Re: Stackshot or Camranger for 1:1 floral still life?
Josh Photo Bug wrote:
Hi tokyowalker. You really do not need a focus rail for 1:1 magnification. You should be able to at the very least manually move the focus ring in safe enough increments to then stack using Helicon Focus or Zerene Stacker.
There are also inexpensive products which attach to the focus ring of a lens to allow for easier focus movement (see link below). And if you feel that doesn't work and you want a focus rail, you don't necessarily need to go out and get a high-end expensive one which are some of the ones you mention. You can start off with a cheaper slider. Also, you do not necessarily need in-camera focus bracketing. You can tether your camera to a PC and use software to control focus.
In summary, a really good rail for 1:1 is overkill in my opinion. So my suggestion is if you are doing your work indoors you should try tethering your camera to a PC (that is, if your camera allows that). For outdoor work, I would try manually moving the focus ring.
https://www.amazon.com/Fotodiox-Follow-Focus-Handles-Kit/dp/B00DBB7OTA/ref=sr_1_13?dchild=1&keywords=focus+pull&qid=1601055146&sr=8-13
Hi Josh, thanks for the detailed advice and the link. I don’t plan on doing anything extreme so I won’t be considering the rails yet. They do look useful for insects and perhaps other very small objects but right now I’m only interested in 1:1 floral and fauna. Those focus rings looks very useful for many things actually!
Tethering to a PC/Mac is ideally a goal but there are limited options for automated focus control with the Sony A7R IV at this point. Hopefully there will be better support in the future.
Thanks again for your help , stay safe!