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Photography technical advice, questions, tips and techniques.

Started by Tank, July 30, 2018, 10:37:09 AM

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Dave

I am playing with a cheapo (£20ish) bellows unit. Gonna take some playing!

But they  all seem to have the same, in my mind, design fault. The camera stays put and the lens trundles back and forth on the rack. As you can see in the image (wish I had more room to set things up) this means the rack always pokes out front, limiting what you can take pictures of. It limits how close you can get the front of the lens to most subjects.



It's made worse here because I am also using a focussing rack which sticks out even further! But I could reverse that if it were a bit beefier.

If the lens mount end was fixed wrt the tripod mount (with the tripod mount moved to the optimal balance point) and the rack wound the camera back and forth it would need a bit more metal but mean you could get close up and personal even at minimum extension.

Tried taking pictures of a dandelion seed head but crashed into it too many tine. Need a flat subject to practice, with a bit more detail than that seed head - full extension shots were mainly of a tiny part of one fibre. Also very hard to light and focus, expanding screen image degrades the image in other ways, ended up using a 10x loupe, reversed, on the screen itself! But every tiny camera tremor is an earthquake at the subject. Too ambitious for a starter.

If the lens looks a little droopy that is because I forgot to tighten the clamp screw! This is a cheapo unit just for playing!

I also thought, at one point, that I had buggered the camera. I was using an extension lead and accidentally put it into the "bulb" mode, locking the shutter open and killing all controls!
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

hermes2015

Dave, that looks like an interesting setup. I've read of those, but never used one. Silly question, but would it not be possible to interchange the fittings and mount the camera at the current lens end?
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

Dave

Quote from: hermes2015 on September 05, 2018, 04:36:21 PM
Dave, that looks like an interesting setup. I've read of those, but never used one. Silly question, but would it not be possible to interchange the fittings and mount the camera at the current lens end?

First thing I looked at! The lens mount bayonet socket plate is a screwed on item but the male bayonet to the camera is cast with the tripod mount. Was hoping it was screw-on both ends :(

Thought I had a bayonet gender bender and screw on plate but can only find half of a lens reversing set, no good.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

hermes2015

That's too bad. I know one can buy a ring adapter to reverse-mount a a lens on the camera body. Would one of those help?
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

Dave

Quote from: hermes2015 on September 05, 2018, 05:26:21 PM
That's too bad. I know one can buy a ring adapter to reverse-mount a a lens on the camera body. Would one of those help?

Don't think so, it would need male/male and female/female adapters to swap the genders at each end.

Did look to see if I could mod the fucussing slide to do the job. The answer is yes, if only I had access to a mill.

Will try tomorrow with the other lenses to see if they give decent macro focus off the end of the rack. I have to pack everything away each time I change the function of this little room. Can't safely use the computer with tripods and stuff in that corner and the table has an infra-red switch electronics project on it (awaiting parts delivery). As well as some photographic bits. Can spend half a day just setting up again. Need a play room.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

hermes2015

Quote from: Dave on September 05, 2018, 05:44:27 PM
Quote from: hermes2015 on September 05, 2018, 05:26:21 PM
That's too bad. I know one can buy a ring adapter to reverse-mount a a lens on the camera body. Would one of those help?

Don't think so, it would need male/male and female/female adapters to swap the genders at each end.

Did look to see if I could mod the fucussing slide to do the job. The answer is yes, if only I had access to a mill.

Will try tomorrow with the other lenses to see if they give decent macro focus off the end of the rack. I have to pack everything away each time I change the function of this little room. Can't safely use the computer with tripods and stuff in that corner and the table has an infra-red switch electronics project on it (awaiting parts delivery). As well as some photographic bits. Can spend half a day just setting up again. Need a play room.

I get tired just hearing about the contortions you have to go through. But, I suspect you actually enjoy these technical travails you get yourself into.
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

jumbojak

You might not have a mill but I bet you could do it with a file.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

Dave

Quote from: hermes2015 on September 05, 2018, 05:58:57 PM
Quote from: Dave on September 05, 2018, 05:44:27 PM
Quote from: hermes2015 on September 05, 2018, 05:26:21 PM
That's too bad. I know one can buy a ring adapter to reverse-mount a a lens on the camera body. Would one of those help?

