Focusing rail for field work

Have questions about the equipment used for macro- or micro- photography? Post those questions in this forum.

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Stephane Savard
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Post by Stephane Savard »

Looking at the Velbon website, I notice that the total length of the rail might be a problem since my working distance is less than 2 inches with the reversed lenses.

AndrewC
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Post by AndrewC »

What about the RRS rail ? I've got one, I like it for low mag work. Nice feature is that you can unlock the carriage from the screw and quickly make coarse adjustments. But it is RRS for whom people have long searched for a shorter acronym than "Really Really nice but lots of dollarS"

I fitted a larger knob on one end to make it easier to adjust.
rgds, Andrew

"Is that an accurate dictionary ? Charlie Eppes

Stephane Savard
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Location: Canada

Post by Stephane Savard »

AndrewC; the intended purpose is to find a rail that will cost me less than 300$ CAD once everything is paid for.

So far this is the reason for not just buying the Novoflex L rack; even supposing I simply bought a knob style quick release for my RRS ballhead, and then putting my current levelrstyle clamp on top of the rack, it would still be around 450$ shipped.

Also, one bit I don't like with the RRS rail is that the quick release clamp on it can only be fitted horizontally; if I wanted to later install a macro lens with a tripod foot (i.e. the 200mm micro-nikkor), I would need to get another quick release clamp and an adapter. ouch.

Too bad, 'cause owning a BH-55 ballhead, I can say that that the RRStuff is absolutely RRGood!

Charles Krebs
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Post by Charles Krebs »

Looking at the Velbon website, I notice that the total length of the rail might be a problem since my working distance is less than 2 inches with the reversed lenses
Yes, that's a problem with this style of rail (fixed camera platform one end). It's one reason I asked what you are using in regards to camera/lens. This would also eliminate another nicely made rail I sometimes recommend, an older Pentax model (see eBay item 300389308896)

Here again, I have no idea what this item is like, but it's very inexpensive... eBay 200431137309. It looks like a better bet than the common "4 way" Chinese rails. You could even tear off the rubber, attach a long AS rail to the top, flip it over and put a AS clamp on the platform and use it upside down! :wink:

AndrewC
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Post by AndrewC »

Have you looked at a Novoflex Castel mini, I've got one built into something else somewhere. Surprisingly solid and smooth.

http://www.adorama.com/NVFRM.html

mind you, by the time you add an A-S clamp for the top and plate for the bottom you might have broken your budget again. There are cheap A-S clamps out there: look at eBay 370317967012
rgds, Andrew

"Is that an accurate dictionary ? Charlie Eppes

Stephane Savard
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2010 7:33 am
Location: Canada

Post by Stephane Savard »

Hmm, that cheap ebay rail is interesting; they offer free shipping to Canada, and at that price, it's not much lost if it ends up being completely useless. heh.

I've been eyeing that Novoflex Mini. And, I can get it cheaper here in Canada; 225$ with 10$ shipping and only 5% taxes, and with a low cost clamp and a small plate, it should not go too much higher than my budget; but still, it's only 75$ more to the L rack.. sigh.

I wish they sold Novoflexes locally; I would bring my ball head and try the various L racks for fit; apparently with the lever style RRS clamp, it's not a sure thing that a AS style rail won't work, has to do with tolerances.

Have any of you had this much trouble choosing the right focusing rail?!

augusthouse
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Post by augusthouse »

Stephane wrote:
Have any of you had this much trouble choosing the right focusing rail?!
Yes!
I once owned a Manfrotto but was significantly unimpressed. I have a Novoflex Castel L; but I'm not completely happy with that either.

I'm intending to buy the StackShot Auto; but would still like to convert one of my Velmex Unislides, like the one in David's post. Link below.

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... ght=velmex

Craig
To use a classic quote from 'Antz' - "I almost know exactly what I'm doing!"

Charles Krebs
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Post by Charles Krebs »

Stephane,

I have the Novoflex Castel L and I do have a RRS lever clamp. It definitely does not lock sufficiently. Don't know if there is enough sample variation to find one that locks adequately.

If I were to consider the smaller (non-Arca base) Novoflex I would greatly prefer the older style, such as seen in ebay auctions 160397120860 and 400096448707. It's well made (I have two of them). It will have a much lower profile when an AS plate and clamp are added. The newer style Novoflex Castel Mini with the platform and 4 rails would be a tall "sandwich" (when plate and clamp are added), and certainly less stable.
The older 2 rail style has a fixed platform like we discussed earlier, but it is short enough that when a body with a reversed lens is attached you should have no problem with working clearance. (I would expect the end of the lens to extend farther than the base of the rail).
Have any of you had this much trouble choosing the right focusing rail?
Unfortunately focusing rails (and nice ballheads) have been like an addiction for me for a long time... hard to pass up trying them out. :? (I've been pretty good about it in recent years however). Keep in mind that if you really get into high magnifications (above 5X) the "right" rail will be different from one that works best with a "macro" lens that goes to 1:1 (or somewhat higher with some add-ons).

