Focusing Hardware - selecting the right macro focus rail 

I came back to this video after your 2 "Going Deep" videos. I won´t go into "Going Deep" before I have the focus rail clear. We´ll see! Thanks for your videos.

I just started looking into macro photography and this has very informative. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

Very helpful video, and I appreciate your attention to price. It’s an important factor for most of us.

I really appreciate the wealth of your macro photography knowledge. Thank you for sharing. Macro is something that can help us get through the Coronovirus threat

Amazing review. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge

Another excellent and informative video. Thanks Allan!

Thanks Allan. A very interesting and informative video.

Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us!

Another informative video Allan. Great work mate. Can't wait to see your slider video. Greg.

Thanks for the video Allan. I have changed my mind on which macro rail to purchase over 100 times. About 10 of those have been for the manfrotto you mentioned. I was looking at a few other nore expensive options but the manfrotto seems to be a good option for the price. Especially if I don't really get into macro photography. Thanks for your insight. I subscribed to your channel and I look forward to learning more from you. Make it a great day.

I very much enjoy your videos so very much. I'm fairly new to macro and despite watching most of your videos I have not heard you mention the best way to securely mount the rail so it is solid yet portable. In your lighting cage DYI video you did show a block of wood but I wasn't sure how the rail is attached or, for that matter, if that is the best approach for rail mounting. You seem to be very busy and must spend countless hours answering questions and I am sure all your comments and responses to your views are appreciated. If there is a way to address this rail mounting question, it would be deeply appreciated as well. Best and thanks again for your time and effort in providing such useful & informative content.

Thank you very much for your efforts to convey this useful information

Thanks Allan, i like your channel, you talk about practical things in photography without selling something, like the others :) good job ! :)

Hi Allan, I agree totally with you about the Cognisys rail which I have used for a couple of years now. When I first started stacking images of Bryophytes I saw a rig that Des Callaghan in the UK had put together where he had linked the fine focus knob on a microscope to some gears and a motor.This produced excellent results. I am not an engineer and had no idea how to do what Des did. Just recently I discovered that Wemacro are actually marketing a stacking device which does exactly what Des did some years back. I now have one and have used it quite a few times. It is very impressive and easy to use. The. bluetooth software is free and very easy to use. It works on a phone, pad or laptop, including Macs. I have since purchased one of their rails to try. The Wemacro product quality seems very good and their prices are more competitive than Cognisys. I continue to use my Cognisys but am looking forward ti trying the Wemacro when I have gathered all the bits and pieces you have recommended together. Barry

Thank you Alan. I love your videos. Your open and relaxed technique makes it easy to learn. You share your extensive knowledge and experience so very clearly. Well done. I have a slider that I have fitted a stepper motor to it. I asked the local high school robotics club to write some Arduino code for me but after 2 years waiting I am going to have to do it myself. I have purchased kit and am up to learning to write the code and build the controller. Please share your project with us. I am particularly interested in the code and circuit. If I can get up and going am happy to share any experiences. From lock down here “Down Under” in Adelaide South Australia a big thank you for what you do.

Please put me down as one interested in your handmade slider project video. I enjoy building your projects such as the light cage for one. I did build the cage and it is an excellent project for the handy person. I built mine over a single weekend. The time it took to build it was mostly spent sourcing and purchasing the items I didn't already have. So, with that said thanks for all you have done to ignite in me the spark of fun and enjoyment you have given me. I have my orange and onion ready to go! Thanks so much, Sir Allen:)

And love the videos Alan! Thanks so much!

Great Series Allan! Re: your comments on the WeMacro rail - while it does have facility to to use Bluetooth via your phone (& my experience is it works 100% of the time) - you haven't mentioned that it also uses a cable direct to to PC/camera as a standard option as well. So compared to the likes of the expensive Stackshot, I found the WeMacro to be a great piece of kit that does a superb job...

I very much appreciate some honest criticism. It helps me better evaluate products. Thank you Allan.

Thank You for the great review!

Good information per usual Allan. I use a Wemacro rail cabled to my laptop. The Bluetooth allows use in the field with the battery pack if you don't want to bring a laptop.

