Cognisys products - anyone used them?

[Overread]

The title really sums up the thread, I might be able to scrape together enough to afford some Cognisys products - sadly they make such a good range that I'd rather want all of them (even though I can't afford them).

So I'd be interested in hearing if any here have used them and what their experiences are of them. The Stackshot would seem to be a very good choice for a macro fan (esp as I do like doing focus stacks when given the chance) - though of course then comes the question of regular VS extended rails.

The other items such as their stopshot present a massive wealth of options for timed or tripped shots and I also notice that they have some simple all in one beam setups on the market as well now - even more interesting is their external shutter for aid with highspeed photography during brighter hours.

 

[480sparky]

No experience..... But the StackShot is high up on my Wish List.

 

[cgipson1]

I have the Stackshot, and it works very well! I got the regular (sometimes wish I had gotten the extended, but haven't had anything yet the regular couldn't handle). I find it easiest to used tethered to a PC although it is entirely capable of being used in standalone fashion. Zerene Stacker software integrates very well with the Stackshot (supposedly Helicon Focus does as well), and you can get visuals while stacking when tethered. Very well made, and good customer support.

 

[Overread]

Aye the stackshot would look to be taking a lot of the pain out of focus stacking from a tripod - though whatever setup I get I'll likely also get the additional parts for going mobile into the field with it.

Out of interest how fast is the Stackshot in being adjusted and set? I know some focusing rails have a pressure "off" lever so they can be moved rough very fast or at least pressure reduction for increased movement speed - does the Stackshot offer this manual option?

EDIT - actually big question how well does it work with a BIG camera (ie a 1D or a camera with a grip" and a lens with a tripod collar?

 

[cgipson1]

Aye the stackshot would look to be taking a lot of the pain out of focus stacking from a tripod - though whatever setup I get I'll likely also get the additional parts for going mobile into the field with it.

Out of interest how fast is the Stackshot in being adjusted and set? I know some focusing rails have a pressure "off" lever so they can be moved rough very fast or at least pressure reduction for increased movement speed - does the Stackshot offer this manual option?

EDIT - actually big question how well does it work with a BIG camera (ie a 1D or a camera with a grip" and a lens with a tripod collar?

I use the with my D800, MB-D12, and usually the 105 macro lens. But it has enough torque to handle something much larger. I think it would handle medium format bodies without a problem. There is a high speed setting when you are adjusting the rail start and stop points... and it only takes a few (10?) seconds to go from one end to the other. Don't have exact times.. but I could test that if you want me to. I actually mounted a Kirk Enterprises Arca-Swiss compatible clamp Kirk Enterprises : 2.5in Quick Release Clamp to it, so I could use my L-Bracket with it...when I want to shoot vertically.

 

[Overread]

Arca Swiss is something I want to invest into at some point - the manfrotto quick release plates have terrible slip and slide problems if you've any weight not perfectly pushing back or forth.

That said my point on size was more about the fitting, with my manfrotto focusing rail (for example) I can't fit any DSLR with a battery grip to the rail using a lens collar because the collar lowers the camera into a position where the grip part of the body hits the rail. It forces one to either shoot with a smaller body or always in portrait mode.

 

[cgipson1]

Arca Swiss is something I want to invest into at some point - the manfrotto quick release plates have terrible slip and slide problems if you've any weight not perfectly pushing back or forth.

That said my point on size was more about the fitting, with my manfrotto focusing rail (for example) I can't fit any DSLR with a battery grip to the rail using a lens collar because the collar lowers the camera into a position where the grip part of the body hits the rail. It forces one to either shoot with a smaller body or always in portrait mode.

Ok.. I see! No.. unless you rigged an extension of some sort, the body would hit the rail if you mounted the system on a Lens collar (solution might be to mount the body upside down.. just spin the collar.Awkward, but still usable.) Just a body would be fine, but a Grip (or a full sized body D4 / 1D) would get in the way.

But you could mount a small ballhead on the stackshot, that would raise the body up high enough to clear it.... that would be easy! And the rail is heavy duty enough to allow that.

 

[amolitor]

Charlie, does it strike you that it's genuinely more accurate in some useful way than a manual rail? They talk up the accuracy, of course, but then they would!

It's obvious that there's a ton of convenience with the thing, if you're shooting a bunch of stuff. You can set it and forget it, and get a really accurate stack of images over and over. Perfect for the museum people or biologists or whatever, people who have to crank the subjects through it. What's less obvious is whether there's a benefit beyond convenience, hence my question about accuracy.

The manfrotto rail's pretty accurate and repeatable, but it IS all manual.

