Simple flash diffuser

A forum to ask questions, post setups, and generally discuss anything having to do with photomacrography and photomicroscopy.

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Tony T
Posts: 117
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:08 am

Simple flash diffuser

Post by Tony T »

Image
Image
This is the set-up for the deer fly images HERE
Top photo actual setup; flash hits top window and a small bottom part of the paper tube; white paper tube reflects light in all directions resulting in a shadow-free image. Lens shade is tube of black paper.
Bottom photo shows tube rotated to show gray background.
Camera mounted on RRS stuff.

Charles Krebs
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Location: Issaquah, WA USA
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Post by Charles Krebs »

Tony,

A (slightly belated) welcome to the group! I've come across some of your excellent images a few place around the web as I tried to track down ID's for some of my subjects. Very happy to see you posting here!

Thanks for posting your "set-up". It does indeed provide excellent lighting.

The RRS rails are of interest. They are one of the few focus rails that actually move in increments that are fine enough for some image "stacking". The lead-screw design give you 1.25mm of travel per turn. The Novoflex I use in the field with my macro lenses moves about 15mm with a turn. OK for relatively low magnifications, but other pieces are needed for higher magnification stacking.

I've wondered one thing about the RRS rails...

Do you sometimes find that when used "in the field" with a macro lens at 1:1 or less the lead-screw is actually too "fine" or "slow"? It probably becomes second nature to make the larger "rough in" movements by sliding the rail base in the tripod head clamp.

Charlie

Tony T
Posts: 117
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:08 am

Post by Tony T »

Thanks for the welcome. I find I can move the RRS rail about 1/40th of a turn which gives me increments of about 0.03mm which is adequate for me at present (in the 'lab'). I do find that I have to lock it after each increment otherwise the images are all over the frame. For field work I have to use a tripod, impossible for me to keep focussed in one plane without a tripod. Never have used a rail in the field, usually just slide the camera forward in the ball head or re-focus - never tried multiple shots for stacking. I do have a Kirk rail, it moves 2.5 cm with 1 revolution and it has the knob on the side which I find more convenient than at the end as with the RRS rail.

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

This is an interesting setup, and obviously quite effective.

I've not seen that long horizontal rail before. Is that an RRS piece, or somebody else's?
Tony T wrote:I find I can move the RRS rail about 1/40th of a turn which gives me increments of about 0.03mm which is adequate for me at present (in the 'lab').
Very interesting. I've been feeling bad about the 0.100" thread on my milling table. Pretty coarse in comparison to other tables and racks. But on the upside it has a bigger dial, and I've tweaked the gib screws and lubrication so it's not hard to do about 1/500th of a turn (1/5 of the manufacturer's marked increment). That gives about 0.005 mm, enough to work with a 20X objective with some extra care.

I wonder if just ganging a bigger knob on the RRS rail would give finer control?

--Rik

Tony T
Posts: 117
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:08 am

Post by Tony T »

That long rail is an RRS 28" Camera Bar. It turns the set-up into a single 'optical bench' so that everything vibrates together. RRS also sells a vertical sliding End-Rail that plugs into the end of the Camera Bar. I mount my camera onto this End-Rail and can get good control in this vertical Z-axis for my purposes. I actually don't like the RRS focusing rails but use them as I bought them. I could build a much better setup using some of the parts I have seen in the Edmunds catalogue. I doubt that one could get any finer control over the RRS focussing rail, it works on a single 20 TPI thread and the word "smooth" would be a gross exaggeration. My system is to keep the camera steady and move my subject.

acerola
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Post by acerola »

Maybe I'm a bit out of topic but do you know Bogen / Manfrotto 3419 Micro Positioning Plate ?
I read somewhere that it moves 1.25 mm for a turn. I plan to buy this gear to try picture stacking, to move my subject. What is your opinion?
Péter

augusthouse
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Joined: Sat Sep 16, 2006 1:39 am
Location: New South Wales Australia

Post by augusthouse »

Hi Péter,
You will find that the motion is too 'course' for stacking with this particular unit.

I once owned one of these; but it did not have the usuall precision or build quality of Bogen/ Manfrotto gear.

For stacking you will need 'fine' focus adjustment capabilities.

Craig
To use a classic quote from 'Antz' - "I almost know exactly what I'm doing!"

Tony T
Posts: 117
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:08 am

Post by Tony T »

acerola wrote:Maybe I'm a bit out of topic but do you know Bogen / Manfrotto 3419 Micro Positioning Plate ?
I read somewhere that it moves 1.25 mm for a turn. I plan to buy this gear to try picture stacking, to move my subject. What is your opinion?
Have not used that rail. Have used one from RRS and one from Kirk. They are not really adequate for macro shots.
My new system is much much better
SEE HERE

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