p.1 #1 · Suppressing Floor Vibrations for Macro Photography
Suppressing Floor Vibrations for Macro Photography
As to where I am at in suppressing room vibration from my wooden floors, I am learning. Here is a summary:
Placing a strong table in the center of the floor does not suppress vibration. I can do various things to this table to improve the situation. For example:
I can load the lower shelf with 130 lbs. of cement blocks and that helps, but not my back so much, hauling it in.
I can place Sorbothane Vibration Isolation pads under the four legs of the table and that helps
On the top of the table I can place some small under-inflated innertubes over which I place a ¾-inch board the size of the table top and that helps.
On the top of that board, under which are the under-inflated innertubes, I can place more Sorbothane Vibration Isolation pads on top of which I place a plant or flower to photograph and that helps
Yet better than all of that, instead of placing a table, I can cantilever a board, fixed vertically to the walls and timbers of the house rather than amplifying the shakiness of the floors.
I Cantilever a board sticks that out 36 inches from the wall and is open at the far end. This is much better than the first method.
And then to that cantilevered board I can place underinflated innertubes upon which I place another ¾-inch large board. And on that large board I can also place more Sorbothane Vibration Isolation pads, upon which I place the plant or flower.
p.1 #2 · Suppressing Floor Vibrations for Macro Photography
I used to work with atomic force and electron microscopes. These could resolve individual atoms.
The most effective is to move to the basement or ground level on solid concrete. If you can’t do that then you could setup an isolated table. For the AFM we setup a slab of concrete and this was suspended by bungee cords in the corners. I think you want to get the tripod and subject on just one slab.
You could also look for a used optics table on ebay. Those float a steel table on an air suspension. Not nearly as effective as the concrete suspended by bungee cords.
p.1 #3 · Suppressing Floor Vibrations for Macro Photography
I have done a little more testing and doing anything on the floor is out, IMO. Even with 130 libs of concrete on the lower shelf of a table, and inner tubes under a large board on top, and Sorbothane Vibration Isolation pads on the legs. The cantilever approach, using the vertical walls is much better at supressing vibrations, so that's that, at least for me.
Yet better than all of that, instead of placing a table, I can cantilever a board, fixed vertically to the walls on one end and timbers of the house, rather than amplifying the shakiness of the wooden floors.
I Cantilevered a board that sticks out 36 inches from the wall and is open at the far end. This is much better than the first method.
And then, if I want, to that cantilevered board I can place underinflated innertubes upon which I place another ¾-inch large board. And on that large board I can also place more Sorbothane Vibration Isolation pads, upon which I place the plant or flower.
Instead, I think I will skip the last paragraph of the under-inflated inner tubes and the addition of Sorbothane vibration pads and just use the cantilevered board extending from the wall.
It is stable enough if I use a 3-second delay by the timer.
I don’t start out exhausting every possibility; I just end up that way. And on the way, it seems that I make all the mistakes I am liable for.
