Camera house for stacking

[AlxndrBrg]

Hello all!

First post on this forum, hopefully I havent missed anything obvious. I did a search for similar threads before posting this, but I couldnt really find anything, was a bit hard to narrow it down to the appropriate posts.

Aaaanyway:

I'm in the market for a new camera house for my stacking rig, as my old, neglected, Nikon D70 is proving to be the largest obstacle to getting good results. The sensor is embarrassingly dirty (http://www.flickr.com/photos/69669232@N ... 9622425125) and the vibrations induced by the mirror which cant be delayed nor shut off completely is also a problem. Not having live-view doesnt help either.

Here's some test photographs I've shot with my current setup: http://www.flickr.com/photos/69669232@N ... 622425125/

(equipment: Nikon D70, Pentacon bellows, Componon-S 50mm f2.8, Proxxon KT-70 microstage)

So, I was thinking of buying a new house, and thought it might as well be a Canon, as it opens up for getting a MP-E sometime in the future. I dont care that my Nikon lenses and adapters wont work, I'll just buy a new Canon bayonett to M42 adapter for the bellows. My current plans is to only do indoor "studio" stacking, so outdoor work doesnt have to be considered really.
What would you suggest? My budget is somewhere around 400-1500€ (560-2100 buckaroos for the ones across the pond) range, and if possible I would like it to include the following functions:
1) Permanent mirror lockup when stacking, or at least mirror delay, to reduce vibrations.
2) Live view.
3) Tethering via USB to my computer to shorten the post-exposure work time.
4) If possible in this price range, a larger sensor size.

It doesnt have to be the absolutely newest models, anything that fits the above conditions and is still in production goes.

Thanks in advance,
/Alex

[Pau]

I'm not aware of the prices in you country, but within the options you say:

FF:
6D, may be you could still find a new 5DMkII at reduced price, not in production but still excellent

APSC: 7D.
60D has mirror Lock Up but induces vibration in live view. I've not info about the new 70 behavoir, after the vibration issues I discovered with the 60D I would like to get info about it or to test it with return privilege

550-650D series have good vibration free EFSC but not complete mirror LU (the mirror needs to cycle after the picture but they are equally valid for vibration free work, many memberes use them. (with flash it needs to cycle also before the picture)

[AlxndrBrg]

Thanks for your suggestions Pau! Much appreciated

I'm wondering if not FF is the way to go, when it also offers good mirror control - something that is very good to have when stacking at higher (say 6:1 and above) magnifications, which I'm sure I want to get down too sooner or later.

/Alex

[rjlittlefield]

Alex, I notice that you keep saying "good mirror control". This makes me suspect that you don't understand quite what a wonderful feature the Canon EFSC really is.

When the camera is in live view the mirror is up and the mechanical shutter is open. This is the same as on Nikon.

On Nikon, taking a picture then results in lots of mechanical movement just before the exposure starts.

But on Canon, when you take a picture in live view mode, nothing moves before the picture is taken. Instead, the exposure is begun electronically (EFSC = Electronic First Shutter Curtain). This results in hugely less vibration, effectively none at all.

--Rik

[ChrisR]

Just to point out the obvious, - Which 6x?
6mm field width or 3.5mm?
We al DO use magnification, but subject size is what matters.

If you read, you know, the odd few hundred posts, you'll glean that it can be hard to cover 24 x 36 as you go closer.
The Canon MPE-65 is a wonderful thing if you can stretch the budget at some point, and the 36mm width coverage at 1:1 is good for a lot of typical subjects, but when you go small, say around 20x, you'll have much trouble filling the frame with sharp detail, because convenient optics aren't available.
There's a few particular objectives which provide solutions, always with a "but".

Your enlarger lens will give better results on full frame because it covers it, but it's not the sharpest lens for the job. The best lenses tend to only cover a smaller sensor well.

[AlxndrBrg]

Thanks for the input! I'm still a newbie when it comes to stacking, and I havent really used advanced DLSR's features before either.

Yeah - I guessed that the larger sensors loose usefulness as you go more extreme on the magnification (and by magnification I refer to "subject on sensor size" ie mag x4 is 4:1), at least with less advanced optics.

Is it also possible to run a 6D or 5D directly from my computer via USB? perhaps even without batteries?

/Alex

[Pau]

Yeah - I guessed that the larger sensors loose usefulness as you go more extreme on the magnification (and by magnification I refer to "subject on sensor size" ie mag x4 is 4:1), at least with less advanced optics.

Not allways, but for direct projection on sensor with finite microscope objectives or for infinite objectives with its rated tube lens focal lengh often APSC is better because microscope objectives are designied to form a quality image circle with a diameter between 18 and 26mm. But some ones cover FF with high quality and no vignette, in that few cases FF could be superior. With normal macro leses I would prefer FF. In any case today APSC sensors are very good. I don't see the need to switch to FF for my amateur work.
Again magnification is not that important, what really matters are resolution, contrast and field size at the subject side.

Is it also possible to run a 6D or 5D directly from my computer via USB? perhaps even without batteries?

Yes, you can see the live image at your monitor and control many of the most important camera setting from the computer. The software to do it is bundeld (or free downloaded) with any Canon EOS.
But the camera doesn't feed energy trough USB, in fact it runs out the battery pretty quickly when tethered, a second battery is allways a good idea.

NOTE: the old 5D doesn't support live view nor computer control. This is present in 5DmkII and 5DMkIII.

[nielsgeode]

Thanks for the input! I'm still a newbie when it comes to stacking, and I havent really used advanced DLSR's features before either.

Yeah - I guessed that the larger sensors loose usefulness as you go more extreme on the magnification (and by magnification I refer to "subject on sensor size" ie mag x4 is 4:1), at least with less advanced optics.

Is it also possible to run a 6D or 5D directly from my computer via USB? perhaps even without batteries?

/Alex

For almost all Canon EOS cameras is a wall socket adapter available, so you replace the battery by an adapter and plug it directly into the wall I always use it and it works perfect (except when updating firmware, because I'm afraid of a power failure during update )