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Novoflex Castel-L focus rail

Started 4 months ago | Discussions thread
Joseph S Wisniewski Forum Pro • Posts: 35,461
You're quite welcome, and some more answers
1

grsnovi wrote:

Joseph, thanks for that!

You're quite welcome.

Knowledge was meant to be shared.

I had watched a video yesterday (Michael Erlewine) who seemed to think that this model Novoflex was "better" than the Castel-Q?

Well, they're both the same base, just with a different slider. Personally, I dislike them both. The proprietary round quick release on the L can come loose suddenly, and it's wasteful mounting an Arca quick release clamp on a Novoflex quick release disc, in order to use the bulk of my gear.

And the Q is annoying to me, like all rails with integrated 90 degree Arca clamps, because one of my most frequently used lenses is the Nikon 200mm f/4 micro-Nikkor, which has an integrated tripod foot. Arca plates for lenses like that go fore and aft, not sideways, like the long camera plates and Hel-L brackets popularized by RRS.

Really, the NiSi works best for me.

In any case mine will arrive tomorrow and we'll give it a go.

Do let us know how you get along with it.

Do you do "most" of your macro shooting in the field?

It's a pretty even mix.

I'm guessing the issues you mention might be easier to mitigate in the studio rather than in the field.

The studio does tend to be a little more consistent in terms of temperature and humidity.

15mm per turn does seem like an awful lot, thanks for the info on the other rails. This is my first rail so perhaps I was seduced by the $100 discount. I guess we'll see how I do.

Indeed.

The best of luck to you.

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The term "mirrorless" is totally obsolete. It's time we call out EVIL for what it is. (Or, if you can't handle "Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens" then Frenchify it and call it "LIVE" for "Lens Interchangeable, Viewfinder Electronic" or "Viseur électronique").
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Stanley Joseph Wisniewski 1932-2019.
Dad, so much of you is in me.
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Christine Fleischer 1947-2014.
My soulmate. There are no other words.
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Rahon Klavanian 1912-2008.
Armenian genocide survivor, amazing cook, scrabble master, and loving grandmother. You will be missed.
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Ciao! Joseph
www.swissarmyfork.com

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