I had a chat with B & H photography and they suggested ...

[JBW]

I had an epiphany. Full sized tripods, wheel chairs and tethered cameras all in one enclosed space is a disaster waiting to happen.

I started looking at table top tripods and found this one


B&H suggested a Novoflex CROSS-Q Castel-Cross-Q Focusing Rack



Seems to me that if I use the camera in tethered mode I could get some good shots for stacking?

Comments? Suggestions?

[Shadowman]

Looks sturdy but can that head swivel?

[JBW]

Looks sturdy but can that head swivel?

I'm not sure. But as it is for indoor table top set piece macro shooting where I place the subject and tripod as I want them is it important?

[DanK]

Brian,

Setting a tripod on the same table works fine. If the table is big enough, you can do it with a regular tripod, as I did here:



So while I don't know what tripod you have now, you might not need another one to put in on the table.

How much money do you want to spend? Novoflex makes high-end equipment, and this rail is particularly expensive because it adjusts in both directions. While it would be nice to have this to make it easier to make small adjustments in position, you certainly don't need it. I have a single-direction rail that cost about 60% as much, but I did most of the table-top macro on my website with no rail at all. What you WILL need is a good tripod head.

And I know I am repeating myself, but you absolutely do not need a rail for stacking unless you go to a high level of magnification. I have never used my rail for that purpose. However, you may find it easier, in that it may be easier for you to control the adjustments between shots. If controlling that adjustment between shots is hard for you, a cheaper and easier alternative to an expensive focusing rail--since you will be shooting tethered-- might be Helicon Remote, if it will work with your camera and lens. You focus manually on the closest point and the farthest point, indicating each to the software, and then sit back and let it go.

Dan

[Shadowman]

I'm not sure. But as it is for indoor table top set piece macro shooting where I place the subject and tripod as I want them is it important?

Not important if you can place object as shown in Dan's photo, however sometimes you might want to position the object at an angle or even flat for stability purposes; for instance if you are trying to convey a 3-dimensional form; shooting above and at an angle might be a better option.

[Stagecoach]

Ok Brian some more thoughts ............................

Are you wanting to use the camera whilst you are sitting down at the table ?

I ask this because a table top tripod may mean that you camera is too far in from the table edge and too high to make that possible/easy. If you look at Dan's picture you will see what I mean. This of course can be lessened the smaller the tripod is but smaller equals less sturdy.

Tonight I set up my Manfrotto with the extending articulating centre column and positioned things so that I would be able to work whilst sat down. Whilst I would be happy taking single mirror up shots there's too much 'spring' in things I suspect for reliable stacking.

If it were preferable for me to do my macro whilst sat down at a table without tripod legs sticking out restricting easy movement I would consider some form of bracket attached to the table that allowed a head to be fitted to it.

In the crudest form a piece of 4x2 with a 3/8" long bolt through it into a ball head and the 4x2 screwed or clamped to the table

As your subjects are going to be small these are easily adjusted/moved around.

[JBW]

Brian,

Setting a tripod on the same table works fine. If the table is big enough, you can do it with a regular tripod, as I did here:



So while I don't know what tripod you have now, you might not need another one to put in on the table.

How much money do you want to spend? Novoflex makes high-end equipment, and this rail is particularly expensive because it adjusts in both directions. While it would be nice to have this to make it easier to make small adjustments in position, you certainly don't need it. I have a single-direction rail that cost about 60% as much, but I did most of the table-top macro on my website with no rail at all. What you WILL need is a good tripod head.

And I know I am repeating myself, but you absolutely do not need a rail for stacking unless you go to a high level of magnification. I have never used my rail for that purpose. However, you may find it easier, in that it may be easier for you to control the adjustments between shots. If controlling that adjustment between shots is hard for you, a cheaper and easier alternative to an expensive focusing rail--since you will be shooting tethered-- might be Helicon Remote, if it will work with your camera and lens. You focus manually on the closest point and the farthest point, indicating each to the software, and then sit back and let it go.

Dan

My tripod has a minimum height of 24" which makes impractical for seated table work.

The Helicon Remote site says that my camera and lens are not compatible.

My so far unsolved problem is that when I manually focus I move things enough to make stacking blurry.

I can get a great macro shot once but not the same shot twice.

[JBW]

Ok Brian some more thoughts ............................

Are you wanting to use the camera whilst you are sitting down at the table ?

Yes

I ask this because a table top tripod may mean that you camera is too far in from the table edge and too high to make that possible/easy. If you look at Dan's picture you will see what I mean. This of course can be lessened the smaller the tripod is but smaller equals less sturdy.

A wooden tripod has minimal vibration. I will be able to move the small subjects easily

Tonight I set up my Manfrotto with the extending articulating centre column and positioned things so that I would be able to work whilst sat down. Whilst I would be happy taking single mirror up shots there's too much 'spring' in things I suspect for reliable stacking.

There would be for me.

If it were preferable for me to do my macro whilst sat down at a table without tripod legs sticking out restricting easy movement I would consider some form of bracket attached to the table that allowed a head to be fitted to it.

