Reverse prime macro lens

The pringles tube is doing the exact same work that an extension tube would be doing. So the same...

I think I understand what you're saying, and I reckon it makes sense. The further my lens from the body, the better the magnification, but the less the image quality. So a trade-off.

It might be worth making an adjustable tube (I would use pvc piping) that can go long or short.

Thanks for the help, Overread. You're a fountain of info :)
 
An adjustable tube like you describe would be exactly like a bellows setup - infact you might be able to find a cheap old film era set of bellows on a rail on ebay and a cheap adaptor mount to mount it to your camera. Failing that there are some pretty cheap hongkong bellows that you could look into as well.
 
When I turn my prime around and hold it against the mount it just blinks "f--"
 
You might have to shift into manual mode to get the camera to fire the shutter - regardless you will have to be in that mode to set a decent shutter speed most likley (you will be needing flash for a good exposure as you can't hold the lens perfectly still over a longer exposure).
1/200sec shutter speed
ISO 100
and let flash deal with the rest of the needed light.

Also I have a feeling that Nikon lenses always close down to the smallest aperture when removed from a camera body. Further the aperture setting trick does not work on nikon lenses - you have to have one of the kind with manual aperture controls on the lens itself in order to be able to control the blades.
 
And there's no way to focus the reverse prime other than moving back and forth, right?

I mean - I'm stuck with one distance, one focus?
 
Im sure you could adjust the focus (just turn the lens and the focus should shift) whilst its in the reversed positon. I however have no idea how much or little this will affect your end image.
 
Im sure you could adjust the focus (just turn the lens and the focus should shift) whilst its in the reversed positon. I however have no idea how much or little this will affect your end image.

ok I'll keep trying.
 
You can adjust the focus on the lens, but it will not make a huge amount of difference. The primary method of focusing the images is to move the camera closer or farther from the subject. This system does not give you a tremendous amount of flexibility. I see you have a Nikon: I would like to suggest that there is an older accessory, often available pretty cheaply, called a macro converter or sometimes called a macro coupler; it is in effect, a variable-magnification combination telephoto converter AND extension tube, combined into one device. These were popular in the 1970's and into the 1980's their prevalence sort of waned. I have one, and it was made by Panagor. It offers a rotating ring with a magnifcation scale with 1 to 10,5,3,2,1,5, and finally 1:1 (full life-size) image magnification, when using a 50mm lens focused at infinity. It has some lens elements in the middle of about a 25mm or so extension tube-type barrel, and it works quite well. COnstruction quality is typical mid-1970's,meaning rock solid and precision build and silky smooth zooming. It is inscribed with the name Panagor Auto Macro Coupler,and it is a device that I payed $25 for. It's a very useful device for Nikon mount cameras, since it mounts onto all Nikons (the older D100-D50-D70-D200-D80-D90 series bodies, as well as the pro-level bodies that have an AI-tab, like the D1-D2-D3-D300-D700), and maintains automatic diaphragm with any NIkon mount lens made since 1959. it's a **highly desirable** accessory if you can find on on eBay or in an actual camera store's junk bin.
 

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