PB-4 Bellows / NEX C3

Nesster · Expire: 2014-02-20

I just got the bellows, they are the tilt/shift Nikon ones. Lashed up a Kodak Anastigmat, and attached the NEX via Spiratone F to M42, M42 to NEX adapters... I still have bits coming & better ways to attach the lenses, and a tilt NEX adapter to add, but for fun:

modern view camera by Nesster, on Flickr

flower by Nesster, on Flickr

fern by Nesster, on Flickr

lawn chair, green by Nesster, on Flickr

lamp sofa by Nesster, on Flickr

PanoYard by Nesster, on Flickr

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

Nice ones. I've been meaning to do similar. I have both the PB-4 bellows and the Hama-made Spiratone Bellows Master SST, which looks like a miniaturized Technikardan or something. They are both fairly recent acquisitions and I haven't actually taken them out and used them yet.

Only problem for me that I can forsee is lenses. I have the macro lens that came with the Spiratone bellows -- it's a Spiratone 150mm f/4.5 Macrotel. I tested it to determine its image circle and I was pleasantly surprised -- it's somewhere around 6 inches (15cm). So it will allow plenty of movement. But if I wanted to use one of my 35mm lenses, I've tested a few of them too and they all have predictably narrow image circles. But I wonder -- I know the PB-4 has rather limited movements. Perhaps this is why -- Nikon determined how much movement was excessive and restricted the movements of its bellows in light of this? Seems like it would make sense. And probably the only reason why the Spiratone SST has the movements it does is because of that lens that comes with them.

I was gonna ask what your old Kodak's image circle is, then I noticed on your photo that the front of the lens reads "4x5". Well, you won't have problem with movements, will you? Cool

So you just used gaffers tape to hold it on the bellows front standard, or? It and Duck Tape keep the Universe from falling apart, you ask me.

Nice photos too. Mustn't forget them. I guess the Kodak is in barrel, eh? (e.g., no aperture assembly) I wonder what sort of rig a guy would have to cobble up to mount a lens with a decent sized image circle and with an aperture assembly onto the front of that PB-4. Seems like it would get rather complicated in a hurry. Front-mounted Waterhouse stops, maybe?

Nesster · Expire: 2014-02-20

Nesster · Expire: 2014-02-20

Put up a Parking lot by Nesster, on Flickr

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4744 Location: Cheshire, England

Nesster · Expire: 2014-02-20

Thanks -- I thought I had a Nikon-NEX adapter, but I could not find it... so maybe I don't have one. That should be the simplest.

The D600 mounts fine vertically, but the flash bulge will get marred when I turn the camera. So I'll be using a very short tube with the Nikon.