cheap macro rails

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Name
Martin
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Anybody tried these?

rails

Any reasonably priced alternatives?

Thanks in advance
 
are you after a good price or is precision your requirement?
 
First two look the same, Velbon doesn't have much shift but runs on a screw as opposed to a slide.

Just different ways of doing things, at different prices. I don't see how you can go wrong for 30-odd quid though.
 
I've got a set of the eBay cheapies:

Virtually every screw was loose
Some screws had stripped the threads in the mounts
Very jerky slide movement
Poor design camera mount as the knob is almost inaccessible with a camera / lens mounted

I got mine in a useable state with a lot of fettling BUT not worth it IMHO. I still think macro rails are a waste of money IMHO unless you're doing loads of still life / studio work!
 
I've got a set of the eBay cheapies:

Virtually every screw was loose
Some screws had stripped the threads in the mounts
Very jerky slide movement
Poor design camera mount as the knob is almost inaccessible with a camera / lens mounted

I got mine in a useable state with a lot of fettling BUT not worth it IMHO. I still think macro rails are a waste of money IMHO unless you're doing loads of still life / studio work!

Thanks for that mate. I've been contemplating getting a macro rail, but been unsure whether i'd be able to use it for shooting bugs and stuff. It's nice to get some feedback from someone with more experience who's used one.

:thumbs:
 
I had the Velbon rails for a while, never actually used them however - but I can tell you they are pretty sturdy and well built for the price I paid.
 
Thanks for that mate. I've been contemplating getting a macro rail, but been unsure whether i'd be able to use it for shooting bugs and stuff. It's nice to get some feedback from someone with more experience who's used one.

:thumbs:

Useless for bugs unless they've 'expired' or you've glued them down ;) I'd always urge anybody getting into macro to nail shooting handheld first, it may be frustrating at first but it's ultimately rewarding as you can then go walkabout with your macro lens and grab shots in an instant without having to faff with rails, tripods etc.
 
Useless for bugs unless they've 'expired' or you've glued them down ;) I'd always urge anybody getting into macro to nail shooting handheld first, it may be frustrating at first but it's ultimately rewarding as you can then go walkabout with your macro lens and grab shots in an instant without having to faff with rails, tripods etc.

Yeah, just took delivery of my Tamron 90mm the other day, and spent the last couple of days trying to get the hang of it. Took loads of pics but only about 10 of them are so-so. It's deffo a lot harder than I thought.
:thumbs:
 
Yeah, just took delivery of my Tamron 90mm the other day, and spent the last couple of days trying to get the hang of it. Took loads of pics but only about 10 of them are so-so. It's deffo a lot harder than I thought.
:thumbs:

Get a ring-flash ;)
 
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