[cmexonat]

Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here.

---

Hello, nice to see this forum on PF!
How about to show up our macro rigs we used?

Here's the setup I have built recently for macro shots.
Pentax K-01 + F100mm f/2.8 macro + Vivitar 550 FD flash, with hand holder and cheap ball head with flash shoe.

Credits for idea go to Thomas Shahan, I was inspired by his macro setup.
Here's mine:


And some shots made with it












---------- Post added 14th May 2014 at 09:35 ----------

And this is my previous rig with Super-Tak 55/1.8 and m42 Pentax macro bellows.
Definitely not for outdoor usage

---

Last edited by cmexonat; 05-14-2014 at 09:43 PM. Reason: change images to higher resolution

[jmerchant]

I love your set up. I need to put something together for myself...my problem is I don't have a flash that moves (no hinge - old pentax solid manual flash from the 80's) so is there a bracket that can go more forwards?

[cmexonat]

my problem is I don't have a flash that moves (no hinge - old pentax solid manual flash from the 80's) so is there a bracket that can go more forwards?

You can get some really cheap camera L-bracket with flash shoe and a ball head stand for flash with flash shoe.
So you don't even need any rotating flash. All adjustments will be pretty good with ball head alone.
This is my setup I've got off ebay -
Ball head stand:
Flash Hot Shoe Umbrella Holder Tripod Swivel Light Stand Ball Head Bracket C | eBay
Camera L-bracket with flash shoe:
Video Light Camera Flash L Bracket with 2 Standard Flash Shoe Mount Brack E0XC | eBay
The only thing I've done with L-bracket is to remove flash shoe and drill hole for screw to my rig being sturdy.
And you have to get Pentax flash cable of course. Or radio sync unit to fire up external flash.

[jmerchant]

Thanks for the info!
What flash cord are you using?

[cmexonat]

What flash cord are you using?

Let me see...
Here it is
Off Camera Flash Extension TTL Shoe Sync Cord for Pentax PT 01 AF540FGZ AF360FGZ | eBay

[jmerchant]

Perfect...now to find some money...hahahaha...thanks though, I really want to put this together...

[cmexonat]

Yes, it's fun

[old4570]

Here are some of mine ...
Hopefully in a short while I will be building another Macro flash rig , this one will be given away ( free bee ) , and now that there is a dedicated Macro section ... (?)

[cmexonat]

Here are some of mine...

Great! Thanks for sharing I love your two flash setup.
How handy is it in the field shooting?

[MarkJerling]

Here are some of mine ...
Hopefully in a short while I will be building another Macro flash rig , this one will be given away ( free bee ) , and now that there is a dedicated Macro section ... (?)

Clever setup!

[Nass]

This is one of the rigs I use, although I also use a ringflash a lot nowadays:

[rbefly]

Hello cmexonat, thanks for starting this useful thread!
Here's a somewhat fuzzy shot of my setup, it's similar to yours, with the addition of a 'Magic Arm'.
Credit for this handy flex-mounting goes to Hangman43, here; https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/38-photographic-technique/228550-my-techn...o-insects.html and since trying it, I take the flash bracket, arm and sync cord pretty much anywhere I'll be shooting closeups.
With this, I can have top, side or angled lighting, bounce, fill or diffused, all with a twist of the arm-locking key.
Works with virtually any safe-voltage flash, as long as it has power ratio settings.
It does get 'floppy' once you loosen the arm, but if the camera is tripod mounted, no problem. Takes a bit of practice to adjust it handheld, though.
Ron

[cmexonat]

This is one of the rigs I use, although I also use a ringflash a lot nowadays:

Thanks for your tip! Your setup looks much more compact than my kinda ackwark one because of L-bracket.
Now I'm looking for adjustable flash shoe mount to try it out in my setup too
One thing I'm not sure is how much this flash mounting will load on-camera hot shoe... Or if I accidentally brush flash against bushes - this can damage camera's shoe.

---------- Post added 20th May 2014 at 17:56 ----------

Here's a somewhat fuzzy shot of my setup, it's similar to yours, with the addition of a 'Magic Arm'.

Hi, Ron!
Thanks for sharing your setup too! Yeah, it's looks similar. You know I don't like such long arms, it looks wobbly to say. How it feels in the field? Yes it's good for studio works I think. I'm myself ordered off ebay more compact flash ball head instead my current one, to make construction more sturdy, to shorten things. This one "mini ball head" Photo Mini Ball Head for Camera?Tripod Ballhead Stand Flash Canon Nikon Olympus | eBay

[old4570]

Great! Thanks for sharing I love your two flash setup.
How handy is it in the field shooting?

THe single flash rigs are easy to use , the twin light set up requires more careful camera placement , lots of stuff can get in the way and block a flash .
Provides more than enough light , and can maintain a lower ISO and higher F-stop ( smaller aperture ) ..

[old4570]

Pentax K7 - Sigma 50mm Macro 1:1 + Ricoh 2x Tele Macro Adapter



Just took these pictures :

ATM :

Pentax K10D with Pentax A 100mm F4 Macro lens
Pentax K20D with Panagor 90mm F2.8 Macro Lens
Pentax K5 with Sigma 17-70 F2.8 Macro lens
Pentax K100D with Sigma 90mm Macro lens
And the K7 with Sigma 50mm and Ricoh 2x Tele Macro adapter