I’ve had no complaints with the Stack Shot. Been using for about 10 years, with just one minor issue...just recently in fact. Had to replace the cable that controls the motor, but that’s it. The controller is a bit dated and probably could be improved but as for functionally, it’s perfectly fine. With Zerene Stacker, a simple interface program makes the combination well worth the investment. The Manfrotto is a great bang for the buck...I used it prior to the Shot Shot.

An orange and an onion... I can do that. Thank God you did not ask me to buy a roll of toilet paper and a bottle of hand sanitizer. I appreciate the advice on the focus rail. I bought a cheap Neewer rail for the macro cage project, which works fine, but I have noticed exactly the points you brought up about the creep that can happen when trying to make very small adjustments. I will keep the Manfrotto 454 in mind. It is sitting in my Amazon cart now, so I will look at it there so I can hit "buy now" as soon as I get frustrated with the rail I have again. As always, your videos are enjoyable and helpful. Stay healthy my friend. Also, I would love to see the video explaining how to motorize a rail. That would be interesting.

Hi Allan I have been using the cognysis stack shot at my work and can say that it is working superb. I have used it where i had to take up to 150-200 photos, and then stacked them with Helicon focus ;o))

Excellent videos as always Allan, While the Stackshot is the Rolls-Royce for focus stacking, so far I've been using Helicon Remote on a tablet WIFI to my Canon 80D with good success in the field. While I haven't figured out the the actual unit distance of the focusing ring (automated by Helicon Remote), I can calibrate it with the software and if necessary double the number of increments to ensure no slice if missing during stacking with Zerene Stacker - my go-to stacking software. Seeds, flowers, etc... down to 1-2 mm stack well with up to 150 frames, possibly more. Will look at Stackshot sometime in the future. Looking forward to your future videos!

Great, Alan.

Very interested in your rail project Allan. I'm just about to start one myself. Great video. The first rail you demonstrated is really better used to align the camera for panorama's. I use the bellows.

I use an Edelkrone SliderONE v2 for automated focus stacking. It's meant to be a slider and used for video/timelapse but you can set it to automatically take a certain number of shots over a very small distance and it works well. You set the shot up with a phone/ipad but it's not needed during the shooting.

Thank you for review

Hi Allan I am learning so much from your videos. I would like to see videos on your motorized slider project. Thank you so much for the effort you put into your videos.

For what it's worth, I just bought a SWEBO LS-001, Lead Screw Macro Focusing, Accuracy 0.01 mm by SWEBO and it is terrific!! The price is way high at $179 but maybe that is deserved. I have not compared it with any other manual sliders.

Thanks Allan for sharing your knowledge and your video's, btw the automated rail of wemacro has also software for an computer and it is simple and it works fine. greetings from Holland

Thanks so much for this content. I am in the process of deciding on a Focus Rail for my macro set up. I'm shooting the Canon sR5 with the Canon 65MPE lens. Your content is fun and useful. I've pretty much decided on the Manfrotto rail but the motorized rail intrigues me.

Great video. I ended up going for a Velbon Super Mag Slider instead of the Manfrotto. It's a bit more expensive, but also feels easier to control than the Manfrotto.

Thank you.....great review.

I've had my StackShot for about 7 years now. You are right, I paid too much for it, but it sure is nice. I need to get the Arcaswiss adapter for it though. It is a pain having to screw the camera down every time you use it. I also use HeliconRemote sometimes for focus stacking. It will change the focus ring on your camera without having to touch the camera. Thanks again Allan, I sure do enjoy your videos.

Thanks for a good review. My first rail I bought was the Manfrotto rail, hated it. Every lock down (brass knob) resulted in serious movement. I eventually bought a china version from Ali Express, love it. I have been thinking of selling my Italian engineered Manfrotto but after your review I will give it another bash as I could have been using it wrong LOL.

Bluetooth on the WeMacro works reliably, but that's not the only option. You can direct connect to a computer or portable device (via USB To Go). Helicon remote can also control WeMacro. There's no way I could rationalize the price of a Stackshot.