 

[Overread]

Ahh thanks for that info - its a bit of a paint/shame that more companies don't build things with grips in mind (my 400D can't have the grip taken off and the 7D can but -- the wrist strap rather makes it a pain). You raise a good point about making it all upside-down - guess I'd have to get used to upsidedown liveview for viewing!

 

[cgipson1]

Ahh thanks for that info - its a bit of a paint/shame that more companies don't build things with grips in mind (my 400D can't have the grip taken off and the 7D can but -- the wrist strap rather makes it a pain). You raise a good point about making it all upside-down - guess I'd have to get used to upsidedown liveview for viewing!

Actually a ballhead on the rail would fix that... Stability shouldn't be an issue.

 

[cgipson1]

Charlie, does it strike you that it's genuinely more accurate in some useful way than a manual rail? They talk up the accuracy, of course, but then they would!

It's obvious that there's a ton of convenience with the thing, if you're shooting a bunch of stuff. You can set it and forget it, and get a really accurate stack of images over and over. Perfect for the museum people or biologists or whatever, people who have to crank the subjects through it. What's less obvious is whether there's a benefit beyond convenience, hence my question about accuracy.

The manfrotto rail's pretty accurate and repeatable, but it IS all manual.

More convenience and accuracy than anything else... it is much faster and has much more precise stop measurement than I have been able to achieve with a manual rail. My main reason for buying it was the speed... as it makes it more feasible to stack live insects in the field, than a manual rail would. And it is pretty portable considering what it is.

 

[Overread]

Ahh thanks for that info - its a bit of a paint/shame that more companies don't build things with grips in mind (my 400D can't have the grip taken off and the 7D can but -- the wrist strap rather makes it a pain). You raise a good point about making it all upside-down - guess I'd have to get used to upsidedown liveview for viewing!

Actually a ballhead on the rail would fix that... Stability shouldn't be an issue.

hm I wonder if a simple block of metal or even wood shaped to mount between the two would work just as well without introducing another point of possible motion (I'm not a fan of small ball heads for keeping a heavy setup stable and I don't wan to end up making the setup bigger and heavier with stronger ball heads).

 

[cgipson1]

Ahh thanks for that info - its a bit of a paint/shame that more companies don't build things with grips in mind (my 400D can't have the grip taken off and the 7D can but -- the wrist strap rather makes it a pain). You raise a good point about making it all upside-down - guess I'd have to get used to upsidedown liveview for viewing!

Actually a ballhead on the rail would fix that... Stability shouldn't be an issue.

hm I wonder if a simple block of metal or even wood shaped to mount between the two would work just as well without introducing another point of possible motion (I'm not a fan of small ball heads for keeping a heavy setup stable and I don't wan to end up making the setup bigger and heavier with stronger ball heads).

Sure.. something like a milled 3"x3" cylinder of aluminum... with some thread inserts... and a Arca-Swiss clamp on top? That would be rock solid, and light too. Probably wouldn't cost much to have put together by a local machine shop. Might be worth getting a quote. I don't have access to a machine shop anymore, or I could whip one out pretty quickly....

 

[Overread]

Aye shouldn't cost too much and could easily sit right there without any problems!

That said as much as I really really like the idea of the stackshot, I'm somewhat warming more toward the stopshot setup - mostly because it lets me do something different and new instead of just improving what I can do with what I currently have. A great shame that the stop and stack shot can't be controlled from the same command unit, but whilst I'm certain that I will get a stackshot at some point the stopshot might just win out (even if it is the more expensive setup when fully completed).


I've also noticed that they've added a lot more items to their shop over the last year, the external shutter alone is a major addition for outdoors work with the lasers and fast moving subjects.


Then again I've got to look at what else I could consider adding to my setup for the same price. I could gather up some flash equipment, something that I would make use of and which I don't have in any great quantity (only got a 580 and the macro twinflash). I've always had my eye on those 2 mini studio flash lights with a battery kits - knowing full well that larger studio flash heads can be had for less, but being very attracted by the kits portability (and in the end once you put a softbox/umbella into the mix the size of the original light source isn't as much of a problem).

Other ideas are jumping for an all round tripod update - a set of Gitzo legs without the middle column and a better tripod head. Then there is the option of a tiltshift lens, something I've wanted to play around with in the macro work especially.

hmm tricky choices - with the big risk that the stopshot could end up being used for some waterdrops and then sitting and collecting dust for a while if I don't get together some custom assembly to hold the crossbeam lasers firmly for an inflight insect setup.

 

[cgipson1]

Looks like you have some great ideas... be fun to see what you come up with!