When I forwarded a link to this thread to a photographer friend he sent me this:
http://www.syncroscopy.com/syncroscopy/news.asp
Harold
OlyMinCan-28
Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau
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Harold Gough
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rjlittlefield
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Syncroscopy Auto-Montage is probably the oldest and best-established "focus stacking" program on the planet. They cater to production mode high end scientific installations, including motorized control of focus platforms such as microscope stages. Among my contacts, people who have directly compared Auto-Montage, CombineZ*, Helicon Focus, and Zerene Stacker generally find that Auto-Montage is faster, while the others generate higher quality output.
FWIW...
--Rik
I think it is doable...
Dear Chris,
you wrote:
... you almost certainly won't be able to do it "like Charles did ", unless you can figure out a bellows with a rear standard half a millimeter thick. Charles had a total of 3mm or so to play with.
I tend to disagree. If it is possible to move the lens 2.5 mm (difference between the flange-sensor-distance of Canon EOS and Nikon) closer to the camera, all is well. To me, it looks like Charles' infinity stop is protruding at least those 2.5 mm (perhaps even 5mm) out from the front standard. I may need to make a bag bellow (to get enough extension "span" between minimum and maximum - maximum extension requirement will be reduced for a wider lens), but I don't see the need for a slimmer standard.
Best regards,
Lars
you wrote:
... you almost certainly won't be able to do it "like Charles did ", unless you can figure out a bellows with a rear standard half a millimeter thick. Charles had a total of 3mm or so to play with.
I tend to disagree. If it is possible to move the lens 2.5 mm (difference between the flange-sensor-distance of Canon EOS and Nikon) closer to the camera, all is well. To me, it looks like Charles' infinity stop is protruding at least those 2.5 mm (perhaps even 5mm) out from the front standard. I may need to make a bag bellow (to get enough extension "span" between minimum and maximum - maximum extension requirement will be reduced for a wider lens), but I don't see the need for a slimmer standard.
Best regards,
Lars
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Charles Krebs
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Lars, Chris...
Should be possible. I machined off some "depth" of the aperture ring/barrel and there's a little more that could be removed is needed (and still have a nice functional f-stop ring). If needed, a bag bellows would provide even a little more room.
The optical section (once removed from the Olympus lens focus mount) is narrow enough to be moved into the "throat" of the Nikon body. My biggest concern was the mirror clearance at infinity focus, but the reference Lars gave suggests that this will not be a problem.
Should be possible. I machined off some "depth" of the aperture ring/barrel and there's a little more that could be removed is needed (and still have a nice functional f-stop ring). If needed, a bag bellows would provide even a little more room.
The optical section (once removed from the Olympus lens focus mount) is narrow enough to be moved into the "throat" of the Nikon body. My biggest concern was the mirror clearance at infinity focus, but the reference Lars gave suggests that this will not be a problem.
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Charles Krebs
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Chris,
This shows the edge that was machined down to give more room.
The lens was purchased for this project (cheap, compared to the 24mm or 21mm), but the Minolta bellows was an old piece laying around in one of my "boxes-o-stuff".
If I were to start from scratch (i.e. no bellows on hand to scavenge) there are other ways to approach this. One that I had mentioned earlier still interests me if I ever get my hands on a wider lens.
This shows the edge that was machined down to give more room.
The lens was purchased for this project (cheap, compared to the 24mm or 21mm), but the Minolta bellows was an old piece laying around in one of my "boxes-o-stuff".
If I were to start from scratch (i.e. no bellows on hand to scavenge) there are other ways to approach this. One that I had mentioned earlier still interests me if I ever get my hands on a wider lens.
I would explore the possibility of mounting the lens in a large sturdy "L" bracket, with the bottom of the "L" running under the DSLR. The body itself could be attached to the rail via a small sliding linear stage (smooth, "ball-bearing" movement like the ones Newport and others make). I think with a little thought this could be made to work quite nicely. If I ever try a 24mm lens (or wider) I might go that route.
Dear Charles,
Thank you for your elaboration.
You alternative method with a rail or linear stage under the DSLR sounds interesting and I may investigate it. However, it may not be cheaper if one were to first acquire such a stage rather than an old bellow.
You and others mentioned that not all wide angles would extent nicely. So I would probably test any lens extended first before taking it apart.
Cheers, Lars
Thank you for your elaboration.
You alternative method with a rail or linear stage under the DSLR sounds interesting and I may investigate it. However, it may not be cheaper if one were to first acquire such a stage rather than an old bellow.
