Camera Bellows-What to look for when buying a set,how to use

[mo]

Hi Guys
Due to this discussion...HERE
I want to pick your brains on what do you look for when buying a bellows unit....questions to ask the seller etc
I have seen a few different sorts out there Kopil,Novoflex, Minolta,Pentax and many just named by the mount it uses like M42,Canon etc...my first question is do you need to buy for your mount that your camera uses or can you mix mounts on bellows units?
...and is it as simple as just buying any old bellows unit that you come across and attaching your lens and away you go or are there any hidden surprises when using a Bellows for the first time.
I will be researching the "how to use a bellows" on the net but I do like hearing first hand experience and any problems that you may have come across.
Thanks
take this one for example is it a good unit?
Click here to see on Ebay

[Himself]

It's all about the budget.
I wouldn't bother with that one.
You could pick up a bellows with M42 mount in mint condition for the same money. And you have M42 lenses.
Then you need a tripod and a remote.
Going further, you can look for a NIKON PB-4 that has shift/tilt movements. But that one comes for a price, $200-$300. As I said, it's about the budget.

[Scheimpflug]

I would suggest buying one in the most flexible mount for your camera system, otherwise you limit what you can use it with. So in your case, having a K-mount bellows would probably be best, as it would allow you to use essentially any manual lens that you currently can use, including M42 lenses with adapters, M39 enlarger lenses with adapters, etc.

Bellows also have a large range of "features" that you will have to decide on, so finding the best one can be a bit of a challenge. Here are a few of the options to get you thinking:
* simple extension only
* tilt
* shift
* accessories (example: slide or negative duplicating attachments)
* automatic mechanical diaphragm actuation with split remote-release cables
* single or multiple tripod sockets
* Fixed or movable base rail
* Fixed or movable rear piece
* Rail designs: single, dual, quad... round, square, triangular, X-shaped, etc.
* Minimum vs maximum extension tradeoffs
* Rotatable mounts (easy to switch between portrait & landscape, or anywhere in between, while on a tripod)
* Adjustable tension and/or locking abilities
* Availability of dedicated "designed-for-bellows" lenses
* small/light/flimsy vs. large/heavy/strong
* support for heavy lenses
* compatibility with lenses with protruding rear elements
* DSLR compatibility (some have clearance issues with the battery grips)
* Single or dual-sided adjustment knobs
* round or square folded bellows material... or even the "bag" type
* Fixed/matched vs interchangeable body & lens mounts... even T-mount bellows!
* Electrical connections for lens/body communication
* single vs double extension
* etc, etc, etc.


My advice would be to not sweat it too much, but just pick up one which is cheap and simple... then play with it for a while and see what you would like to have in your next set.

[mo]

[RioRico]

@mo,
Skip the Exakta bellows unless you intend to collect Exakta lenses. *MAYBE* it could be converted to PK, but probably not. Yes, an Exa-PK adapter would fit the bellows to your cameras, but the thickness of that adapter would limit your non-macro usage.

PK and M42 bellows are pretty cheap on eBay. I have each. Many lenses fit the M42 bellows, directly or with adapters. I use cheap PK macro tubes as adapters to stick weird large lenses into the PK bellows. If considering cheap bellows in other mounts, look closely at the mount plates -- it *MIGHT* be possible to unscrew them and replace them with PK hardware. But it's better to start with bellows you can USE.

[visualopsins]

I use one of these for walk-around Click here to see on Ebay.

[cooltouch]

Well, I think Scheimpflug has addressed just about every point one can think of when it comes to considering a bellows, including several that you won't even be aware of unless you've been using a set for a while.

In terms of use and not in terms of mount for the moment, I have found that the biggest limiting factor to a set of bellows is the movement it allows once you've gotten your rig close to the subject. Ideally you want to move the lens end and the camera end independently of each other as well as the tripod mount. With some designs this isn't possible because the tripod mount is located on the standard that supports either the lens or the camera. So that is one thing I'd be sure to watch out for. It can be quite frustrating to realize that the movements you need to make can't be made unless you relocate your tripod, which forces you to do the whole recomposition thing, which can be a tedious process with bellows.

Usually this will require a three (or more) rail set of bellows (like Nikon's PB-4) or a set that uses a beam of some sort (like the Canon Auto Bellows). But I've seen some two rail bellows that have a tripod mount set into a front or rear plate that is fixed whereas the lens standard is moveable. These will work, but they tend to be imbalanced.

Here's a decent M42 set on eBay. They're Russian, but they appear to be well made, and the movements are rather interesting.

Click here to see on Ebay

The front standard works off a dovetail on the rear standard, but the rear standard is located on a rail for the tripod mount. This allows for independent positioning of both the camera and lens in relation to the tripod, which is what you want. It looks typically Russian-style overbuilt, which is a good thing I guess, but also reasonably well made, and it's priced pretty cheap as well.

Another item that you'll find you're gonna need if you do a lot of bellows work is a focusing stage. I found a Chinese seller on eBay that was selling them for about 40USD. The old ones can be very expensive, so I decided to give the cheap Chinese one a try. I was surprised. It's all metal with a rubberized base and the adjustments are precise with no looseness at all. There's some backlash in the adjustments, but I can live with it.

Some of these aftermarket bellows come with a T-mount for the camera, which can be handy, and also a "flange-mount" for the lens, which is also handy too, providing you're able to find flange mounts for other lenses. T-mounts are common, but flange mounts are not.

[visualopsins]

Here's example of bellows with all three adjustables, the front & rear standards and tripod mount.



The standards and tripod 'trolleys' are reversible on the X-bar.

This is the only type to use at magnifications greater than 1:1 imho.

[Himself]

What brand is it?

[visualopsins]

The photo in post above above shows the Asahi Pentax Auto Bellows. Other manufacturers make similar x-bar type bellows.

I find the following accessory useful when camera with macro lens is mounted on tripod. I can set a precise magnification ratio marked on the lens then move the entire camera/lens back & forth to focus:







That has a Spiratone sticker on it; I've seen the same unit branded otherwise.

[visualopsins]

Asahi Pentax Operating Manual for Extension Tubes, Bellows Unit, Copy Stand, and Microscope Adapter has tips, tech info, tables for various focal lengths. These are all M42.

The password is Pentax so the file must be a Dick Butkus (-halli-, ) original. He's re-arranged his web site. I can't find it there now! I did find this there: Photographic Encyclopedias, Photography Instructions, Public Relations Booklets

[cooltouch]

[fuzzywuzzy]