Equipment reviews - Zykkor C081 Copy Stand and "unbranded" 4 way macro rail

I purchased these items through Ebay recently. I particularly wanted to do macro shots on small objects and focus stacking. Unfortunately where I live makes it impossible to view examples before purchase. There are no camera stores carrying that type of gear around here.

The Zykkor C081 Copy Stand

This is a small stand with the following specifications from the Ebay listing :-

"The Zykkor C081 Copy Stand consists of a 14”x15.75” large baseboard, a tripod mount Head with Bubble Level & Quick Release Plate for your camera. This is great for product photography of small to medium items such as coins stamps, etc. Maximum Copy Size is 36X40 cm
Perfect for macro shots with digital compact cameras & DSLR or for copying artwork.

Copy/Macro Stand with adjustable camera mount between 6" and 23" and 14"x16" base

Full adjustable tripod head with bubble level and quick release plate

Perfect for taking macro shots with digital cameras

Holds your camera steady for shooting small objects, like coins or for copying artworks

Includes:
• Baseboard
• Column with Adjustable Camera Base
• Tripod Mount Head with Quick Release Plate

Specifications:
Baseboard (WxHxD): 36 x 2 x 40 cm (14 x 0.75 x 15.75 in.)
Column height: 58 cm (22.83 in.)
Max. Load: 1.8 kg (4 lbs.)
Model: C081L
Max Copy Size: 36x40 cm
Baseboard Color: White"

Cost: - $69.95 USD plus p&p

General

I can't dispute this specification as far as it goes, however I do think there are a number of vital omissions. In particular it fails to mention how much of the item is made of what appears to be quite poor quality plastic. This includes the toothed rail on the vertical pillar, pillar mount, and worst of all the majority of the head. The pillar itself is a metal tube and has a number of holes, presumably to take a locking pin (not included) As fixed holes they may not match your required camera height. Any locking pin you make will support against the plastic of the moveable section. There is nothing otherwise to prevent the camera height from shifting/ gravity winding the head down the column.

The brand on the stand as supplied is QiHe so I presume it is available rebranded under a number of names.

The spirit level is on the plastic tripod head mount. it is difficult to see with camera in place, near on impossible when the camera is facing down. 

In use

I've only tried it so far with a Canon 7D. It was immediately obvious that the weight of this camera (820g plus 130g lens) was a strain, despite the max load rating of 1.8kg. Plastic obviously flexed and the head moved down the rail under the weight - a locking pin had to be made. Since I was now limited to adjustment height by locking pin hole position I got a macro rail (see later).  My first try at photography was on a totally flat object - a postage stamp. Photographic results weren't too bad. I was using the 7D, 10x Achromat and Canon 50mm F2.5 macro lens at F22 , studio lights. I should have had a reasonable depth of field. However I did notice a drop off in focus towards one side of the image. Investigations revealed that this was due to flexing in the head. This amounts to some 3mm difference side to side across a 52mm diameter lens. The camera vertical is adjustable but comes down to trial and error between adjusting, tightening, and then checking the result of letting the head take the weight.

The whole thing has a flimsy feel and easily shakes with the slightest touch, a shutter cable release or remote release is essential.

With macro rail

Adding a macro rail should negate the issues with fixed locking pin height. However it also adds 700g to the all up weight (now at 1650g total, still less than max rated load). It also takes the camera a further 8.5 cm out from the column, presumably adding leverage.

The result of adding this to the load is horrific:- "bend" in the head is very obvious, the quick release plate skews to almost popping point from the plate mount. Sag is huge. In short - a catastrophic failure in the making. - Totally useless. I didn't have the courage to leave my camera mounted like that.

Overall

I think this stand may work with a really light camera, such as a compact or a camera phone and bracket. It is totally unfit for purpose with a large SLR.  My mark:- 1 out of 10.

Unbranded 4 Way Macro rail

Specifications from the Ebay listing :-

"This excellent quality rail is for use with all digital and film SLR cameras and is compatible with most Nikon, Minolta and Pentax macro and EOS bellows, macro shot extension tubes, or macro lenses such as the Canon FD and FL. Smooth rack and pinion movement provides extremely fine focusing adjustments.
The rail has a geared drive system which greatly enhances accuracy and speed of adjustment of the rail.
Two 6" rails allow movement in four directions, right, left, forward and backward. Mounts on, and accepts 1/4x20 threaded screws, will fit most tripods and copy stands. Positive locking knobs assure rock-steady focus.
Focusing rails are essential accessories for macro photography, which requires precise distance modifications and a steady hand, as well as other situations where accurate camera positioning is crucial.