Really nice video again, Allan. Thanks, Scott

Thank you! 👍

Thanks for sharing

This is very helpful! I'm surprised you didn't cover many of the dual-axis sliders that are on sale everywhere... (velben, oben) as examples on B&H. The comments seem to indicate that they use plastic interior parts even though they are advertised as aluminum construction.

Hey everyone! In this video I made a pretty dismissive remark about the MJKZZ focusing rail. Since then, I have spent some time with the rail, and in conversations with a couple of viewers who are using it. It is actually a very solid, high performance, easy to use macro focusing rail. I may do a full review video at some point, but for now, if you were discouraged from investing in one of these rails because of anything I said, please don't be. It looks like a very smart buy. Anyone interested in a slightly used StackShot?

Would love to see the build!

Lookinf forward to se the rail projekt ;o))

Hi Alan, Just seen your video. I bought a cheapo rail like your Option 2 and yes, it works, but not accurately enough for close to, or greater than 1:1 macro. I also bought a Manfrotto 454 rail and I agree that is so much better but I found a lot of backlash in the screw thread and the platform was not rigid enough - it tended to move around sideways - or juddered. I then bought a WE MACRO rail and that is excellent. Once set-up, I have never had any problem with the phone/bluetooth connection. The whole rail and motor assy. is rigid and there is little or no sideway movement. Setting up a whole series of step focus shots is easy - I expect it to be much the same as the Cognisys. Fore/aft movement as little as 0.002 mm is claimed. I use it for 5:1 Macro shots. Stephen.

Drooling over the Rolly!

I've just found your excellent video at the right time. I am hoping to convert a manual rail using a stepper motor, easydriver board and an Arduino.I am considering the ABKT-MFR4-5 Macro Focusing Rail 4-Way Macro Slide which I think is similar to the Oban design, do you think this would suitable rail to convert Best regards Martin

Sticking with Nikon, a better, and less expensive alternative to the PB-6 bellows is Nikon's PG-2 focusing rail. Like the bellows, beautifully engineered.

I'd like to see the full build of a focusing rail. What are you planning to do with the box of parts you have? Also, what about the concerns about changing the distance from the focal plane of the camera (sensor) to subject? Doesn't that change the size of the image projected onto the sensor? Would that affect the focus stacking process? Also, i understand that the Nikon D850 has built-in focus stacking.

Excellent review! Thanks for taking the time to educate others. The Manfrotto 454 seems like a great way to go for a first step into the macro world. Am I correct that one CAN mount the 454 on a quick release plate for either a ball head or a pan & tilt head, but that the attachment of the 454 to a camera CANNOT be by means of a quick release plate? If both of the above are correct, that's fine. I want to be able to mount the 454 on a moveable tripod head, not on the top plate of the tripod itself.

I Have wemacro, i love it... Simple to use, i purely use Bluetooth/phone for it. one time i had weird problem. I used start-end mode it went backward all the way, didn't stopped programmed start position 🙈

They also have a Mac interface with Ethernet cable fo WeMacro. It works well and is simple. I am very pleased with mine and recommend it heartily. It connected to my iMac without having to download drivers

My Fuji cameras can focus bracket on their own. You can set 100:exposures, and it I’ll take 100 shots and adjust the focus automatically. Thoughts on using that?

I really like you how you explain,criticize and joke.But above all how you explain. Yes I'm one of those who which to watch the video. I have send you a video on your personal Fb. \Thanks for sharing.

thank u

I also bit the bullet and got a stackshot.........it may cost more than I wanted to pay but my stacks range from 60+ to 350+ shots and there was no way in hell I was going to sit and manually turn that F*

Thank you for your video its good to get some help I am kinda new to this so have one of those cheap focus rails but wonder how good the Sunwayfoto MFR-150 is thanks :-)

Great video thanks

The wemacro doesnt rely solely on phone/bluetooth connectivity. I've used mine daily for several months with PC control and zero issues. It's also accurate to a couple microns(maybe one cant recall the exact spec) performance is flawless in my experience for about $350 US shipped.

