Having done mostly handheld one shot macro and closeup stuff the idea of doing stacks became too tempting so I bought a NiSi NM-180 rail to try out this technique. Being a total noob I became a bit distressed by the amount of sideway + up-down movement by each turn aparently caused by the screw so...
1. Should I expect flawless linear movement with this model?
2. Will the "Allign" command in a stacking software like zerene fix it (5mmish on screen of D610 @ 5x with laova 25mm lens?
Best regards
Søren
Wasted money or...
Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau
Wasted money or...
Offcource I may be wrong
Re: Wasted money or...
Hi, welcome aboard
Take a look at this recent thread
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... 95#p284795
Take a look at this recent thread
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... 95#p284795
Pau
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Re: Wasted money or...
"Flawless" no, but it does seem like you're seeing more than I would expect. Do you know whether the shifts that you're seeing are caused by movement of the carriage with respect to the rail, or movement of the rail with respect to whatever is supporting it? If it's the latter, then carefully gripping and turning the screw handle so as to provide only torque, no lateral force, might help.
Stacking software should be able to correct this amount of shift OK. You'll get degraded strips along some edges of the image, in areas that were outside the frame of some shifted shots. With default settings in Zerene Stacker, that degradation is likely to be "edge streaks", as discussed at https://zerenesystems.com/cms/stacker/d ... hy_is_that .2. Will the "Allign" command in a stacking software like zerene fix it (5mmish on screen of D610 @ 5x with laova 25mm lens?
--Rik
Re: Wasted money or...
Thank you Pau. Will have a lookPau wrote: ↑Fri Oct 28, 2022 3:40 pmHi, welcome aboard
Take a look at this recent thread
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... 95#p284795
Offcource I may be wrong
Re: Wasted money or...
Thank you Rikrjlittlefield wrote: ↑Fri Oct 28, 2022 5:20 pm"Flawless" no, but it does seem like you're seeing more than I would expect. Do you know whether the shifts that you're seeing are caused by movement of the carriage with respect to the rail, or movement of the rail with respect to whatever is supporting it? If it's the latter, then carefully gripping and turning the screw handle so as to provide only torque, no lateral force, might help.
Stacking software should be able to correct this amount of shift OK. You'll get degraded strips along some edges of the image, in areas that were outside the frame of some shifted shots. With default settings in Zerene Stacker, that degradation is likely to be "edge streaks", as discussed at https://zerenesystems.com/cms/stacker/d ... hy_is_that .2. Will the "Allign" command in a stacking software like zerene fix it (5mmish on screen of D610 @ 5x with laova 25mm lens?
--Rik
To me it looks like the spindle is slightly out of alignment, something not perfectly centered. Seems the best solution is working at lower magnifications and crop may also be the best way to learn
Offcource I may be wrong
Re: Wasted money or...
I'd suggest you check to make sure that the lead screw is not bent. Also, that the bearings that hold the lead screw on each end seem to be correct in all respects. Then that the two nuts that move the carriage seem correct in all respects.
I haven't used this company's product, but have seen my share of lead-screw-actuated linear stages--any of these elements can be wrong. This company seems to make nice products, so they likely care about what they sell. If something is wrong, I'd contact the company.
--Chris S.
Re: Wasted money or...
Thank you Chris. I do expect its something along those lines.Chris S. wrote: ↑Sat Oct 29, 2022 9:05 pmI'd suggest you check to make sure that the lead screw is not bent. Also, that the bearings that hold the lead screw on each end seem to be correct in all respects. Then that the two nuts that move the carriage seem correct in all respects.
I haven't used this company's product, but have seen my share of lead-screw-actuated linear stages--any of these elements can be wrong. This company seems to make nice products, so they likely care about what they sell. If something is wrong, I'd contact the company.
--Chris S.
I saw Allan Walls video with Alison Pollack the other day and tried out the internal bracketing feature in my fuji X-T2 (wont work on the 3).
That made me change my focus for now. Though I eventually will do stacks using a rail I will have to reevaluate my needs when it comes to using my Laowas. Spoiler allert, Q's on Vemacro vs Stackshot and the posiblility of using of 180mm ais as tubelens will be incoming
Offcource I may be wrong
Re: Wasted money or...
5mm at 5x means 1mm on subject. Perhaps the angle of the mounting plate changes on the rail as the lead screw goes round. As suggested I'd try to see where the misalignment is and quiz the seller.
Tip - the eccentricity is likely to vary along the rail. You might be best off using it near one end.
(Stackshots aren't perfect either).
Tip - the eccentricity is likely to vary along the rail. You might be best off using it near one end.
(Stackshots aren't perfect either).
Chris R
Re: Wasted money or...
Thanks ChrisChrisR wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 8:54 pm5mm at 5x means 1mm on subject. Perhaps the angle of the mounting plate changes on the rail as the lead screw goes round. As suggested I'd try to see where the misalignment is and quiz the seller.
Tip - the eccentricity is likely to vary along the rail. You might be best off using it near one end.
(Stackshots aren't perfect either).
I suspect youre right. After having done some stacks using the cameras bracketting I found the rail is good for the initial getting the camera in place but Im not patient enough to do 100 shot stacks using the rail anyway so for now Ill be learning with the AF setup and maybe Ill get an automatic rail someday in the future
Offcource I may be wrong