro shots. The image is a milkweed pod, which is quite deep, so i stacked over 20 images. Anything that requires precise, closeup work, of course, you can use the topnotch lenses at around the market, but if you dont have a way to hold it steady enough and maintain proper control, its useless. This is an exercise in frustration without a macro focusing rail. Each person is different, so you may have unique requirements. Focusing rails are by far one of the most useful tools available to the macro photographer. Weve listed the essential gear you need to get shooting.
Side view, camera and macro lens attached, moving section protruding through forward end plate. Even when the online pictures are an honest representation of the item, it is hard to see any tiny details in the photos. Lens focusing or rail focusing heres a series of shots, taken by adjusting focus with my 100mm macro lens, which shows the change in perspective with changes in focus. General macro theory from rrs really right stuff blog. Unlike manual rail, an automated focusing rail allows you to electronically control the step sizes. Stackshots made by cognisys are the most well known motorized macro rails. You can stack them at 90 degree angles if you want leftright movement. To summaries i am not a fan after using it of the manfrotto focusing rail and the ebay rails or adorama rails they appear to be the same product are far superior for macro work for a similar cost. The following description of my diy focus rail is meant to be a general guide for using draw runners as a cheap linear bearing construction component, the idea is not my own it was given to me by my brother who also has a background in mechanical engineering. Manual focusing rail one of the big advantages of using manual focusing rails is the avoidance of focus breathing.
The mfr45 macro focusing rail from oben is a lightweight macro stage designed for precise 4way camera alignment. The typical geared macro slider is a device comprising of a fixed track or base and a movable platform that is moved along the track using the gear knob. Stackshot is an electronically controlled macro rail system that coordinates the movement of the macro rail and the triggering of the camera. The best that i have ever use are the rrs focusing rails. Well worth reading through and my viewpoints on focusing rails appears on page two of that thread. This excellent quality rail is used for all digital and film slr cameras and is compatible with most nikon, minolta and pentax macro and eos bellows, macro shot extension tubes, or macro lenses such as the canon fd and fl smooth rack and pinion movement. Sep 11, 2012 when it comes to focusing rails the simpler the better.
If you have ever done macro work, you have probably had the notsofun experience of constantly having to move your subject closer to or farther from the lens, or, if you cant move the subject, awkwardly moving the entire tripodcamera assembly in relation to the subject. Remember that as you focus a true macro lens, magnification changes. When it comes to focusing rails the simpler the better. So the focusing rail on the tripod head will be for fine adjustments. This construction allows for precise measured movement while retaining the necessary stability of the rig. Best beginners macro photography accessories focus rails. This is considered to be the most advanced type of macro focusing rail. This is a guest post by ken stewart, a real diy pioneer. One of the big advantages of using manual focusing rails is the avoidance of focus breathing. Wemacros automatic focus stacking rail has total travel length of 100 mm.
Now that you know what macro photography accessories can help you get started, take a look at our tips and advice for taking. These devices are able to move the camera and thus the focusing plane in submillimeter steps. Stackshots simple userinterface makes the automation of the entire image collecting process for focus stacking very easy. Macro focusing rails vs focus variation this tutorial is about how to obtain a large depthoffield using focus stacking. I own the canon 180mm macro lens, and one of its benefits is a much larger working distance. Precise focus can be tricky to achieve, but with a macro rail, and the help of live view, its easy to fine tune the exact point of focus. Do keep in mind that most macro photographers choose to handhold the camera and to use a motionstopping macro adapted flash gun for bugs. Flashpoint budget macro focusing rail set with 4 way, fine control, camera focusing rail for macro photography. Within the market for electronic stages used for macro focus stacking, the bar is set very high by the cognisys stackshot, currently the classleading macro focus stacking rail. Alas, these are not inexpensive and, unless you shoot a lot of macro, probably not worth the cost.
Sunwayfoto macro focusing rail with screwknob clamp. For one, you can adjust the focus you place on your subject in micro amounts. To maintain your desired magnification, you need to move the camera to obtain the correct focus point. Achieving the same tight framing with a regular tripod head is not precise enough and can take too long with live subjects. Other than for compositional adjustments, a focus rail will be of little interest to you but this is one of the reasons why macro rails are still made.
Flashpoint four way focusing rail fine control, for macro. There are a few reasons why this is necessary to capture the best macro photography. Mar 14, 2005 range isnt a huge issue with me, because im shooting in studio and can adjust the placement of my subject for coarse focusing. Its ability to make small incremental adjustments is ideal for closeup work, tiltshift or macrophotography. Leofoto team has been designing and manufacturing series of camera support systems by comparing and studying the highend photographic accessories made in china and abroad and combining different suggestions from professional. Choosing the best focusing rail for macro photography. Ideally, automated focusing rails can be found as preassembled products or diy kits. There are other benefits, such as macro image stacking. Range isnt a huge issue with me, because im shooting in studio and can adjust the placement of my subject for coarse focusing. There are several different models available that vary by length and included a controller box. Dec 09, 2015 learn how to use a macro rail for close up macro shots.