Material: Metal
·Weight: 700g
·Color:black"

Cost $30.98 USD inc p&p

General

Item is pretty much as described and appears to be identical to rails on sale from other companies including Adorama branded.

Most of the item is indeed metal but there are plastic parts too, most notably the channels in which both rails slide.

The rails are graduated in centimetres but do not have any index or reference line to either rail. Given how critical focus depth is and how exact it is best to be with focus stacking I had hoped for vernier scale and micro adjustablility.

Sender was very slow at getting item here and tracking sites given were ones that had raised a number of suspicions of fake information according to google search. I had actually raised failed delivery case with PayPal on this item, subsequently closed when item arrived..

In use

As already stated I got this rail to overcome the shortfalls of the copy stand. In practice that wasn't possible. On mounting the rail to the stand my first experience was that the weight of the camera took the now vertical rail all the way down to the rail stop. The locking screw not appearing to exert enough tension to prevent this no matter how tight. This would limit the rail to use with camera horizontal, not facing down. This is in addition to the issues with the copy stand itself

Second issue is the lack of really fine adjustment. I placed a mark on the vertical adjustment knob to give me some idea how far I was travelling. My calculations gave 3.5 turns for 10cm, a little over 2.8cm per full turn. This is a lot of travel per turn. it is possible to get a rough measure by the alignment of the channel edge with the built in scale but it really isn't accurate in my opinion to any less than 1mm give or take, the scale itself sits above the channel and is also quite heavily printed adding to difficulties.. 

Overall

Can't be used in vertical orientation
No real functional graduations or scaling.
Coarse adjustments

May be ok for larger objects outdoors, flowers etc.  My mark - 3 out of 10.

DSLR Workshops

I've decided to run a few workshops.

This will be an ongoing thing, Probably monthly.

I've got presentations together, practical demos, all of which participants try for themselves, a great little venue with all the necessities and am keen to go....

For the first workshop subject:-

Aims are: -

Ø To provide understanding of the technical aspects of Digital SLR photography through tuition/hands on lessons

Ø To give participants a firm grasp of how camera settings modify the outcome of the shot, and how they can be used to completely control the shot

 

All groups will be limited to 8 max.

Workshops are half day , probably 10 till 3 with lunch break. (date(s) TBA with group requirements) and will expand with further subject workshops.

So if you are close to Mackay QLD and need a workshop drop me an email or comment here and I'll send details including costs..

A little more about my work - Part 2

When I moved back to Mackay from Brisbane I envisaged that product photography would probably be my main field. Maybe it will, time will tell. Mackay is in the middle of a bit of a boom business wise. It has a massive support industry for the mining sector with major industrial sites still expanding, particularly in the Paget area.  Of course everything else goes with that, jobs mean people, people mean demand for goods, entertainment, leisure and dining. To an extent I overestimated how easy it would be to tap into the advertising requirements that creates. I forgot Mackay is still a word of mouth region. I forgot many companies are national or international with marketing decided at head office, I forgot smaller businesses just won't or can't pay for bespoke images. Worst of all I forgot these strong economic times mean businesses are just doing far too well to need advertising.

I had a number of companies tell me they can't handle more business, the last thing they want is advertising. Hotels / motels are at full occupancy almost constantly, several never having advertised or having any web presence, and the panel beaters has a 7 month waiting list on minor repairs.

How has this translated into my business?

Well first of all how did I try marketing it? In the past 18-24 months, (which includes educational and Brisbane time) my accounting software shows outgoings on courses and gear of over 27,000 dollars and income (as anticipated) for new start seriously in the negative. This means advertising budget is non-existent. I've taken space in the Local Directories (yet to enter print) and also a 12 months in the Mackay Telegraph. Beyond that it is what I can get by leg work. I had a bound Portfolio printed up. More about the trials of the portfolio printing in a later blog.   The 12x12 folio was then duly walked round nearly every business that seemed like a potential client for as long as my business cards lasted. Of over 900 business cards dropped only 1 booking has resulted so far. For the amount of time pacing the industrial areas a poor return indeed. What have I learnt? Well I am still sure the business is there, am I getting past the just out of school receptionist? (usually not). Am I there at the time they want images? (probably not). 

 I went to the QME 2012 (Queensland Mining Exhibition) with over 600 exhibitors, all used photography to illustrate their displays, 99.9% was the type of photography my skill set and equipment set can do. Only trouble there was;- A. They already had their images, posters etc, B. As a QME visitor I can't promote my trade. I was too late on scene for them all.

