My macro rig

[SonicScot]

I thought I'd show everyone what I've been using to get my recent macro shots of bees/hoverflies/etc, like this;

Versatar 70-210 macro (with Raynox 250)-3 by Gaz Sutherland, on Flickr

My Canon 7D has a Velbon flash bracket attached, upon which is a Yongnuo 565EX speedlight. Unfortunately the 7D doesn't wirelessly trigger the flash, so I use the pop-up as a trigger (the pop-up light has no effect on the exposure). The mini-softbox was bought on ebay for £3 and seems to work really well.
On camera is my Vivitar 70-210/3.5 with a Raynox DCR-250 attached to the front. At full zoom this combination provides around 2:1 magnification.
I can swing the speedlight in any direction, the angle in the photo below works in most cases. I had a plan to use two flash on two of these brackets, but it was rightly pointed out to me that it would be too heavy and cumbersome.
In this configuration I find it quite easy to hand-hold for long periods, avoiding the restrictions tripods and monopods put on the photographer when shooting fast moving subjects.
EDIT forgot to say, this set-up gives me about 7 inches between lens and subject.

(apologies for crappy phone camera photo)

[Himself]

I like that rig Gary.
I can't see how you hooked that flash to the handle but I hope to be a ball head because you want the diffuser where the lens ends.
You don't intend to use the built-in flash, do you? Not like that anyway.

[SonicScot]

[Himself]

They don't speak the same language but you can help with the translation

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_kw=flash+trigger

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=camera+flash+cord&_sacat=0

[SonicScot]

[pich900]

Don't change anything, it seems to works perfectly like this

[SonicScot]

[David]

Hey, Gary,

So my K1000 has a dead hot shoe, always has. I bought a hot shoe bracket that has a wire to connect to the flash port. Would something like that work? It adds about 0/75 inches or less to the flash's height, and a wire could be in the way, but it's about a $4 solution.

But honestly, the rig you have right now works really well.

[SonicScot]