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 Replies: 98 / Views: 20,843 |
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Valued Member
 United States
70 Posts |
Still on my quest to get proficient at this extreme macro photography. I like using the bellows, with both the enlarger lens and microscope objectives. I'm trying to focus stack, but have run into a bit of a problem with precision focusing. I've found that the TINY adjustments necessary to change the focus on the bellows isn't working for me. I need to be moving the coin up/down with tiny movements rather than adjusting the bellows. This would be similar to how a microscope focuses. Is there such a product available to purchase? I can't seem to find anything. I looked on eBay- there are inexpensive microscopes available that I could cut apart, but it seems to me there might be a product on the market?
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
3935 Posts |
Here is what I use for precision manual focusing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/XYZ-3-Axis...zVFgW0j0pzWwI prefer the 60x60mm size stages, but I also use 40x40mm. The same seller also offers XY stages so you can get full XYZ capability for precision positioning. There were many more options even 1 week ago, but now many of the Chinese offerings have dried up. Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3935 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
70 Posts |
Thanks so much for the link- that's what I was looking for (but had no idea what to call it). I purchased one- it comes from China. ebay says it should arrive by June 2; 2 1/2 months from now. Crazy world. |
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Valued Member
United States
70 Posts |
So I've obtained a lot of enlarger lenses, adapters, and 2 microscope objectives. I've been using them all with a bellows on a separate camera/ copy stand. Most setups are working fine except for one; a 10X infinite microscope objective. I can focus it great on my computer screen (to whatever depth I'm trying to shoot), the Test Shoot looks good, but the actual image shot is very blurry- nothing is in focus: I must be doing something wrong for everything to be out of focus in the actual shot when part of the image is in focus on the screen.. I'm trying to shoot multiple photos with different focal planes to get a stacked image. Any ideas?  |
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Valued Member
Canada
153 Posts |
These are some truly impressive photos. Good work everyone. #Goals
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3935 Posts |
Well, that last one is pretty blurry. Are you using it with a "tube lens", or just on the end of some extension? Infinite objectives need a tube lens to work properly, so that's probably the problem.
edited to add: I see that it's in focus on the screen, but not after the shot. In that case it could just be vibration in your system. What camera are you using?
Edited by rmpsrpms
05/25/2020 5:18 pm
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Valued Member
United States
70 Posts |
I'm using the microscope objective on a bellows. The camera is a Canon 60D. The above shot was at 1/8 second.
I tried it again adding a lot of light, reducing the exposure to 1/40th sec. That seemed to help a lot. My setup is on the 2nd floor of my wood frame hoe. I had no idea how much vibration was goin on!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3935 Posts |
Are you using the camera in Live View?
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2784 Posts |
jeff do you have a relay lens. between your bellows an your microscope objective. here is and image taken at 10X using the same stage you have purchased. you will need that tool in order to reach fine focus. you can see the only way to get a 10X with perfectly focused. you will need to do focus stacking. the depth of field is so shallow. this coin is still inside the mints plastic holder.  |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2784 Posts |
here is a 1977 Monticello coin. see I focused on that box the depth of field is so shallow. focus stacking that would be perfectly focused right to the high points of this coin. here is the image  |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2784 Posts |
here is and image of the date. this is the size I work with.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9395 Posts |
Quote:
That seemed to help a lot. My setup is on the 2nd floor of my wood frame hoe. I had no idea how much vibration was goin on! My setup is also on the 2nd floor of a wood-framed condo. I use sorbethane hemishperes (as suggested by Austrokiwi, long ago) below the whole setup to help reduce vibrations coming in from the floor. Of course, the setup itself needs to be as rigid as possible. Fortunately, with the Nikon Z7, you don't need to use the mechanical shutter at all for coin photos, so the camera is no longer a major source of vibrations.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3935 Posts |
I think @JeffMTampa's 60D should give a similar result when in Live View, but we need to hear back from him if he's using it or not.
Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com |
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Valued Member
United States
175 Posts |
Quote:
I must be doing something wrong for everything to be out of focus in the actual shot when part of the image is in focus on the screen.. I'm trying to shoot multiple photos with different focal planes to get a stacked image. Any ideas? Are you saying that the out of focus image is the result of 'stacking'? What is the result if you just take a straight on macro photo?
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Replies: 98 / Views: 20,843 |
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Posted 03/14/2020 11:23 am
