I feel like this kind of post comes around now and then, but it sure is helpful for those just getting into macro--get's the creative juices flowing I'll start it off with my crude rig (without tubes), nothing fancy...

1DIII, Sigma 150mm Macro, 580EXII, Adorama flat/straight bracket, Canon OC-E3, Giottos MH 1004 mini ball head, JD Flip-it Jumbo.

Accidentally deleted the pics, so this post is useless. Sorry

Kenny

My macro rigs

brian V.

My stuff. Just a detail, I know use thin foam instead of kitchen paper. And I use a D70s, the F75 was just there cause I don't have any other camera.

Good stuff, guys
I know there are more than four of use who post here

Here's one of mine - based on Brian's rig of course

Macro Rig

I am looking at setting up more like M Vers now that my focussing rail has arrived

Dal

This is what my setup looks like with the Nikon SB400 in place of the Nikon SB600:

Redesigned bracket

This is now my old rig since my MT-24EX died (I haven't decided if I'm going to replace it):

Hey Kenny,
Is that a PN-11 behind your lens? I have had my eye out for one of those for that exact reason, to mount my flash.
Have you had encountered any hang-ups using it?

Rick

Yeah, Rick, it sure is. So far, so good, no problems.

I also have a PK-13 and I sometimes use both for 80mm of extension behind my Ai-S 300mm f4.5 to shoot dragonflies and such. I like the positive click stops at 90, 180, 270 and 360 degrees of rotation.

Kenny

Thanks Kenny.

I went and grabbed a couple shots to contribute to the thread also.
Here's my D200 with a stack of ProOptic tubes behind the Sigma 105mm. The flash is a SB-400 with some "fun foam" and a recycled Altoids tin for a diffuser. I cut the front and back out so I can open the front of the tin and change the diffuser material in a couple seconds. Functionally it's good but I still need to find a diffuser material I'm happy with, for now is a coffee filter

Rick

A few pictures of my setup for in-flight macro photography. The setup contain 2 parts, one as normal camera-macrolens (now the D300, AF105/2.8D) and above stand the AF60/2.8D macro-lens as optical IR detector (+ microcontroller mounted into this lens). 2 IR lasers are used for the optical system, 2 other green lasers show me the visual projected focuspoint (therefore the lasers are mounted oblique).

Here the hole setup picture:



But recently, my compur1 shutter broke, so i had to renew this part. The compur1 shutter was hard to find or very expensive, so i've used an old compur0 shutter. Results of this new parts can be seen here:



and here the frontside:



Both last pictures show how the AF105/2.8D is connected to the compur shutter.
The 2 flashes are type SB-80-DX (or SB800) alway manual set. All the necessary electronics stay into the frame. Total weight: 8 kg. My wife has make a special strap( as a vest) to hold the unit. I need urgent to make a picture of these

Frans.

heres mine, similar to brians but with 3 different sheets from diffusion pack on/inside coke can diffuser

phil

This has to be the most complicated setup I have ever seen.


frans_vdm wrote:
A few pictures of my setup for in-flight macro photography. The setup contain 2 parts, one as normal camera-macrolens (now the D300, AF105/2.8D) and above stand the AF60/2.8D macro-lens as optical IR detector (+ microcontroller mounted into this lens). 2 IR lasers are used for the optical system, 2 other green lasers show me the visual projected focuspoint (therefore the lasers are mounted oblique).

Here the hole setup picture:



But recently, my compur1 shutter broke, so i had to renew this part. The compur1 shutter was hard to find or very expensive, so i've used an old compur0 shutter. Results of this new parts can be seen here:



and here the frontside:



Both last pictures show how the AF105/2.8D is connected to the compur shutter.
The 2 flashes are type SB-80-DX (or SB800) alway manual set. All the necessary electronics stay into the frame. Total weight: 8 kg. My wife has make a special strap( as a vest) to hold the unit. I need urgent to make a picture of these

Frans.

This is my setup - a work in progress. A pro-sumer cam and achromat/s using mostly on-board flash. The plastic 'tube' is lined with plastic foil, the diffusing material is white synthetic stiffening from the haberdashers - I have various materials I am trying out over time. The tube/folded sheet is attached to the pop-up flash by a spot of velcro and a small piece of (very sticky) gaffer tape on the Raynox housing, and because it forms an angle of approx 100' on the base it can be flipped to light the subject from right, left or centre as required. It works with my varying working distances.

It works the way it is because the lens is internally zooming, no Pinnochio effect, which I think is just the way it should be for macro - that way focus hunting is minimal (on AF, as I do) when it happens.

The tripod is for hanging things on.

Edit : The whole process is documented here : http://beingmark.com/macro-illustrated/

Oops! The pix disappeared. A problem when one is deleted from a source location ...

Another variation on a theme really, posed on the old EOS 3 film body. A straight bracket (happens to be a Nikon SK-7, about £12 UK) with two small ball heads (these are Manfrotto 484RC2, about £30 UK each) and a 430EX flash on the end. The use of two ball heads adds an extra "elbow" joint in the middle and gives a bit more flexibility. Will easily reach out to the end of the MPE-65 when fully extended at x5. Main drawback is the not inconsiderable weight of the whole lot.

adrianr wrote:
Another variation on a theme really, posed on the old EOS 3 film body. A straight bracket (happens to be a Nikon SK-7, about £12 UK) with two small ball heads (these are Manfrotto 484RC2, about £30 UK each) and a 430EX flash on the end. The use of two ball heads adds an extra "elbow" joint in the middle and gives a bit more flexibility. Will easily reach out to the end of the MPE-65 when fully extended at x5. Main drawback is the not inconsiderable weight of the whole lot.

Here's mine.

And mine:

Nikon D60, 25mm extension tube from Tamron 2xtele with elements removed, 20mm and 36mm Vivitar AT-3 auto extension tubes, Nikkor-H 85mm f/1.8, DIY adjustable flash bracket, Sunpak 433D flash (manual), DIY diffuser from take-out container and funfoam, flash has stofen inside, Bogen ball-head knockoff (nice quality though), shortened leg parts from an old aluminum artist display easle (the end pulls out and twist-locks, which I can press against my shoulder as a steady- also used for long lenses and wildlife photography).

This lens/extension combo allows about 1:1, I use the 25mm tube and a 50mm f/1.8 for 1:2 or the 85mm lens with the 20+25mm extension tubes.

I have a couple cheap/small ballheads in the mail that will hopefully allow me to do something similar to Adrianr's setup above. My biggest issue currently is this bracket is not as adjustable as I'd like and I more often than not wish the light was at 12 o'clock or about 10 o'clock compared to about 2 o'clock where it is now. Also, I would like to improve the diffusion a little more, this feels a little "hot" and robbing of flash output.

here is mine...

for pop-up flash with reversed kit lens


for my vivitar 2800d flash with my DIY bracket and cheap extension tube with reversed kit lens...