Macro Extension Bellows

[SteveEllis]

Hi Guys,

I was looking for some macro extension tubes when I came across these bellows, they look interesting but are they any good?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lens-Macro-Fo...ryZ29982QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

In addition can anyone translate the magnification for me please.
Do you know if the DOF will be extreme or nicely usable?

Cheers,
Steve.

 

[Digital Matt]

Magnifcation ratios are determined by the focal length of the lens and the distance of the extension. This says it extends to 150mm.

If 1:1 = lifesize magnifaction, a 50mm lens with 50mm of extension will give you 1:1 (50/50=1)

150mm with a 50mm lens will give you 3:1, or 3x lifesize. This is extreme magnification. The DOF is extremely thin at 1:1, and normally requires apertures of 11 to 16 and beyond to get a good portion of the frame in focus. I can only imagine that at 150mm of extension, a lens with f/32 is necessary at minimum.

 

[Patrice]

The rails look a little flimsy. At the sorts of magnification your'e looking at you'll want rock steady performance. As with almost everything else in photography, the good stuff is not cheap. Good luck with your exploration in macro, post some pics when you can.

 

[Blanchettephotography]

I don't see how it could possibly work with a DSLR as there seems to be no contacts between the lens and body, thus no way for the camera to communicate with the lens for exposure.

Regards,
George

 

[Alpha]

I don't see how it could possibly work with a DSLR as there seems to be no contacts between the lens and body, thus no way for the camera to communicate with the lens for exposure.

Regards,
George

It's called shooting in "stop down" mode. Shooting with bellows is a fully manual process. It's like large format. You compose wide open, then stop down (metering through lens or separately), and then expose. If you're using a leaf shutter lens, you have to trigger the leaf shutter and focal plane shutter sequentially. There are higher end macro bellows called "auto bellows" that keep you from having to do that manually.

 

[Blanchettephotography]

It's called shooting in "stop down" mode. Shooting with bellows is a fully manual process. It's like large format. You compose wide open, then stop down (metering through lens or separately), and then expose. If you're using a leaf shutter lens, you have to trigger the leaf shutter and focal plane shutter sequentially. There are higher end macro bellows called "auto bellows" that keep you from having to do that manually.

Forget about leaf shutters and auto bellows, as I had stated in this example, when there is no electronic communication between the lens and camera how can one "stop down" the lens on a DSLR?

 

[Helen B]

"when there is no electronic communication between the lens and camera how can one "stop down" the lens on a DSLR?"

You use an auto diaphragm ring, just the same as you would with a film camera, don't you?

Best,
Helen

 

[Patrice]

" when there is no electronic communication between the lens and camera how can one "stop down" the lens on a DSLR? "

You have to use a lens with an aperture ring and stop it down manually. You can't use a "G" (Nikon) lens with manual or auto bellows. So you meter for your shot, stop down the lens, trip the shutter - photo taken. Don't forget to adjust your exposure for the increased distance from lens to sensor due to the bellows being between them.

 

[Helen B]

You can often meter through the stopped-down lens to avoid the bellows calculations. Nikon make an auto aperture ring with a cable release socket to speed this procedure up - the BR-6.

Best,
Helen

 

[Alpha]

Forget about leaf shutters and auto bellows, as I had stated in this example, when there is no electronic communication between the lens and camera how can one "stop down" the lens on a DSLR?

Presumably, your lens has an aperture ring. If it doesn't, shooting in Auto and controlling aperture through the body will serve the same function.