Hi Allan Just wondering where you get the pin grabber from ? Really enjoying the videos , and am due to start a Light cage for macro but I feel i might see if it can be done to accommodate a water dropper too or I could build a smaller one for that . Keep up the good work :-)

Hello Allen. As you know I have the Mkjzz rail. The rail come complete, you put the top on. Cost USD $275.00 Putting it together is a breeze. I have yet to figure out how to use it. A "me" issue. It comes with a holding stand.The cables are made for your camera brand. The program (instructions,which I printed off and carry with the rail) it uses is downloaded from the net. I can use either my laptop or my phone to run it BUT I need different cables. The adjustments can be set really small and it is a well built unit. YES, waiting on parts is an issue even before the virus crisis. I have been waiting for months for spare parts, read I don't need theses to work,I lose things like small screws.Also the phone set up is an "extra" and that is "someplace". Great advise, thank you for sharing. Please build the slider. The country is in lock down so going out is NOT an option for the next 2 weeks.

Go for a NiSi Macro Focusing Rail NM-180 if you were going to get something today 👍

So in going through my old Nikon gear, dating back to the early 1970s, I discovered a Nikon Bellows unit PB-4, originally part of a slide copying set up. For macro work, is there any functional difference between the PB-6 and the PB-4?

Hi allan! could you recommend which attachments ill need to use stackshot on a tripod? THANK YOU!!!!

Amazing review Allan. Love how you provide insights from your experience. I was wondering if you have changed your mind since this video, epsecially with you being so impressed with the NiSi rail?

As you are my source of macro wisdom... New to macro. Looking at Novoflex. I use a Sony 6100 E-Mount. How important is the swing/tilt on this format? I have never seen you use or refer to swing/tilt, that alone gives me pause. In the face of a $1800.00 spend. They offer without the tilt/shift at $999.00 ... Worth it or pass?

Hi Allan I love your instructive site. I was looking at your suggestions for simple stacking rails. I started off with a 'proxxon 27100 micro compound table kt 70' which has a fine scale of 0.05mm, It costs abut $75 from Amazon. It's superior to the Manfrotto and gives movement in 2 planes, X&Y and cost about the same.

Hi Allan may i ask where you ordered you stackshot from? I'm having trouble finding a supplier in the uk.

As an amateur I appreciate your being practical about cost. I don't want to waste money on junk but a rail setup that approaches a good lens in cost is a bit much for me. The 454 is about where I get comfortable. In another review it was noted there was what looked like a lot of "wobble" between the rail and the adjusting assembly (front to back). Since I would be shooting with a remote shutter release I would imagine this would not be a major problem. Did you find the wobble getting in your way with the Manfrotto?

Allan; what software do you use for stacking?

I use my timelapse rail, it's long but I can take pictures like 400 of a centimeter.

I have the PB-6. Got a mint one on eBay

As awesome as that Stackshot looks, it seems like it would be too heavy to take out in the field. Once you have your camera, lenses, tripod and everything else, adding a whole other television worth of weight seems like too much. I can't hike around an old growth forest all day with all that strapped to my back. Seems like it would be more for in-studio work, yeah?

Sorry , The title said selecting the right focus rail and here we are again going off on not the title of the video. Very frustrating .

Reminds me of an exhibition I went to a couple of years ago - microsculpture.net/ - it was quite mindblowing to see insects in 2m size and put together from many thousands of images.

I am so glad I have a Nikon Z6 I doubt I would have the patience for doing this manually. The focus shift shooting works just fine once you get a handle on the shift setting to use. It does not tell you the actual shift distance per step in the camera. I found an analysis by Jim Kasson for the Z7( blog.kasson.com/nikon-z6-7/calculating-the-nikon-z7-fss-step-size/ ) which seens to be pretty accurate for the Z6 too.

If you have to ask why the Manfrotto 454 is the best option... you are streets behind.

You need to be a photography teacher. So good

I use this diy controller. thechronosproject.com/ It's not too hard to build. And it will work with any rail plus stepper motor.

Ibought 454 after watching this video