Manfrotto 454 Micrometric Positioning Sliding Plate - Replaces 3419 -Black

I searched quite a bit online for a focus rail that seemed well built and was not going to cost me an arm and a leg. I do focus stacked photos of my jewelry. I found this unit to be quite steady when used. I have a Canon 5dmkiv and use a 100mm L lens. The screw which moves the rail is quite solid feeling, the only complaint I have is that if you wiggle the camera once its mounted on the tripod there is a small bit of give, but I would not consider this a deal breaker. I purchased this unit and I would buy it again. I have tried a couple of the neewer focus rail systems and found them to be less precise and have a lot more give when moving the camera, even when everything is locked down. This unit isn't going to work the same as the 300 dollar plus units, lets compare apples to apples here. I found this unit to be more than acceptable for the price range.

This is a really good rail with very nice fine thread rod. One revolution would move the rail for one millimeter which is very good for most macro shots. However, there is a HUGE flaw. The thread rod is a bit too long. As a result, the platform wiggles in place (back and forth) for about 0.6 to 1mm. Also, when reversing the direction you need to do one full revolution in reverse direction before the rail begins to move. Both of the units I bought had the same flaw one slightly worse than the other. This makes it OK for focus stacking but horrible for locking down a correct manual focus for a single shot to the point that it cannot be used.Good news is that this is a solvable problem. I 3D printed a washer with a cut out to slide in the gap between the knob and rail (14mm OD & 7.4mm ID). This fixed absolutely all problems and all of a sudden converted this to a flawless rail with absolutely zero play.

Good value for money. Added it to a junior head with a quick release plate to maximize flexibility and avoid changing camera and lens plates for use. It may not allow for detailed control of focus stacking like an automated rid, but the control knobs are good enough to do so manually with a macro lens up to 1:1 magnification. Instead of an outlay 5 times as expensive, this does the job. Rather spend money on lenses. Most importantly, does not need batteries and is easy to use and clean. There may be cheap alternatives, but the one thing I really like about Manfrotto is that replacement parts are always available as are repair instructions.

I was concerned after seeing review mentioning poor workmanship (in particular instability in the slide plate itself). Just put this together - the instructions are horrible, BTW - and I think it's quite solid. But I'd bet that 20% of the returns are due to the instructions which are inadequate both on assembly and use.

Prior to purchasing I read many reviews on this product, some saying it was great and others saying it had excessive slop (unwanted movement) between the fixed plate and the moving rail.I decided to give it a go, given that it was less than a third of the price of the much praised Novoflex rails.While I'm not totally disappointed with the Manfrotto rails, I don't believe they are made to the same high quality of other Manfrotto products I have seen and used. There is significant slack between the plate that bolts to the top of the tripod and the moving rail that connects to the camera.Yes, the rail can be locked to the plate by screwing the lock screw fully in, but then you can't move the plate.As the old adage goes, you get what you pay for! If you want the best, don't get the Manfrotto 454.

after carefully reviewing comments from others. I took the plunge and it worked for me just fantastically.......... very smooth, no spinning in an oval fashion as some stated........... I am into heavy macro use a canon 7D. Canon 180 macro L series lens, Manfrotto heavy tripod and this Micrometric ties them all together very well.The only thing I can think of with negative reviews is bad product, poor knowledge, or just jumping in too fast. Marco Photography is a world like no other and some of the basic camera basics do not apply or we have to modify them.

Simple product that works

Sturdy and very well-made as I expected from Manfrotto. Very fine adjustment is easy to achieve and this is exactly what is needed when creating a focus stack. This is the only product I could find in this price range. Extremely happy with it.