New Hejnar PHOTO E051 Nodal / Macro Rail

Another 5/8" thick rail, following the design pattern of the new G15 and G16 series of 6 and 8 inch rails, is out. Hejnar PHOTO has released a 5/8" alternative for the E033 6.5" Nodal /Macro Rail, which is actually the shorter brother of the E050 Nodal /Macro Rail released earlier this March.
The new E051 rail although based on the E33 principle has been redesigned to great extend with some added features.

The Rail

Manufacturer Specification:
Model:	E51 Nodal Slide
Length:	6.5" (16.50 cm)
Width:	1,5" (03.81 cm)
Thickness:	5/8" (1.6 cm)
Weight:	5.7 oz (161 gr)
Material:	6061-T6 Aluminium
Safety Stop Screws:	2 x M3
Front holes:	1 x 1/4"-20 and 2 x 5mm
Laser Engraved Scales:	Metric mm
Hardware:	Stainless Steel
Color:	Black hard coat anodized
Made in:	USA

Much like its bigger brother the E050, the Hejnar Photo E051 Rail is accompanied by one 1/4"-20 captive screw, ½" (1,27 cm) long, Two M3 screws attached at the bottom of the plate, two dowel pins and two Allen hex keys, one for the M3 screws and one for the 1/4"-20 screw.
As all Hejnar Photo products it is CNC machined from 6061-T6 Aluminium and is black hard coat anodized. There is a captive style slot 5cm (1,97") long in the front, next to it an 1/4"-20 tapped hole permits it to be mount directly on a tripod or attach any other gear.

On the bottom side we can see the two M3 screws that act as safety stops at each rail end.

Another 1/4"-20 tapped hole further back, which is for mounting Arca compatible clamps, is surrounded by 5 small 5mm holes which accommodate dowel pins for clamp alignment.

The 5/8" rail thickness permits the engraving of metric scales in mm along both sides of the rail as in the G15/16 rail series. The scales range from 0 to 13 cm starting from the center of the 1/4"-20 tapped hole intended for clamp attachment, therefore the middle of the clamp.

Hejnar PHOTO E51 drawing with exact dimensions (click to enlarge).

Added Features

Except for the standard now to Hejnar PHOTO rails, bubble spirit level, the new E051 rail is also equipped with one 1/4"-20 tapped hole and two 5mm dowel pin holes in the front. These front holes permit the mount and perfect alignment, by the use of the dowel pins, of a quick release clamp on the rail front.

Combined with F61 quick release clamp

First choice between the Hejnar PHOTO clamps is the F061a 1.5" clamp, for its lower weigh and compactness. F61a quick release clamp with small black knob, is an updated version of the older F012 clamp, for which you can find more info in my Hejnar Photo F010 & F012 Clamps Review.

The F61 clamp fits perfectly the rail width, is aligned via the provided dowel pins and secured on the rail, with an 1/4"-20 screw (which is provided with the clamp).

The E051 + F061 combination robustness is a perfect choice when the rail is going to be used as a Nodal slide for heavy wide to medium telephoto lenses combined with heavy camera bodies.

One of the benefits of adding a clamp on top of the nodal rail, instead of having the clamp integrated on the rail, is that the bottom side is always clear end to end without the interference of the clamp jaw or the clamp knob at the same level.

By simply unscrewing, relocating the pins and screwing it at the new position, any clamp can very easily be re-oriented on the rail in 90° increments.

I hope you found the article and ideas useful, thank you for viewing.
All Photos used by permission: © 2012 Chris Hejnar / Hejnar Photo

Price and Availability:
Estimated prices are US$ 55.00 for the E051 Nodal / Macro Rail and US$ 99.00 for the E051 Rail with the F61b quick release clamp as a package (+shipping where applicable).
The E51 Nodal Rail is available from Hejnar Photo online Store

If you are interested in the product, do check the Recommended Sellers page for a valid Hejnar Photo discount coupon before ordering.

Referenced Articles:
Hejnar PHOTO F010A and F012 Quick Release Clamps
Hejnar PHOTO F62A Quick Release Clamp Review

Relevant Articles:
Hejnar PHOTO E050 Nodal/Macro Rail
Hejnar PHOTO E031 Nodal/Macro Rail Review
Hejnar PHOTO E033 Nodal /Macro Rail Update
Create a Heavy Duty Multi Row Panorama Head