In another thread on this forum http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=1352, Kite asks about homemade equipment. It got me thinking about all the things I have built over the years to aid my photo endeavors. Some things worked and others were studies in frustration.
This apparatus was conceived to solve problems I was having shooting dragonfly larvae in aquariums. Shooting from a tripod was a real pain because active larvae walked or swam out of the frame about the time I got focused. The so-called focusing rails were flimsy and only moved in one plane. The only other positioners I was able to find still only moved in two directions, X and Y, only traveled about 3 inches and were really expensive.
Luckily, the lab I worked at had its own machine shop, so I set out to design and build the ultimate positioner. I wanted movement in all 3 planes (X, Y, Z) and enough travel distance to follow my subject at least 12 inches laterally (X) and 6-8 inches in the Y and Z directions. It took 2 years working on and off in my spare time to complete and it looks like a real monstrosity, but it actually works. It is machined from steel and brass and weighs 25 lbs., so it takes a sturdy tripod. The only parts I had to buy were the gears, knobs and a simple head to mount the camera. My design had to be modified several times to cope with problems I had not thought of. I had to put in lubricated bearings to smooth the movements. The bearings can be tightened so there is no back slip, for example, the camera will not drift down under its own weight. I also added fine caliper scales so I can measure the amount of travel.
A classic case of over-engineering
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A classic case of over-engineering
"You can't build a time machine without weird optics"
Steve Valley - Albany, Oregon
Steve Valley - Albany, Oregon
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Tom, yep that is the result of leaning my tripod against the car and then forgetting it was there. Who would have guessed that Gitzo made their knobs out of shatter prone plastic? At least now I can always find my vice-grips.
"You can't build a time machine without weird optics"
Steve Valley - Albany, Oregon
Steve Valley - Albany, Oregon