You and others mentioned that not all wide angles would extent nicely. So I would probably test any lens extended first before taking it apart.
Cheers, Lars
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Charles Krebs
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usefull device
ad Charles:
For your "L-plate" method this focusing "rail/plate" may be interesting:
http://reallyrightstuff.com/macro/02.html - and perhaps cheaper than a "linear stage".
ad Chris:
That looks great! Now I wonder what the 21/3.5 looks like and how it fares extended. Have you checked the performance of the 24/2.8 using extension and thereby focusing extra close?
Best regards,
Lars
For your "L-plate" method this focusing "rail/plate" may be interesting:
http://reallyrightstuff.com/macro/02.html - and perhaps cheaper than a "linear stage".
ad Chris:
That looks great! Now I wonder what the 21/3.5 looks like and how it fares extended. Have you checked the performance of the 24/2.8 using extension and thereby focusing extra close?
Best regards,
Lars
Lars - not recently!
It's supposed to be OK.
I've left it in a box with the 28 in the hope that they have a baby. Maybe a 16?!
That RRS rail says it's $350. Ouch. And you still have to hold the lens somehow.
An idea - the old(?) Cokin filter mount adaptors had a wide flange. which could be used for putting screws through, etc. There was a larger type, called "A" series I think.
I have various old bellows but none of the ones I'm prepared to saw up, are suitable. Something from a Pentacon 6, perhaps!
It's supposed to be OK.
I've left it in a box with the 28 in the hope that they have a baby. Maybe a 16?!
That RRS rail says it's $350. Ouch. And you still have to hold the lens somehow.
An idea - the old(?) Cokin filter mount adaptors had a wide flange. which could be used for putting screws through, etc. There was a larger type, called "A" series I think.
I have various old bellows but none of the ones I'm prepared to saw up, are suitable. Something from a Pentacon 6, perhaps!
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Charles Krebs
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Lyle,
The outside barrel of the front of the lens is a certain diameter at the very end (don't know the exact diameter). This "diameter" continues towards the rear of the lens for a few mm and then the barrel diameter gets larger just before the aperture ring. This provides a nice shoulder. So the hole in the front standard was enlarged so that the narrower diameter at the front would just fit into the hole. The standard was also milled down so that the front edge of the lens came close to, but did not extend out the front. Then I simply used a 52-49mm step ring (the lens has a filter size of 49mm) as a lock ring to "lock" the lens to the front standard. This also then provided 52mm front filter threads.
(Hope that's clear... took more words to describe than I thought
)
Chris,
Well, I picked up a 24mm... should be fun on the full frame camera (if I ever find the time to assemble it!)
The outside barrel of the front of the lens is a certain diameter at the very end (don't know the exact diameter). This "diameter" continues towards the rear of the lens for a few mm and then the barrel diameter gets larger just before the aperture ring. This provides a nice shoulder. So the hole in the front standard was enlarged so that the narrower diameter at the front would just fit into the hole. The standard was also milled down so that the front edge of the lens came close to, but did not extend out the front. Then I simply used a 52-49mm step ring (the lens has a filter size of 49mm) as a lock ring to "lock" the lens to the front standard. This also then provided 52mm front filter threads.
(Hope that's clear... took more words to describe than I thought
)Chris,
Well, I picked up a 24mm... should be fun on the full frame camera (if I ever find the time to assemble it!)
Last edited by Charles Krebs on Fri Feb 26, 2010 9:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Charles Krebs
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Lars,
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=9032
(I picked up three of these some time ago at a really low price)
I would remove the front plate and replace it with a larger one to hold the lens (attached at the front as I have done with the 28mm). Then all that would be needed is to position an "Arca" clamp at the appropriate height on the slider platform. I'd probably make up some sort of "bag" bellows from lens to camera.
I'm still waiting for Chris to get off his duff and tell me how the 24mm lens performs when extended before I go through the effort!
Actually I'm think1ng along the lines of using a Velmex slider like the one pictured here:For your "L-plate" method this focusing "rail/plate" may be interesting:
http://reallyrightstuff.com/macro/02.html - and perhaps cheaper than a "linear stage".
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=9032
(I picked up three of these some time ago at a really low price)
I would remove the front plate and replace it with a larger one to hold the lens (attached at the front as I have done with the 28mm). Then all that would be needed is to position an "Arca" clamp at the appropriate height on the slider platform. I'd probably make up some sort of "bag" bellows from lens to camera.
I'm still waiting for Chris to get off his duff and tell me how the 24mm lens performs when extended before I go through the effort!