Unknown make - 35mm macro bellows lens

dunksargent · Post by **dunksargent** » Sun May 02, 2010 6:50 am

Just acquired this used unknown brand 35mm f3.5 macro bellows lens with a 42mm screw thread. No idea what quality the images might be or the optimum magnifications but will be interesting experimenting to find out. If anyone has used a lens the same as this I'd be pleased to read any comments. These photos were taken using a handheld Fuji f30 compact camera in macro mode using daylight with my diary utilised as daylight fill in reflector. The Fuji f30 is so useful as a basic internet/photo essay camera because it has exceptional low light capability and the macro facility is fine too.

Cheers

dunk

mgoodm3 · Post by **mgoodm3** » Sun May 02, 2010 11:55 am

It looks almost exactly like a spiratone enlarging lens that I have. Mine works reasonably as a bellows lens when reversed. Not as good as a nice 35mm bellows lens, but not bad for $5.

dunksargent · Post by **dunksargent** » Sun May 02, 2010 12:12 pm

mgoodm3 wrote:It looks almost exactly like a spiratone enlarging lens that I have. Mine works reasonably as a bellows lens when reversed. Not as good as a nice 35mm bellows lens, but not bad for $5.

Thanks for that ... the mount certainly looks the same ... I'll have to try it asap.

Cheers

dunk

mgoodm3 · Post by **mgoodm3** » Sun May 02, 2010 12:22 pm

You won't likely need to reverse mount that one, unlike the enlarging lens.

morfa · Post by **morfa** » Sun May 02, 2010 11:13 pm

This one also looks very much like the "AICO" branded one I slaughtered in this thread!

dunksargent · Post by **dunksargent** » Mon May 03, 2010 1:09 am

Thanks for that. Perhaps mine is one of the several badge engineered variants. The entrance and exit pupils appear to be the same diameter so there might not be much point in reversing it ie the manufacturer could rebadge the enlarger lens as a macro lens.

dunk

mgoodm3 · Post by **mgoodm3** » Mon May 03, 2010 9:26 am

The light that travels through an enlarging lens goes backward compared to the lens mount - opposite of a bellows lens. In order to maintain the "proper" conjugate distances for an enlarging lens, they will generally need to be reversed for work above 1:1 magnification. My 35 mm enlarging lens works significantly better when mounted in reverse. The bellows version should be optimized to work properly when mounted normally - I would hope at least. That might just mean that the lenses are mounted opposite in the housing compared to the enlarging lens.

PaulFurman · Post by **PaulFurman** » Mon May 10, 2010 4:09 pm

I've got one marked as Spiratone Macrotar that looks identical to mgoodm3's. I disassembled it (since it wasn't a fantastic performer) and it consists of simply two apparently identical plano-convex elements with the aperture diaphragm between those. Here's some sample shots although some are stacked on other lenses, etc.

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Tue May 11, 2010 4:46 am

Well surely as its marked 'Macro lens' then surely it is a dedicated macro lens, not an enlarging lens, and designed to be used the conventional way?

ChrisLilley · Post by **ChrisLilley** » Tue May 11, 2010 7:40 am

Cyclops wrote:Well surely as its marked 'Macro lens' then surely it is a dedicated macro lens, not an enlarging lens, and designed to be used the conventional way?

Yes, but likely for use at lower magnifications than 1:1.

Nikon are quite precise ('Micro' lenses go up to but not beyond 1:1, 'macro' lenses go beyond 1:1) but most other manufacturers use 'macro' to cover macro, micro, and indeed 'close focus'.