Greetings from Washington DC.
I've been lurking for a while. Reading the posts motivated me to get some new gear, so I recently ordered the Nikon 10x finite and just today received the mounting ring. Is it ever going to be fun!
I first started photography in high school with the school's speed graphic, so I learned darkroom work first with 4x5 film. I won't say my age but will add that I learned computer programming with punched card decks...
I went digital about 9 years ago, and currently use a Canon T2i. Macro is mostly with a Canon 100mm macro, but I also have an old Canon bellows with adapter rings to reverse most anything or mount enlarging lenses.
Since I've recently been experimenting with stacking, my biggest need is for some sort of stage for accurate incremental movement of my targets.
Olympus BH focus mounts seem to be the way to go, according to most of the posts here? I see some using translation stages, but they seem rather pricy?
Thoughts?
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Welcome aboard! 
Your history sounds similar to my own, right down to the punched card decks.
People use a wide range of focus contraptions. See for example the various posts linked HERE and in the surrounding FAQ: What's the best way to focus when stacking?. If I had to choose one method and it fits in the budget, I would go with the StackShot. For about $600 you can get automated acquisition down to about 1 micron step size.
--Rik
Your history sounds similar to my own, right down to the punched card decks.
People use a wide range of focus contraptions. See for example the various posts linked HERE and in the surrounding FAQ: What's the best way to focus when stacking?. If I had to choose one method and it fits in the budget, I would go with the StackShot. For about $600 you can get automated acquisition down to about 1 micron step size.
--Rik
The Olympus BH focus mounts work well, I use one in its original microscope stand with a vertical setup. These focus blocks are designed for 2µ increments.
The Nikon Labophot-2 focus blocks are designed for 1µ - I love mine!
If I was starting out I would buy a used Labophot-2 stand. A quick browse of ebay turned up these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NIKON-LABOPHOT- ... 2ebbbf6eab
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NIKON-LAB-LABOP ... 53f24154d1
1st one at $275 is a decent price if the fine and coarse adjustments are smooth.
2nd one @ $355 allows for all 3 movements of subject, i.e., x, y, z.
In all cases with used stands the critical component is the accuracy and smoothness of ther focus blocks - buyer beware.
The Nikon Labophot-2 focus blocks are designed for 1µ - I love mine!
If I was starting out I would buy a used Labophot-2 stand. A quick browse of ebay turned up these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NIKON-LABOPHOT- ... 2ebbbf6eab
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NIKON-LAB-LABOP ... 53f24154d1
1st one at $275 is a decent price if the fine and coarse adjustments are smooth.
2nd one @ $355 allows for all 3 movements of subject, i.e., x, y, z.
In all cases with used stands the critical component is the accuracy and smoothness of ther focus blocks - buyer beware.
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
Thank you both for the comments. Stackshot is way out of my budget at the moment. Microscope stands may be a bit better, but the Nikons seem a bit high $$.
Ebay has this olympus stand listing:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/OLYMPUS-BH-M-BH ... 2577c6c6a1
It's been up for a while. Would it make sense, or is the problem that it does not say how the focus is?
Thanks for your help!
Ebay has this olympus stand listing:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/OLYMPUS-BH-M-BH ... 2577c6c6a1
It's been up for a while. Would it make sense, or is the problem that it does not say how the focus is?
Thanks for your help!
It says they work fine;
"Fine and Course focus are snug and function as they should"
Sounds like a good buy; should be relatively easy to get a stage for it and then you would have a very functional setup.
"Fine and Course focus are snug and function as they should"
Sounds like a good buy; should be relatively easy to get a stage for it and then you would have a very functional setup.
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
thanks. ordered the oly.
Next step is to build a macro rig. I'll probably use MDF and route some t-bolt slots, since I have the knobs and bolts lying around.
I've already seen how much problem vibration is using a tripod to hold my camera bellows lens setups.
One suggestion I have that I have not seen in the forums is to use an IR remote to trigger the camera. It avoids vibration from pushing the shutter button and is easy to do.
It is amazing how easy modern cameras make macro compared to my first days. Recall how hard focusing was? You needed to swap in a new mat focusing screen (had a canon F1 in those days. still do...not that it's worth anything now), an eyepiece magnifier, exposure was tricky, especially with flash (OM-1 was a few years away) and you waited days to see the results.
Next step is to build a macro rig. I'll probably use MDF and route some t-bolt slots, since I have the knobs and bolts lying around.
I've already seen how much problem vibration is using a tripod to hold my camera bellows lens setups.
One suggestion I have that I have not seen in the forums is to use an IR remote to trigger the camera. It avoids vibration from pushing the shutter button and is easy to do.
It is amazing how easy modern cameras make macro compared to my first days. Recall how hard focusing was? You needed to swap in a new mat focusing screen (had a canon F1 in those days. still do...not that it's worth anything now), an eyepiece magnifier, exposure was tricky, especially with flash (OM-1 was a few years away) and you waited days to see the results.