"This picture, which Waddizzle has shown us several times, is a striking display of masterly, but time consuming, technique. The reason that technique was necessary is that the coin is positioned at a shallow angle to the axis of the lens, greatly increasing the required depth of field. If your requirements allow the jewelry to be photographed from directly overhead, you shouldn't need to consider such heroic measures."
Thanks, for the compliment, Bob.
The angle must have been somewhere close to 45 degrees. The Depth of Field at that angle covered about 1/3 of the quarter's face. The DoF was well under an inch, perhaps as short as 1/4 of an inch, if not even less.
Had I focused straight down at the quarter, I probably could have managed to get the entire face of the quarter in focus. But, how many pieces of jewelry that you are photographing are as thin as a quarter, or less than 1/4 of an inch thick?
BTW, I took 6 shots so that I could have a bit of overlap between the images. I started at the bottom, the closest part of the subject to me, and worked by way "up" to the most distant part of the subject, which is what the software was looking for...nearest to farthest.
---------------------------------------------------
I would advise getting a tripod and head that is rated at least 4-5 times the weight of your heaviest camera/lens combo that you expect to use. That probably works out to somewhere near 17 pounds, at a minimum. That's a good start, now double it. Some manufacturers are overly optimistic with their "load capacities" of their tripods.
The load ratings most likely apply when the center column is fully retracted, and with the legs extended to their minimum distance. Once you start raising the center column and extending the legs, instability will creep into the picture, which is one reason why getting your hands on what seems to be an overly robust tripod is a good thing, most especially if you're using it in a studio, or some other controlled environment where you're not carrying it around.
Tripod heads can be similarly overly rated by the manufacturers. I have found a liking for Benro and Induro, which are two names from the same parent brand. I like ball heads that have a separate friction adjustment. I prefer pan/tilt heads over ball heads for precision shots. I also like to use leveling adapters between the head and the tripod.
If you get serious about macro photography, then some macro rails might be a good investment. Prices for rails can vary widely. I shot the quarter with a pretty strong pan/tilt head, Induro PHD3, which is rated at over 70+ pounds. Everything else was rated just as high. The head was mounted on an Induro 8M Alloy 100mm tripod, with a Gitzo Series 5 pnuematic ball mounted in the bowl as a leveling adapter. The Gitzo head has exceptional friction control. I also use a Sunwayfoto leveling plate, which is nothing more than flat plat with an oversized bubble level, under the PHD3 head. I use the Gitzo head to level the plate, which naturally levels the head.
Why so much horsepower in my tripod set up? I used an EOS 6D, with a battery grip, and the 16-35mm lens listed just below, to photograph the quarter. The camera, battery grip, and lens must have weighed well over 5 pounds. I manually focused with Live View, which meant I would be touching the camera quite a bit to adjust the focus for the six shots. So, I wanteded something that would not move, wouldn't budge, and not by a hair. BTW, most photo stacking software can align images, but I wasn't going to rely too heavily on that feature.
Please, ask questions about any tripod and head combo that you wish to purchase. Stay away from the plastic tripods sold at the big box stores. Look for metal tripods that allow for interchangeable heads. My "legs" are made from an aluminum/magnesium alloy, as well as the head. My advice will run towards the more robust the better, which does not mean you need to spend a whole lot. I bide my time, and take advantage of clearance sales.
There is no need to rush into a tripod purchase. I recently purchased a "travel tripod", which consists of a Benro COM37AL tripod, which has no center column and comes with an excellent, oversized, well padded case, and a Benro V3 ball head. I recently purchased the pair at nearly 66% off list price. I use a Sunwayfoto Leveling adapter base. The entire setup fits into the tripod case without need to disassemble it! Most would not consider such a setup to a "travel tripod", but I'm a big guy.
--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."
