Macro Focusing Slide Rail

[Clickclock]

Re: Macro Focusing Slide Rail

I have a very similar gadget and thought I was a bit nerdy buying it, but it's actually very useful for focus stacking as Colin has said and for making tiny positional adjustments to get the best angle on subjects. You just can't move the legs of your tripod accurately enough! Of course it's only useful if you know your subject is going to sit still while you fiddle about.

[Sarawak]

Re: Macro Focusing Slide Rail

Can I ask a girlie question, please? How do you fix the slider mechanism onto the rail arrangement? We've puzzled over this before and haven't come up with a good answer. The thread is (I think) 1/8th of an inch, so we'll have to search e-bay, but won't some sort of knurled nut be needed to allow the two items to be tightened together? I hope you can help me - again!

[Dave_S]

Re: Macro Focusing Slide Rail

Sara, on the underside of the 4 Way slider, is a threaded hole, which is the same size and thread as that which you have on the base of your camera, as such you could mount the 4 Way Slider on top of your tripod if you so wished

I believe that the thread is 1/4" UNC, and so you could use a suitable length bolt, to pass through the rail, and secure the slider to it.

In Ian's case, where he used larger square tubing, he milled (cut) slots into the sides of the rail to enable him pass a suitable length bolt (probably off an old tripod?), through a single face of the square tubing, and into the base of the 4 Way Slider. Ian has also cut a slot in the top face of the rail, to allow the whole of the 4 Way Slider to move back and forth as required. I will drill a series of holes in my mounting rail, to enable me to move the whole 4 Way Slider forward if I need to.

As I am using 16mm square tube, I used a longer than usual tripod to camera securing bolt, with a thumbwheel attached. The length of the bolt is 25mm, which when passed right through the 16mm tube, has 9mm of thread showing on the top of the rail, This then screws into the base of the 4 Way Slider, in that same way as you were mounting it on a tripod.

You could use any suitable bolt, but it must not be too long, or it will go too far into the 4 Way Slider, and jam against the slider, preventing in from moving.

Dave

[Coryman]

Re: Macro Focusing Slide Rail

Dave, Good old fashioned marking out, hacksaw and hand drill. The centre column for the MkIII will be all done on a precision milling machine, mainly to see how long it actually takes. Then if I do make any (to order) I will know what price to quote.

Ian

[Dave_S]

Re: Macro Focusing Slide Rail

The 'mark' of a good old fashioned engineer Ian!!

I reckon there is a good market for these Ian, and I think you could get plenty of orders. There isn't anything like it on the market, at least not that I know of. I wish you the best of luck with the venture, should you decide to pursue it.

Sara, below are a couple of pictures showing the bolt I used for mounting the slider unit to the rail, and a picture of the underside of the slider unit, showing the threaded mounting hole.

Hope this helps.

Dave

[Sarawak]

Re: Macro Focusing Slide Rail

That is very useful, thank you. Can I ask where you got the bolt from? I presume this was on line somewhere, so a link would be most helpful.

[Dave_S]

Re: Macro Focusing Slide Rail

It was part of multi positional attachment for 'piggy-backing' a camera on an astronomical telescope, so that the camera would then track the movement of stars across the sky, or more correctly the Earth's rotation.

Something I bought several years ago, but never used, so I was quite happy to take it apart and remove the thumbwheel fitted bolt, for this project.

Its exactly the same as those that are to be found on a photographic tripod, except that this one is longer.

Any 1/4" UNC bolt would do.

Unfortunately, most all DiY stores only sell metric nuts and bolts now, so you would need go to an engineering supplies retailer.

I use these people whenever I need something imperial with a UNC or UNF, or Whitworth thread etc:

http://www.suffolkfasteners.com/

but a decent ironmongers store would likely be able to provide something suitable.

Dave

[Coryman]

Re: Macro Focusing Slide Rail

1/4 UNC & 1/4 Whit are the same thread pitch, but because of the thread angle the 1/4 Whitworth male thread will fit a 1/4 UNC easily but will be a little tight the other way round.

I have found this company http://www.wdsltd.co.uk/product/4723...al-bsw-wds-605

Not the cheapest, but imperial fitting are not so easy to get these days. You could look to the USA where UNC is standard, but you would need to buy a set number and have shipping cost on top.

[Sarawak]

Re: Macro Focusing Slide Rail

Thank you guys for all your help and advice.

As you may guess I'm not the most practical of people. Hubby is little better than a bodger. My brother in law is good with his hands (sorry!), but mainly with wood.

Before I start stamping my foot at the family can I ask if there's any possibilty of Coryman constructing one of these rigs for me. We will all be using it, but I seem to be the admin centre of our little group!

[Coryman]

Re: Macro Focusing Slide Rail

Sarawak,
I have plans for making a new version over the next few weeks and will see if I have enough material for two. I do have a second 4 way slide rail so it will be down to the basic materials. I will keep you posted.

[Sarawak]

Re: Macro Focusing Slide Rail

Thank you very much.

[Dave_S]

Re: Macro Focusing Slide Rail

The LED lamp that I ordered via e-bay, arrived this morning, and I have to say that for £11.24 inc postage, I'm impressed.

It is very bright at full intensity, but this is fully variable using the adjustment potentiometer (thumbwheel). Ideal for video use if required.

It also has a 'hot-shoe' mount with locking wheel.

Three diffusers are provided, one neutral, one orange, and one magenta.

However, there is now a major 'fly in the ointment', in that I paid £11.24, and when I looked this morning, with a view to buying another, the price had risen to £51.24. There was a note saying that this advert had been amended buy the seller.

Needless to say, I didn't order another.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140947847485

Dave

[Dave_S]

Re: Macro Focusing Slide Rail

Build Stage 1:

The basic construction is now complete, and I now need to see what is necessary for the lighting arrangement.

The picture 2 shows the 5D attached to the 4 Way Slide rail, and the LED lamp fitted to the 'hot-shoe'.

I need to see if the lens barrel casts a shadow on the subject, especially when close in. If it does, then I will mount the light off to the side, as Ian has done, and add a second lamp to the setup.

Alternatively, I will see what results I get with the Ring-Flash.

Total cost to date (ignoring the ring flash of course) £33.

I have to thank Ian for showing us his design, and prompting me to have a go at making something along similar lines. Not as professional looking as Ian's build, but it will do the job.

Apologies for the quality of the pictures, they were taken with a 12 year old 6MP compact.

Dave