>My forays (I'm not the OP, note) into shooting macro from a tripod have been remarkably unsuccessful. >None of the photos I like have come from them, and it's a lot more annoying to try to work that way. The only macro fun I have done was with a tripod, bellows and reversed 50mm lens. At that level of magnification you cannot compose the shot hand-held because the dof is so shallow that even tiny camera movement has a profound effect upon the final image. Still, I can't help but believe a tripod is definitely the way to go for the best images. I bought my Manfrotto tripod specifically with macro photography in mind. The legs move independently, they can bend far enough that the tripod can almost sit flat on the ground, the shaft you connect the camera to can be mounted sideways or even upside down under the tripod. I've never been unable to set it up for any shot I wanted. A good tripod is the best lens you will ever own.