In the crudest form a piece of 4x2 with a 3/8" long bolt through it into a ball head and the 4x2 screwed or clamped to the table

In my astronomy days I had considered putting in a pier. Something very solid to mount a head to. A four by two would work. Bolt a Manfrotto 410 Junior to it then a focus rail a quick release and I'm off to the races.

As your subjects are going to be small these are easily adjusted/moved around.

yes

[Rent]

Just a thought but could you not alter focus by moving subject rather than camera ?
Roy

[Stagecoach]

Just a thought but could you not alter focus by moving subject rather than camera ?
Roy

I'm sure it's feasible for some subjects Roy, if you can attach your subject to a focus rail that's attached to something solid.

[tclune]

Looks sturdy but can that head swivel?

I think you are asking the right question. The focusing rack that I have is not a substitute for a tripod head, but an adjunct to one. I like pan-and-tilt heads to position the focusing rack where I want it -- but I confess that I do precious little macro photography, so others here are probably better able to offer advice.

[DanK]

Brian,

I think I am beginning to understand your specific needs better.

I don't know which would be easier for you, but an alternative to a table-top tripod might be placing your regular tripod on the floor and setting it to be a bit higher than the table top. You would just have to make sure that you can get the tripod close enough. This would have an advantage--it would transfer less vibration from the camera to the subject. In addition, if the floor is a higher-friction surface than the table, the rig might move less. It might be worth a try.

Using a rail to adjust focus between images MIGHT help you avoid moving the camera, compared with adjusting focus on the lens. It's not completely obvious to me, as you would still have to handle the rig. However, you would be touching it closer to the center, which might help.

However, if you do decide to try a rail, keep in mind that the adjustment between shots in a stack is only in one direction, front to back. Having the sideways adjustment the Novoflex offers will make it easier to get the initial framing exactly as you want it, but it won't be useful at all in creating the stack. If I were buying again, I might get a two-way rack just to make it easier to frame the image, but it isn't essential.

There are cheaper rails, and one of the cheaper ones might provide what you need. However, some are poorly made, and you would have to read reviews to figure out which ones are well-enough built and precise enough for macro. I use a Kirk, which costs about 60% as much as the Novoflex. It's very well built, but it has only motion in one direction.

Sorry to learn that Helicon Remote won't work with your camera. I don't know of alternatives, although there might be some.

Dan

[rpcrowe]

Why not try to leave your camera in one place and alter your focus with the manual focus of your Tamron lens.

My slightly older Tamron macro has a focusing scale in feet and tenths of feet that could be used to get a pretty accurate focus...

[JBW]

Why not try to leave your camera in one place and alter your focus with the manual focus of your Tamron lens.

My slightly older Tamron macro has a focusing scale in feet and tenths of feet that could be used to get a pretty accurate focus...

I do use the manual focus option with the Tamron. And as you can see here it works well. The problem is that when I refocus for the next shot I move the alignment as well as the focus.

[JBW]

Brian,

I think I am beginning to understand your specific needs better.

I don't know which would be easier for you, but an alternative to a table-top tripod might be placing your regular tripod on the floor and setting it to be a bit higher than the table top. You would just have to make sure that you can get the tripod close enough. This would have an advantage--it would transfer less vibration from the camera to the subject. In addition, if the floor is a higher-friction surface than the table, the rig might move less. It might be worth a try.

That's how I'm using my tripod now. The trouble is that the legs get in the way of my chaair

Using a rail to adjust focus between images MIGHT help you avoid moving the camera, compared with adjusting focus on the lens. It's not completely obvious to me, as you would still have to handle the rig. However, you would be touching it closer to the center, which might help.

The lens works as a lever and amplifies my tremors. Physics tells me that there will be less amplification from the rail.

However, if you do decide to try a rail, keep in mind that the adjustment between shots in a stack is only in one direction, front to back. Having the sideways adjustment the Novoflex offers will make it easier to get the initial framing exactly as you want it, but it won't be useful at all in creating the stack. If I were buying again, I might get a two-way rack just to make it easier to frame the image, but it isn't essential.

I'll look at the Two way

There are cheaper rails, and one of the cheaper ones might provide what you need. However, some are poorly made, and you would have to read reviews to figure out which ones are well-enough built and precise enough for macro. I use a Kirk, which costs about 60% as much as the Novoflex. It's very well built, but it has only motion in one direction.

Sorry to learn that Helicon Remote won't work with your camera. I don't know of alternatives, although there might be some.

Dan

B.

[Stagecoach]

My slightly older Tamron macro has a focusing scale in feet and tenths of feet that could be used to get a pretty accurate focus...

Not sure about the use of the focusing scale for close up macro where you are wanting to get a few mm per slice for stacking.

The Nikon 105VR has some excellent ridges in the rubber of the focusing barrel ring that allow pretty accurate determination of distance rotated, not sure about the Tamron.

I think I posted the following some time ago but here it is again .................................

A while back I got involved with trying to find an easy way to stack a deep subject and achieve equal slices using only the lens barrel for focus changes. No focus rail was available to the person trying to achieve this.

As the rotational movement of the barrel is non linear with respect to focus distance I produced the following scale template that could be taped around the lens.



If the stacks are not too deep there is no need for this complexity and if the barrel does not have serrations/ridges that can be used a simple paper scale marked in divisions of equal mm lines and taped on can be a simple aid.