Quote:
Originally Posted by RobAmy
I will play too
1. Do you use a micro rail
2. Do you prefer tubes over extenders, do you use both in conjunction
3. Do you use twin flash rigs, are they diffused or not
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1. very rarely- I have got one and used it for a while when I first started doing focus stacking. But I rarely use tripods and can do the stack shots handheld.
2. I'm not a fan of Teleconverters for macro, you definitely lose IQ compared to extension tubes. However I can see a use if you are really having triuble getting close to a bug. I have also used one experimentally on my MPE-65 with a reversed 50mm on the front to get to 10:1 magnification- extension tubes do very little on an MPE-65 lens
3. No I don't use twin flashes- I don't like the normal macro flash setups that fit onto the end of the lens as they are virtually impossible to diffuse. The twin head setups are better as you can diffuse them but you then need to operate them at fairly uneven power ration (4:1 or above) to stop getting flat even illumination. If I was taking pics of stamps they would be ideal
. But the main reason I've never invested in a twin head setup is linked to my style of shooting- I'm a handheld hunter and often end up with the camera in the middle of a bush- I find that can be difficult with a single flash with a diffuser but suspect it would be nearly impossible with a twin head job. You also have to watch shadowing the bugs (tends to scare them off) which would be more difficult with twin heads. I think if I was a fixed tripod shooter it might be different.
brian V.