Macro focusing rail tutorial how to use a 4 way focusing. May, 20 focusing rails are by far one of the most useful tools available to the macro photographer. What are the pros and cons of using macro rail vs lens focus. Comparisons between the wemacro bundle and the stackshot bundle are therefore inevitable. But that being said, a 2 way focusing rail will probably do the job. Many of us have had a goaround or two with various focusing rails for closeup and macro work. Achieving the same tight framing with a regular tripod head is not precise enough and can take too. I was hoping that this rail would add some support to my multifocused macro images, unfortunately, unless you are prepared to work very close to the subject, this is of no use. A diy focus rail for focus stacking diy photography. A macro focusing rail is a system that lets you move your camera forwards and backwards or even left to right. Using two b150b rails delivers geared motion both fore and aft as well as left to right. Having recently gotten into macro photography with a set of raynox closeup lenses, i found myself wanting a macro focusing rail so i could smoothly and precisely vary the distance between my camera and the subject to get the focus right. However, if you want to adjust the composition of the image a macro rail will help and avoid the need to perform clumsy adjustments of camera or subject.
How do you pick the best macro photography accessories when youre a beginner. Im using the 20d with the mpe 65mm or the ef 100mm f2. The same concerns apply to canons 100mm macro lens, which can optionally be used with a tripod foot. Mjkzzs further expansion into macro has continued, with four different mjkzz focus stacking rails being brought to the market in the last 6 months. In extreme macro and micro photography the depth of field can be as shallow as a few hundredths of a millimeter.
Support for macro photography macro focussing rails. A simple rail which lets you slide the camera back and forth whilst on the tripod to let you get the focus just where you want it without having to adjust your magnification focus nor having to shift your tripod legs backwards and forwards. For further details see delivery estimates in cart. Macro focus rails are needed for macro photography focus stacking and. Starting from min 12 erlewine talks about 3 different options for shooting macro and creating images from different stacked shots to achieve increased focus depth. Recommend a focus rail macro and still life photography. Comparing common focusing rails macro photography fotozones. They allow you to make several different changes to your focusing point and image composition without having to move the tripod or camera stand. The kirk fr2w is a macro focusing rail used for manual focus in macro photography. I am writing this not because i am an expert on rails, but because it appears i have made all the mistakes and in my search for a good focus rail have unintentionally gradually accumulated enough of these devices to compare them to one another. Macro focusing rails a comparison of different market.
In these cases, macro rails and stepper motors can be used to adjust the cameras position relative to the object of interest. You can tweak little aspects of your images without having to start from scratch because you moved the tripod head or legs. Fotga macro focusing focus rail slider quick release plate 14 inch 38 inch for dslr camera tripod ball head compatible with arca swiss rrs, kirk markins. Jan 21, 2008 this is a guest post by ken stewart, a real diy pioneer. Focusing rails are essential accessories for macro photography, which requires precise distance modifications and a steady hand, as well as other situations where accurate camera positioning is crucial.
Macro photography accessories will help you make precise positioning movements to achieve that perfect framed shot keep your camera steady with a macro rail. Well if you use a tripod when shooting macro chances are you are also using or are thinking on using a focusing rail with the setup. Amazon removes any thirdparty sellers that have major issues. Neewer pro 4way macro focusing focus rail slidercloseup shooting for canon nikon, pentax, olympus, sony, samsung and other digital. Camera body or lens collar foot must have a really right stuff quick. I have used the manfrotto in the past because of its low height.
The b150b is our premium linear motion lead screw focusing stage and rail. Not only does it keep your camera still, but it also lets you microadjust the focus you place on your scene. Inexpensive motorized focus stacking rail wemacro rail. May 01, 20 the following description of my diy focus rail is meant to be a general guide for using draw runners as a cheap linear bearing construction component, the idea is not my own it was given to me by my brother who also has a background in mechanical engineering. Mar 29, 2019 focusing rails come in 2 way and 4 way. Mar 04, 2020 the typical geared macro slider is a device comprising of a fixed track or base and a movable platform that is moved along the track using the gear knob. They also make it easier to execute a consistent step size.
Photographer and macro specialist michael erlewine published this very extensive guide to focus stacking and macro focusing rails. Purchase b150b ultimate package whenever geared motion in both axes is desirable. A quick check of the web showed me that the cheapest. One of the big advantages of using manual focusing rails is. Its minimum step can be set as 1 micron in precise mode. It either goes forward and backward 2 way or forwardbackward and side to side 4 way. B macro focusing rail comes packed in a lightweight neoprene optech usa replacement foot. It is located in zhongshan, beautiful pearl river delta area in china. What are the pros and cons of using macro rail vs lens. Its ability to make small incremental adjustments is ideal for closeup work, tiltshift or macro photography. Beginners guide to focus stacking for macro photography.
Focusing rails if you have ever done macro work, you have probably had the notsofun experience of constantly having to move your subject closer to or farther from the lens, or, if you cant move the subject, awkwardly moving the entire tripodcamera assembly in relation to the subject. If you do tripod mounted macro photography often, a focus rail is very helpful for precisely framing high magnification shots. Flowers or other static objects would be more amenable to use with a tripod and rails. Apr 22, 2019 comparable focus stacking rails cognisys stack shot. Sep 18, 2015 includes two b150b macro focusing rails for greater control over fine positioning. Is it better to use a macro rail or is it better to vary the focus of the lens. Dec 20, 20 photographer and macro specialist michael erlewine published this very extensive guide to focus stacking and macro focusing rails. Gear mechanisms in macro focusing rails are either rack and pinion or leadscrew types. The rail is fully controlled by a computer, or an android phone using bluetooth or otg functionality. Focusing rails are essential accessories for macro photography, which requires precise distance modifications and a steady hand, as well as other situations where accurate camera positioning is. I am writing this not because i am an expert on rails, but because it appears i have made all the mistakes and in my search for a good focus rail have unintentionally gradually accumulat.