Overall I think I've learnt to look far more often at feedback available to me, i.e. does a card drop/cold call reflect in website hits, do I get more calls? If I don't do I have another tactic? My new tactic for this last couple of weeks has been the Telegraph ad.

One area that has seemed potentially to be a good one was small Restaurants and Cafes. I've had 3 very strong enquiries about this, I rated one as almost a certainty. The 2 smaller independent cafes I wasn't too sure would go with it. Simple reason is that food photography is very labour intensive and time consuming. It therefore isn't cheap, even in the customers time. I strongly recommended to both outlets the image should reflect what they sell, not be generic shots  not the -"strawberries and chilled smoothies on the tropical beach" type thing. I can do that, but feel it is a let down to their customers and is just doing the stock photography thing. One of the two was quoted, I'd already been told no budgets so as anticipated it was a knock back.  Why did neither go for it? Well I'm sure I'm up against cheap stock images, second is I can show my previous food images, but not their food, they don't have an idea of what they will get. I could offer a free test or single set but they still need to commit time and effort, there is too much resistance to that first step.

Image: - Coffee and gear. Shot in Studio.

The final enquiry was for (potentially) a set of images for a new chain of Cafes, with possibilities for wall and menu images. I got raves about my existing images, I followed up in several ways within his time frame but was unable to gain further conversations/contact. No idea why.

Of course chasing this type of business isn't just about the product, it can equally well result in images for;- processes, training manuals, environmental, executive  and staff portrait, real estate, handover, certification, insurance, lifestyle etc etc.

A little more about my work. Part-1

Most photographers specialise, whether it is wedding, fashion, press, commercial, forensic, whatever.  Many go through a "reinvention" every few years, choosing a new direction and style. How they go about choosing that 1st speciality is often interesting, many fall into it through assignment or by who they have assisted, sometimes it is a big client that chooses a successful direction for them. I've met a few that have been "press ganged" into a wedding shoot , usually by mates or relatives, and ended up being so good they stuck with it.

 For the moment I'm still defining my absolute path, more by eliminating the sort of photography I don't want to do. For me that has so far eliminated any schools, graduation formals, and formal weddings. I have done employee group shoots for companies. I will do narrative style wedding shoots. Formal shoot requires crowd control, I don't do that. I usually have to explain the difference between narrative and formal shoots; - and for most brides and grooms narrative isn't chosen. I can understand that, I'd make a good second photographer hire at a wedding, providing the alternative POV.   

Similarly I don't see myself as an overseas photojournalist, I like travel and exotic places as much as anyone, but war zones, NTY. I like to get home at the end of the day, and I don't run that fast these days.

So where am I pitching my work? Well, mostly in the following areas:-

Product,
General Commercial and Industrial including Manufacturing
Editorial
Portraiture
Executive and Environmental Portraiture
Real Estate
Event
Fashion and Beauty
Natural History

These aren't exclusive disiplines, for example Fashion could equally be Product, or Event or Portraiture depending on the shoot conditions. 

In Mackay I probably see fashion as being the least popular of the above list, the city just isn't big enough. Posters or brochures/advertising for independant retail outlets are certainly a possibility but many outlets are national chains with national marketing.

Natural history is possibly one for either stock photography, magazines, or perhaps tourism, again limited appeal but one I enjoy.

Of the rest there is no clear winner at this point. I can cover most scenarios in all those without issues. Editorial is perhaps the greatest "catch all" and event is I feel almost a subset.

Mackay local band - The Fat Cigars.
Playing News Years Eve 2012
















Event isn't just about photographing the entertainment, whether that is a band, a race or whatever (that I'd label editorial anyway), more about the client/customer whether it is a birthday, reception or a staff party (or other staff function like a team building).


Birthday Party - April 2011

Starting this blog

As with any blog, there has to be a reason, a purpose. So often I see that blogs are dismissed as nothing more than personal vanity or ego. I make no excuses for my purpose here, firstly I believe it is a necessary step in todays climate for business purposes. Secondly it is to self educate, either through my customers or through fellow freelancers and photographers that may comment on like minded issues.

I am new to the photography business in Mackay. I lived here prior but had taken a couple of years out in Brisbane, where I didn't waste my time, choosing to build on my photography by completing a Diploma in Photoimaging and starting full time freelance. Moving back some six months after course completion hasn't been without its challenges, but here I am with a young business trying all the methods at my disposal (including this blog) to step forward.

My intent here is to show some of the actual "hands on" processes to completed jobs and also raise some of the trials and tribulations freelancers face.