I started doing focus stacks on insect macro not long ago. I now ordered a Raynix 250 and a few cool unmounted specimens cause I want to do more “studio” stacks along with my field work.
Would you recommend a motorized focus rail for ultra macro vs lens focusing? If so, what are good budget options?
I’ve seen tens of macro rails on sale but they seemed to be geared at video work as opposed to macro.
I don’t have experience with this system, but if you’re adding magnification and reducing depth of field on a lens, the focus sensitivity of the lens is probably not going to be good enough for what you want. I’m not sure what advantage a motorized system would have over a manual one for stacking.
The Raynox is an awful lot of bang for the buck and a very good place to start a journey into higher magnifications.
What camera and lens are you planning to use it with?
If you have a camera with built-in focus stacking/focus bracketing (most mirrorless cameras do) and a regular macro lens with autofocus start using that. Will be great for fieldwork in general and a decent start on the studio ultra macros.
Without built-in focus stacking you will need some way to predictably move the focus in small amounts. The cheapest solution would be to mark the lens and focus ring so can move the focus ring a set amount each time. That might be enough to get you going but in the end, most people end up with a rail system.
Motorized rails are more expensive and a lot to carry into the field but will give you ultimate precision. I’m sure there are more on the market, but I’ve heard decent stuff about Wemacro, MJKZZ, and of course Stackshot rails.
Manual rails are in general more affordable and easier to take into the field but each stack will take more work/time since you’re doing it yourself self and there is a limit on step length compared to motorized rails (that shouldn’t be a problem with a Raynox though). In my experience, manual rails are a great start if you are willing to put in the time and don’t want to spend a ton of money in the beginning (repeating a stack is so much easier in an automatic setup though). Staying away from the cheapest rails is probably a good idea (never seen a cheap rail that doesn’t wobble all over the place). Nisi and Leofoto rails are a good place to start. I’ve also heard good things about iShoot but never used one.
Investing in a remote release, either cable or wireless, is also a very good idea if you don’t have one.
Hope you got some ideas to start with and good luck on your macro journey.