Don't think so, it would need male/male and female/female adapters to swap the genders at each end.

Did look to see if I could mod the fucussing slide to do the job. The answer is yes, if only I had access to a mill.

Will try tomorrow with the other lenses to see if they give decent macro focus off the end of the rack. I have to pack everything away each time I change the function of this little room. Can't safely use the computer with tripods and stuff in that corner and the table has an infra-red switch electronics project on it (awaiting parts delivery). As well as some photographic bits. Can spend half a day just setting up again. Need a play room.

I get tired just hearing about the contortions you have to go through. But, I suspect you actually enjoy these technical travails you get yourself into.

As I have intimated before - I thrive on solving technical problems! Just hate having to tidy everything away part way through a job.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Dave

Quote from: jumbojak on September 05, 2018, 05:59:34 PM
You might not have a mill but I bet you could do it with a file.

You forgot the obligatory, ."..and a big hammer."

Hmm, in this case precision is required that I no longer have the ability to achieve with my 3" clamp on vice, on a wobbly D&D Workmate, and a file. Eyes hands and back no longer up to it. Also the drill stand has a 2mm wobble, it was 4mm but I reduced that with some beercan shims!. Can't quite see how to eliminate it entirely.

Given a mill and some matetial I could make my own design. Though, since all bellows, from <£20 - £400, follow the same pattern I wonder if there is not a resdon for it. Most images with lenses fitted show  much larger lenses than the 50mm job I was trying. Ideslly, in my mjnd, it should eork wrll with any lense. But, it would not be the first time I have literally "turned a problem on its head" to see both solutions others have missed. And I feel sure you have similar experiences, JJ!
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

jumbojak

I'd be willing to bet that the exporters of those bellows are all copying each other's crappy designs. It's surprisingly common. You can buy 1-2-3 blocks from dozens, if not hundreds, of different manufacturers in China but... none of them work! They all seem to tap the holes the wrong size and they can't be bolted together. So you have a precisely sized block with odd threaded holes that serve minimal purpose.

Why people continue buying them is a mystery to me. Complacency maybe? It's probably the same story with your bellows.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

hermes2015

"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

Dave

Quote from: jumbojak on September 05, 2018, 06:50:40 PM
I'd be willing to bet that the exporters of those bellows are all copying each other's crappy designs. It's surprisingly common. You can buy 1-2-3 blocks from dozens, if not hundreds, of different manufacturers in China but... none of them work! They all seem to tap the holes the wrong size and they can't be bolted together. So you have a precisely sized block with odd threaded holes that serve minimal purpose.

Why people continue buying them is a mystery to me. Complacency maybe? It's probably the same story with your bellows.

Well, shen I were but a nipper someone gave me a very old, wooden 1/4 plate bellows camera (wish I still had it!). It was the same basic layout, magazine at the back with tripod mount, rack sticking a foot out in front of it with the lens on the carriage. The layout has not changed since the 19th century.

I found an old photo shop owner/photographer/processer (his eyes lit up when he saw the camera) who loaded the magazine with glass plates for me and processed them at a shilling a shot (nearly half my allowance of 2s 6d a week). It was great for for taking photomicrographs with my little microscope! Great pictures of hair roots and spider legs etc!
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Dave

Quote from: hermes2015 on September 05, 2018, 07:21:48 PM
This design looks better, in that both side can be adjusted.



https://www.nikonimgsupport.com/ni/NI_article?articleNo=000002378&configured=1&lang=en_US

Much better design, as one would expect from Nikon!

New price seems to be about £350, one refurbished PB-6 at £250.

Hmm, there are some 2nd hand ones on Ebay . . .

Actually the PB-6 is quite different, square rail and a central tripod mount with it own adjustment. So it has a focussing slide combined. But it is from Germany and the price plus carriage goes way over my budget. Nothing available from the UK.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

hermes2015

"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

hermes2015

"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames