Focusing Rail?

[Simon_King]

Hi All

I'm thinking of getting a focusing rail to play with some macro stuff. Doing a search on here it looks like the Manfrotto 454 looks like a good bet, which I have seen at warehouse express for £59.99.

Before I take the plunge are there any others I should consider, I don't mind spending more if the quality is there max £200 WE have the one from kirk for £195. Also with the manfrotto you can mount two together to have front-back and left-right. Is that worth doing or is that a bad idea?

Any advice much appreciated, my plans are to do macro on still objects, small things or parts of big things. No plans to do insects or the like.

Cheers
Simon

[Malcolm_Stewart]

I've two focus rails - an old cheap and cheerful BPM, and a nicely made Minolta one which came down to an affordable price a few years ago. The BPM has a scale which comes in quite useful if trying to replicate a particular view. One problem is that, if slightly loosened, the locking knob tends to tighten up by itself, as the rail is adjusted. Probably more annoying with insect shoots, as it can waste time. I've used mine for finding the nodal point/entrance pupil of lenses, where the scale is useful.

They're difficult items to assess - until you use them in anger, you'd never spot how annoying the self-locking feature is! I've also got bellows and here the BPM fit all approach is now more useful than the dedicated to Minolta stance.

[Simon_King]

I've two focus rails - an old cheap and cheerful BPM, and a nicely made Minolta one which came down to an affordable price a few years ago. The BPM has a scale which comes in quite useful if trying to replicate a particular view. One problem is that, if slightly loosened, the locking knob tends to tighten up by itself, as the rail is adjusted. Probably more annoying with insect shoots, as it can waste time. I've used mine for finding the nodal point/entrance pupil of lenses, where the scale is useful.

They're difficult items to assess - until you use them in anger, you'd never spot how annoying the self-locking feature is! I've also got bellows and here the BPM fit all approach is now more useful than the dedicated to Minolta stance.

Malcom

Thanks for the response, I think I'll get two of the Manfrotto ones as it's not too much and have a play. Can you explain to me about the bellows how do they work and what do they do. I was trying to search for those too but didn't find much.

Cheers
Simon

[Malcolm_Stewart]

Bellows etc. are fully described on this BPM site. I was surprised to find that they are still around! I used mine before I bought a dedicated macro lens, but once I had that, bellows were simply too much trouble for normal use.

[daft_biker]

I don't mind spending more if the quality is there max £200 WE have the one from kirk for £195.

I believe RRS do a nice one too. I have the Manfrotto 454 but there is, IMO, much room for more precise engineering on a more expensive rail to improve things. I'll probably upgrade one day, especially if I do more focus stacking on small subjects that require more than about 3:1. For up to 1:1 using my 100mm macro I fell less need to upgrade as the Manfrotto rail works well enough there.

Also with the manfrotto you can mount two together to have front-back and left-right. Is that worth doing or is that a bad idea?

I think you can mount as many focus rails as you like at as many angles as you like....but the more you use the less stable the setup, the greater the stack height and the greater the cost. I get by with just one but I can see why a 2nd one would be handy on occasions.

[Simon_King]

Bellows etc. are fully described on this BPM site. I was surprised to find that they are still around! I used mine before I bought a dedicated macro lens, but once I had that, bellows were simply too much trouble for normal use.

Thanks for that, so with a 105mm macro lens and a focus rail I should be ok, no need for bellows.

Cheers
Simon

[Simon_King]

I don't mind spending more if the quality is there max £200 WE have the one from kirk for £195.

I believe RRS do a nice one too. I have the Manfrotto 454 but there is, IMO, much room for more precise engineering on a more expensive rail to improve things. I'll probably upgrade one day, especially if I do more focus stacking on small subjects that require more than about 3:1. For up to 1:1 using my 100mm macro I fell less need to upgrade as the Manfrotto rail works well enough there.

Also with the manfrotto you can mount two together to have front-back and left-right. Is that worth doing or is that a bad idea?

I think you can mount as many focus rails as you like at as many angles as you like....but the more you use the less stable the setup, the greater the stack height and the greater the cost. I get by with just one but I can see why a 2nd one would be handy on occasions.

Andrew,

having seen some of your pics if the Manfrotto 454 is good enough for you it will be better than good enough for me. If I really get into it I'll have another look.

Cheers
Simon

[daft_biker]

Good luck with it Simon. FWIW I'm more likely to upgrade my 410 geared head before I upgrade the 454 focus rail....the precision of the focus rail is rarely an issue in comparison to the tripod head, I find.

Maybe you could keep the extra for the kirk rail and put it towards a new tripod head (if you fnd you need one) or a tripod with a geared centre column? (I'd like one of those for studio work with the subject at a comfortable working height). Things to think about if you do get into it more?

[Norman]

This won't be much use but I emailed Intro 2020 in March asking where I could obtain one of these



It's a Velbon Super Mag Slider.

Unfortunately they don't import them to the UK, their reply was

Thank you for your email. The Super Mag Slider is a product we currently don't import into the country, however we are making arrangements to import it in the future. I can't be sure when but I'm guessing it will be with us within the next 6 months.

You can get them on Ebay from Taiwan, China or Hong Kong though.

[Simon_King]

Good luck with it Simon. FWIW I'm more likely to upgrade my 410 geared head before I upgrade the 454 focus rail....the precision of the focus rail is rarely an issue in comparison to the tripod head, I find.

Maybe you could keep the extra for the kirk rail and put it towards a new tripod head (if you fnd you need one) or a tripod with a geared centre column? (I'd like one of those for studio work with the subject at a comfortable working height). Things to think about if you do get into it more?

Thanks for that, I'll have a look, whilst I like my tripod there is a lack of precision about the whole process. So this is the first step on that road.

454 ordered and on it's way!

Cheers
Simon

[Simon_King]

This won't be much use but I emailed Intro 2020 in March asking where I could obtain one of these



It's a Velbon Super Mag Slider.

Unfortunately they don't import them to the UK, their reply was

Thank you for your email. The Super Mag Slider is a product we currently don't import into the country, however we are making arrangements to import it in the future. I can't be sure when but I'm guessing it will be with us within the next 6 months.

You can get them on Ebay from Taiwan, China or Hong Kong though.

Thanks for that, as ever I'm on a deadline so needed to get the stuff asap. I've ordered the 454 from warehouse express so I'll feedback how it goes.

Cheers
Simon

[Monobod]

I have the Manfrotto 454 rail, I use it with the Junior geared head, which gives fine adjustment up/down, left right and rotated about the lens axis. The rail then gives fine focus with my 100mm f2.8 macro lens (Pentax). It all works a treat for me.

[Simon_King]

Andrew, Malcom, etc.

Thanks for your help last week, I got the shot I wanted which was for the APOY 09 H2O round. The picture is Here , fingers crossed though I haven't had any success this year, but I have put more effort into this one.

The Focus Rail really helped with this most of the shots before I had it were slightly out of focus. That minute adjustment makes such a difference.

Cheers
Simon

[Malcolm_Stewart]

Excellent and Wow!!


Your inventiveness puts me to shame.

[Simon_King]

Excellent and Wow!!


Your inventiveness puts me to shame.

Thanks for your feedback, I don't think I have ever worked so hard to get a single image! Once I thought of the idea implementing it was a whole new experience. But I enjoyed myself doing it and learnt some new stuff.

Cheers
Simon