How To Build An Automated Rail For Macro Photography for $150
Feb 24, 2017 17:01:35 #
How To Build An Automated Rail For Macro Photography for $150: http://www.diyphotography.net/how-to-build-an-automated-rail-for-crazy-macro-shots/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Diyphotographynet+%28DIYPhotography.net+-+Photography+and+Studio+Lighting%29
Feb 24, 2017 17:14:50 #
Very tempted to try this since I already own the focusing rail, the most expensive part.
Feb 24, 2017 18:35:14 #
I might have been tempted at one time...I do like DIY projects and I already have that Velbon rail. However I would want to use another rail with a finer thread pitch to get to smaller incremental movements.
Feb 24, 2017 23:23:56 #
LoneRangeFinder wrote:
The Velbon Super Magnesium Slider Macro Rail was recommended: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004L5GTSM/diy0c-20 & http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Velbon-4-way-Magnesium-Super-Mag-Slider-Macro-Rail-2-Way-Focusing-Adjuster-/111303652407?ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:CA:1120I would want to use another rail with a finer thread pitch to get to smaller incremental movements.
Within a reasonable price range, which rail do you recommend?
Feb 25, 2017 07:07:58 #
Nikonian72 wrote:
I would use the Velbon. I've been using mine for several years now for manual stacks. It's still very smooth with little or no play. The downside is that it doesn't have a scale to measure length of movement. With a stepper motor like in the DIY you posted, this wouldn't be such an issue. I suppose you could add one. Over time I've developed a feel for how much I turn the knob as in 1/8 turns. My routine is: 2 second shutter delay + cable release + live view. So I click shutter using the release, turn knob on Velbon, click shutter and continue through the stack.... I minimize contact only to move the knob. Using live view allows you to monitor the focus. If you are careful you can zoom in to check focus as you near the end point for the last shot. I've stacked outside with longer shutter durations... up to 1/8 sec. if there's a breeze, I just wait. With live view it's easy to see when it settles. I have a machinist background--and my feeling is that a slider with two rods and the threaded corkscrew is way superior to other constructions that you see on four-way sliders. I also removed the side to side attachment to make the slider a two way. It's a simple process (to me) to make that composition adjustment and then limit the possible movement to forward and back.Within a reasonable price range, which rail do you recommend?
Feb 25, 2017 10:34:49 #
LoneRangeFinder wrote:
This unit will do 1.25 μm steps.I already have that Velbon rail. However I would want to use another rail with a finer thread pitch to get to smaller incremental movements.
Feb 25, 2017 10:48:21 #
rwilson1942 wrote:
I saw that: this may work fine. It's just my personal opinion (and based on my machining experience) that a rail with a finer pitch thread would exhibit less "slop" when stacking high magnification subjects. I believe I've been fairly successful using the Velbon manually. Stepper motors do add vibration. Even the StackShot benefits from some lateral tension to minimize this. UHH memberr MAWYATT recommends a rubber band to add lateral load for high magnification stacks.This unit will do 1.25 μm steps.
Feb 25, 2017 12:04:15 #
I am surprised there isn't already one of these on the market. Cognisys has a motorized stacker, but it is slow. Do you know of a manufacturer that has one on the market, Douglass? I like DYI projects, but I would be a bit reticent to do this one because of the electronics involved.
Feb 25, 2017 13:48:29 #
Bozsik wrote:
The Cognisys StackShot macro rail system is the Mercedes Benz in the focus-stacking world: https://www.cognisys-inc.com/products/stackshot/stackshot.php It is purposefully slow to allow vibrations to dissipate between sequential photographs.I have NO experience with any of these machines, so am requesting experienced focus-stackers to answer this question.Cognisys has a motorized stacker, but it is slow. Do you know of a manufacturer that has one on the market?
Feb 25, 2017 16:28:20 #
In the live demo video he shoots his stacks with the rail moving all the time and uses the flash to 'freeze' each image.
If I remember correctly it is also capable of doing 'step and stop' shots.
If I remember correctly it is also capable of doing 'step and stop' shots.
Feb 25, 2017 19:41:34 #
The StackShot does allow an interval between shots. I think they refer to it a "TSettle". I haven't had mine out in awhile....so I'm rusty on this. Mike Wyatt has done a lot more high magnification stacking. As I recall, he has stacked and stitched individual stacks of 500 images. Of course collecting the images is only a small part of the process. The second aspect is the software. I've used several free programs which I can no longer remember by name. I started out with Helicon Focus and then switched to Zerene, which I feel does a superior job with reducing artifacts.