I did just fall off the wagon a little... I ordered one of those $28 Chinese rails I mentioned earlier :roll:. If you want to wait a while I'll give my impressions after I get it.

AndrewC
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Post by AndrewC »

Stephane Savard wrote:...

Have any of you had this much trouble choosing the right focusing rail?!
:) My bête noire used to be ball heads but I haven't bought one for ages - though everytime I see a Novoflex Magicball I start salivating and twitching ....

Andrew

Stephane Savard
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Location: Canada

Post by Stephane Savard »

Thanks Charles, I might wait and see what you think about the 28$ rail.. however I'm seriously considering bidding on the first Novoflex vintage rail you posted. We'll see tomorrow evening when the auction ends.

Stephane Savard
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Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2010 7:33 am
Location: Canada

Post by Stephane Savard »

Well, turns out someone was willing to pay more for that Novoflex rail than I. So I wait for a mini-review on the Chinese cheap rail...

DQE
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Kirk focusing rails

Post by DQE »

I would like to add another alternative brand of rails to this thread, just in case it happens to be relevant to someone's needs.

I have a pair of Kirk FR-1 focusing rails, used up to 5x magnification.

I bought this brand of rails instead of the RRS or Novoflex rails since the Kirk rails provide a screw-tightening quick release with instant 90 degree rotation of the quick release so that one can quickly switch from using a lens collar plate to using a camera plate. As others mentioned, these plates are oriented 90 degrees apart - a lens plate is parallel with the lens axis of symmetry, and a camera plate is perpendicular to this lens axis.

I find that these rails have no apparent slop when locked or unlocked and that their position adjustment knob is reasonably smooth as perceived by one's fingers as well as in the viewfinder. Obviously, it doesn't compete with a good microscope's fine focus adjustment but for 5x macro I have no complaints.

Unfortunately, the price of a pair of new Kirk x-y rails is over $500, but from memory and according to Kirk's web page photos, a quick-release is included in that price.

http://www.kirkphoto.com/Focusing_Rail_FR-1.html#

I have no experience with the Novoflex rails, but from their reputation, I'm sure they would be fine.

I only use screw-tightening quick releases in order to avoid the looseness that comes when using lever-tightening quick releases with some Arca-type plates. The screw-tightening style of quick release is very quick to use, and very secure in a wide variety of camera plates as far as I know.

I seems like the "which rails should I buy" question comes up a lot in macro forums. I bought my Kirk rails at a very early stage of my own learning curve in macro photography and have not used them nearly as much as I thought I would - I quickly became especially interested in field macro photography of various bugs and they don't sit still for long enough to set up a rail/tripod system.

I also learned from Lord V's tutorials how to brace my body and camera enough to take hand held photos of active bugs. Usually I can find some body part or a nearby lawn chair or a monopod/bean pole to brace the camera against, eliminating most of the camera vibration/motion. The very short flash duration used for most of my macro photos takes care of the rest, on good days.

I hope my comments are helpful.
-Phil

"Diffraction never sleeps"

Stephane Savard
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2010 7:33 am
Location: Canada

Post by Stephane Savard »

I haven't been posting much lately, especially since my vacation is over, I'm back in Canada where there are no bugs nor flowers at this time of the year :)

However, I'll see if I can post an image what I ended up buying - I took Charles' recommendation of the vintage Novoflex rail, to which I added an arca-compatible quick release clamp and rail (from Hejnar Photo on ebay). I'm liking the result!

As an aside, Hejnar Photo claims that his arca rails are compatible with Really Right Stuff level release clamps, and it's true, works fine with my clamp! Nice to have a much cheaper alternative for these rails, and even though Hejnar's rails are not as nicely finished as the RRS rails (not as rounded, and the finish seems to scratch more easily), they are still quite good and I'm rather satisfied with them.

augusthouse
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Location: New South Wales Australia

Post by augusthouse »

I also have some Hejnar clamps and rails.

One odd thing about the clamp - it may be an isolated case - but it does not lock onto the base of a Novoflex Castel-L, though the Kirk clamp I own does? The Hejnar clamp is compatible with all the other AS rails I currently own; but not the Novoflex Castel-L......

Craig
To use a classic quote from 'Antz' - "I almost know exactly what I'm doing!"

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