Macro focussing rail question (UK)

[Skonk]

I have no experience with these but since I got my MP-E 65mm it's become apparent that one would be useful.

Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations as to which are good and where someone from the UK such as myself can aquire one ? :)

The tripod I use currently is a manftotto 190x ProB; so something compatible with this would be great.

Cheers.

Jim.

[Greg_C]

Hi Jim,

I had a Manfrotto 454 Macro Slide plate but found I never used it that much with my regular macro lenses and not at all with my MP-E 65. Do a test for me.... put the collar on the MP-E 65 and attach it to your gripped 40D. If you turn it sideways you'll notice the bottom of the lens collar doesn't go lower than the bottom of the grip, therefore you can't mount a single slide plate orientated for a forwards/backwards adjustment. You could (I think - never had another to properly test this) use two connected at 90deg, this gets expensive but is the ultimate in adjustment.

Hope this helps.

[Skonk]

Yeh thats a good point actually.

The gip also gets in the way when mounting my 100-400mm to my tripod, have to either mount the lens only (without the camera attached) and then fit the camera once the lens is mounted, or mount it without the grip and add the grip after.

Due to the quick-release leaver getting in the way.

I'l have to have a think about it, thanks for the reply :)

[Greg_C]

Tip for the 100-400, I had the same problem but would put the RC2 plate onto the lens reversed and then reverse the ball head around also. It's a bit awkward putting things on this way but it works as the quick release leaver doesn't foul on the bottom of the grip.

I switched to Arca Swiss plates and a RRS ball head late last year to no longer have this issue. Hence the sale of the slide plate also.

[Skonk]

I use a Manfrotto 460Mg at the mo which doesn't really allow for mounting in reversed.

Doesn't hold much weight but it's enough for the lenses I have at the mo, altho the MP-E fully extended with the MT-24 that just arrived this morning (I'm soooo happy) is getting there.

*trots out to the garden to test the new flash*

[Greg_C]

ahhh! I had a 488RC2.

Have fun with the MT-24, great addition to your macro kit. Did you pick up the adapter ring to put it on your Sigma 105?

[Skonk]

Nah, I'd got myself an MP-E 65mm last week thinking I'd be happy enough using my 580EX flash with it; and while I had some success with that combo I was finding it a bit fiddly using the flash bracket I had (Delta Flip Flash, after a few uses it got too slack and droopy).

So I bit the bullet and got the MT-24.

I've lent my Sigma 105mm and 1000D to a friend of mine who after being shown the macro gallery here on this forum a few days ago, suddenly got very interested in photography :)

EDIT: I say "my" Sigma 105mm and 1000D but they both actually belong to the place I work and I've er.. "Long term borrowed" them lets say. Mainly because I wanted to use the 18-55mm IS kit lens that came with the 1000D.