8/19/2023 0 Comments Helicon photo stacking softwareFor coarse adjustments, the rail can slide in a loosened clamp on the tripod, or the nut can be disengaged and the camera mount moved. Even at 1:4, typical for flowers and small objects, it is easier to focus using the screw than the lens itself. The RRS rail is ideally suited for fine focusing at 1:2 magnification or greater. For larger objects, like match box cars, it is easy to use the rack-and-pinion for focus stacking in intervals of 2 mm or more. At closer range, it is increasingly difficult to tweak the knob gently enough for fine focus, and focusing the lens becomes problematic too. The movement is precise enough to focus at low magnification and coarse enough to facilitate focus stacking in that application. The Novoflex, with its rack-and-pinion movement, is best suited to macro photography, like items for sale on eBay or insurance documentation, typically less than 1:2 magnification. The rack-and-pinion motion is about 25 mm per revolution, but cannot be disconnected for rough adjustments. The assembly is a little over 7" long and has a 14" total range of travel. The moveable plate is available with a tripod screw or an Arca style clamp. The Novoflex Castel-Q is similar, with a top plate top moves with a rack-and-pinion and a full length Arca bevel on the bottom edge. The total range of travel, is a little over 10". The bottom of the rail has a full length Arca style bevel, and a lever type Arca clamp on the moveable table. The RRS has a screw thread (1.25 mm pitch) with a half-nut, which can be disconnected for quick settings. It works well for a small camera like an F3 or a Sony A7, but is marginal for a D100 and useless for any camera with a built-in grip. I have an old rack-and-pinion focusing rail from Nikon, which attaches to the camera via a 1/4-20 tripod socket. Both can be attached to a tripod with a single screw, but the useable range of adjustments is cut in half that way. Both are relatively thin, and fit easily into a pocket in a bag or backpack. I chose the RRS device because it can handle both fine and coarse adjustments, whereas the Novoflex is coarse and coarser. I use Arca type QR exclusively because it is secure and rigid, even when components are stacked, and the plates fit the camera or lens and cannot rotate. My search boiled down to a choice between the B150 and a Novoflex Castel-Q focusing rail. I recently purchased an RRS B150-B focusing rail.
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