Feb 25, 2017 23:20:46 #
As mentioned the Stackshot is the Mercedes of stacking rails, very well engineered and a little expensive. It also interfaces directly with Zerene stacking software which is very nice. Two newcomers to the stacking rails are WeMacro and MJKZZ. Both are less expensive than Stackshot, well made and very good value. William at WeMacro has a neat little battery pack for portable field use that uses 3 18650 Li Ion cells, that will run his rail probably longer than any field session one could image. It also runs the Cognisys Stackshot rail system.
Peter at MJKZZ has a kit of adapters with a stepper motor that is designed to work with surplus industrial grade THK KR20 rails: https://tech.thk.com/upload/catalog_claim/pdf/cat_kr_en.pdf.
These are very high performance rail that are very expensive new, but sometimes are available on eBay for under $200 http://www.ebay.com/itm/201537136834?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Peter's kit will convert the KR20 into a modestly priced high precision stacking rail. This is great for DIYers, but you'll still need a controller though. He also has a newly developed precision stacking rail based around this THK KR21 that allows dual axis (up and sideways) movement of the subject and normal focus stacking movement of the camera/lens.
There's lots of great activity and new products in this area, which is great.
A new area some macro/micro folks are getting involved with is called Stack & Stitch. Basically you Stack a number of images and then move the camera/lens or subject and repeat. You do this over and over until you've covered the complete subject area with very high magnification, then you attempt to stitch the stacked images together. This is kind of a Macro Panorama, or Macro version of GigaPan. Peter at MJKZZ has done some incredible insect images that exceed 20,000 pixels on a side, you can dive in and look around the subject. I hope to be able to do some similar images of the silicon chips my colleagues and I design. This is a very difficult task ahead though, and requires extreme precision in all axises, and special custom lens structures that are somewhat telecentric (magnification does not change with subject distance, all incoming rays are parallel and the FOV is the same or less that the first lens diameter), which helps with parallax effects.
So I'm a long way for getting anything useful just yet :>)
Peter at MJKZZ has a kit of adapters with a stepper motor that is designed to work with surplus industrial grade THK KR20 rails: https://tech.thk.com/upload/catalog_claim/pdf/cat_kr_en.pdf.
These are very high performance rail that are very expensive new, but sometimes are available on eBay for under $200 http://www.ebay.com/itm/201537136834?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Peter's kit will convert the KR20 into a modestly priced high precision stacking rail. This is great for DIYers, but you'll still need a controller though. He also has a newly developed precision stacking rail based around this THK KR21 that allows dual axis (up and sideways) movement of the subject and normal focus stacking movement of the camera/lens.
There's lots of great activity and new products in this area, which is great.
A new area some macro/micro folks are getting involved with is called Stack & Stitch. Basically you Stack a number of images and then move the camera/lens or subject and repeat. You do this over and over until you've covered the complete subject area with very high magnification, then you attempt to stitch the stacked images together. This is kind of a Macro Panorama, or Macro version of GigaPan. Peter at MJKZZ has done some incredible insect images that exceed 20,000 pixels on a side, you can dive in and look around the subject. I hope to be able to do some similar images of the silicon chips my colleagues and I design. This is a very difficult task ahead though, and requires extreme precision in all axises, and special custom lens structures that are somewhat telecentric (magnification does not change with subject distance, all incoming rays are parallel and the FOV is the same or less that the first lens diameter), which helps with parallax effects.
So I'm a long way for getting anything useful just yet :>)
Feb 26, 2017 00:17:36 #
Feb 26, 2017 09:18:53 #
Allen, You are welcome sir!!
If you look closely at the THK rails, they are extremely well made and precisely engineered. I believe these were used in semiconductor fabrication equipment, thus the precision. I have two on the way from the site mentioned to help begin my Stack & Stitch efforts.
If you look closely at the THK rails, they are extremely well made and precisely engineered. I believe these were used in semiconductor fabrication equipment, thus the precision. I have two on the way from the site mentioned to help begin my Stack & Stitch efforts.
Feb 26, 2017 09:25:08 #
mawyatt wrote:
I will look at those. Never can have too many rails. If you look closely at the THK rails, they are extremely well made and precisely engineered.
Here is an excellent summary by Johan Ingles-le Nobel at extreme-macro.co.uk on macro rails: http://extreme-macro.co.uk/extreme-macro-stages
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