Canon 65mm MP-E Lighting Mount

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nucleobyte
Posts: 51
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2010 8:00 pm
Location: Virginia, USA

Canon 65mm MP-E Lighting Mount

Post by nucleobyte »

I've been looking for a way to mount alternative lighting and diffusion on the working end of the 65mm MP-E. The canon macro flashes have an adaptor that clips onto a groove on the external circumference so that filters and the custom lens shade can still be used. The mechanism of the canon adaptor has several small plastic tabs that fit in the groove. So far this has worked quite well for light flash heads, but I have been looking for something stronger and less prone to rotation to secure a diffuser.

I found some old Fernco (brand) couplings for plumbing repairs in the shop and it looked like they would work. As it turns out, the couplings work almost perfectly. Here is an unmodified end cap. (They also make end-to-end couplings which would possibly provide two connectors.)

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I cut off the end of the cap to make a ring. There were two beads on the inside of the ring, I trimmed one off with a sharp knife, the other fits into the MP-E's mounting groove making the connector even more secure!

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The 2" nominal size (also marked 56 - 79 mm on the band) Fernco fits perfectly onto the MP-E which has an exterior diameter of 63mm. The band clamp can be tightened with a screwdriver, nut driver, or a coin. Holes can be drilled in the band to mount lighting gear but for now I'm just clamping things on with the band itself.


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Best of all, the clamp provides a shock-resistant stainless steel protector for the end of the lens for those of us who tend to stick the end of the lens in the mud/dirt/gravel, etc. a lot

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