Handmade macro stage

Bushman.K
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Handmade macro stage
Handmade macro stage

Working variant.
It could look not so rigid, but actually, any point of contact is not smaller than two square inches. It uses 45 series T-slot profile as a base (45x45 mm extruded aluminum profile). Slide-in M6 T-nuts are handmade (it was faster than to order them from www.8020.net ). All fasteners except ones for translation stage itself are M6 socket-head screws (mainly stainless, except for ones in front of the lens - they are regular steel with black finish). Stage bracket and top plate using M4 and M4.5 socket head screws. Aluminum parts in front of lens are spray-painted with black matte primer (not the best holding paint ever, but acceptable). stage platform can be removed from base and set on tripod head or column using M6 or 1/4-20 screw. Bellows are mounted with Arca-Swiss 70mm quick-release plate and clamp. I also had to screw 3/8 set screw into bottom sliding plate of bellows, because otherwise it would wiggle (bellows made in USSR using cast aluminum part as slider for round ways - "perfect" design). Bellows have M42 to micro 4/3 mount adapter for my camera on rear end. I also painted some shiny parts of bellows with black matte primer from the inside. Setup can be used in horizontal position (with object attached to moving table with paperclip or something else) or in vertical position (similar to one used in microscopes). Rigidity of setup allows handheld usage, if object is attached to table securely. To make good background, I used double-sided sticky tape to attach a piece of black velvet paper to the table surface.
Future setup variants can use commercially available 45 series structural elements (profile, T-nuts, T-studs, spacers and so on).
Next planned improvement - 25W diffused LED light using Bridgelux module with CRI 97.

Attribution Noncommercial Some rights reserved
Taken on: March 1, 2015
Tags: Everybody's photos tagged with Helios-44M Helios-44M Everybody's photos tagged with bellows bellows Everybody's photos tagged with stage stage more » Everybody's photos tagged with macro macro Everybody's photos tagged with translation stage translation stage Everybody's photos tagged with handmade handmade « less
Sets appears in:   • Crafts, Experiments, Science    • Micro & SuperMacro   
Camera: Olympus E-PL1, f/1.7, 1/10 sec, 20mm, ISO 320 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Olympus E-PL1
Aperture: f/1.7
Exposure Time: 0.1 sec (1/10)
Focal Length: 20mm
ISO: 320
Exposure Bias: -1.3 EV
Flash: Auto, Did not fire
Exposure Program: Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Center-weighted average
White Balance: Manual
Light Source: Tungsten (Incandescent)
Gain Control: High gain up
Sharpness: Hard
Color Space: sRGB
Software: Version 1.1
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