Fotomate LP-01 Geared Macro Rail Review

A little before getting into a completely Arca Swiss® compatible rail system I was experimenting with the use of Fotomate LP-01 Geared Macro Rails both as a macro rail and as a nodal slide.
However, I continue to see interest and questions about this rail in many fora discussions and, as I consider it a very economical solution for macro work with entry level DSLRs, I decided to write a more detailed review for reference.

Fotopro QAL-500 Quick Release Clamp with P60 Quick Release Plate Review

The Fotopro QAL-500 Arca Swiss® compatible clamp has been mentioned in many of my posts and reviews, therefore I decided to make this more detailed review and present all of its characteristics for reference purposes.

Create a Multi Row Panorama Head

In my quest for a Multi row Panorama (or Panoramic) Head, I came across many solutions but either I had to pay a small fortune for a rigid and vibration free construction or risk a lot of work on a cheep copy ending up with blurred images.

After testing some solutions and studying their behaviour under load, I came up with some


Required attributes:
Arca-Swiss® compatible rails with double dovetail and scales.
At least 20cm (8") long rails that would accommodate a Gripped DSLR (without having to remove the Grip in order to fit on the Panorama Head).
Sturdy construction and rigid bonding between parts in order to avoid any torsion under load or any resonance derived from vibration.

And last but not least keep the volume and weigh low for ease of transport.

Create an Economy Nodal / Marcro Rail

Basic concept:
Multifunction Nodal / Macro Rail that would be Arca-Swiss® compatible.
Length about 17cm. (6,7")
Double dovetail structured profile.
Complemented by a 5 cm (1.97") Arca-Swiss® compatible Quick Release Clamp with short screw knob.