What are the options for bellows with tilt?

[dickb]

My memory may have been playing tricks on me - I can find Mamiya ZE mount versions of the swing bellows, but only rigid Mamiya M42 versions. Anyway, I doubt whether an M42 version of it would be vastly more practical than the Contax or Minolta version. You'd probably need to use short extension tube anyway to mount the Canon. Of the three I'd recommend the Minolta as this tends to be the cheapest option. All three can easily mount m39 lenses with adapters.

I have read many comments about the Spiratone/Hama being less than rigid. The two I've had were a little sloppy to begin with, but with a little maintenance (tightening a few screws) they were really quite rigid. But only if all the bloody little knobs are tight. $450 is fairly cheap for a decent sample.

If you want to tilt/swing with shorter focal lengths, you may prefer a bag bellows rather than a straight one. I've seen people using Sinars like yours with bag bellows and the rear standard replaced by a tripod mount to mount the Canon on. That way you get a lot of room for tilting at low levels of extension.

[dmillard]

Has anyone experience with the Zörk Multi Focus System?

--Betty

Years ago, I used a Zörk Multi-Focus System tilt mount with 105mm EL Nikkor and 135mm Rodagon enlarging lenses and a Pentax 6x7 camera. It was a very small and lightweight addition to my camera bag, and I was happy with the images, but the adjustments were quite sticky, even when fully loosened. Additionally, I often needed to tilt the camera backwards slightly to recompose. Eventually, I bought a 23 Technika, and then a 23 Technikardan, for more versatile movements.

I have recently used the Zörk mount with a 90mm Apo-Rodagon and a digital camera to take images for eBay, and encountered a very minor problem. The integral helical focusing tubes continuously veer off axis as they are extended, making them less suitable for stacking images by changing focus when the lens is used with zero tilt. In contrast, both an older Asahi Pentax M42 helical extension tube as well as a newer version exhibit very little detectable wobble.

In the March 1974 issue of Technical Photography magazine, Hans Guttenstein illustrated how he took an industrial pillow block bearing, turned the outer housing on a lathe, and then made a tilting lens with a barrel-mounted 100mm Symmar-S. This continues to remain as a project on my to-do list.

I have one of the Spiratone Bellows Master SST bellows which I have adapted for my heavy Leica R legacy system (lenses).

I also have one of the Spiratone SST bellows (offered by Hama in an English version catalog as the Bellows Unit "Shift"). Although I was impressed with the design, I always wished that it was about 25% larger and more robust; it would securely support my lightweight Nikon FE2 when used with enlarging lenses, but not the heavier F4.

JJ,

I've always thought an Arca Swiss 6x9 FC would be a perfect "little" camera to set up with a SLR body (as you show with your Sinar).

I had backs that held my Contax RTS bodies on my view cameras and had a great deal fun with that. Those bodies had a nice flat front with nothing protruding past the lens mount. One thing about many current DSLR bodies is that they often have a prominent "overhang" at the front of the prism so you need to set the body a little further back. This increases the "tunnel" effect. Not a huge deal, but also annoying if you want to try to use shorter focal lengths.

The Arca Swiss 6x9 would be ideal (and an Ebony 23 could also be very nice).

I modified the mounting plate from a Linhof 23 70mm rollfilm housing to accept a Nikon F-mount, using a piece of aluminum sheet and a BR-2A reversing ring, but I need to use an additional extension tube to be able to mount the cameras because of their "overhang".

David

[jjphoto]

Thanks folks. I'd never really considered the 6x9/2x3 cameras before but some of these seem to be exactly the item I'm looking for.

JJ

[DQE]

Would this system provide a usable set of options for adding tilt and shift to macro?

http://www.cambo.com/Html/products_phot ... tem85.html

and another option is here:

http://www.cambo.com/Html/products_phot ... up735.html

Their home page is here:

http://www.cambo.com/

Some of their options seem to be available for Canon DSLRs and others. I haven't explored their full product line recently, but from distant memory I think they offer larger format options too.

[dickb]

Yes, you could use the Cambo systems for tilt and shift in macro. The Ultima system is big, heavy and expensive, but extremely sturdy, with all possible geared movements. The X-Pro is much lighter and cheaper but only gives you front standard tilt and shift.

[Harold Gough]

I just won a Bronica one for "Bronica EC/ECTL (?)"off Ebay. At £71 it was far from expensive. Perhaps joining it to lenses/body might cost rather more?

Harold

[dickb]

I just won a Bronica one for "Bronica EC/ECTL (?)"off Ebay. At £71 it was far from expensive. Perhaps joining it to lenses/body might cost rather more?

Harold

One way of joining it to lenses/body is by using the matching ECTL extension rings. These consist of a front and rear ring with a bayonet mount and some inner rings with a 57mm diameter thread, 1.0mm speed if I remember correctly. This size matches an old set of Minolta SR extension rings perfectly. Or you could cheapo Chinese extension rings - Minolta, Nikon F and Sony NEX mount versions are 57mm and 0.75mm speed, Canon EF and Pentax K are 60mm and won't work. Combining 0.75mm speed rings with 1.0mm speed rings isn't ideal but it does work.

[Harold Gough]

Thanks, Dick.

I only started using my ordinary bellows very recently so it may be some time before I use the tilt/shift. I have a tilt adapter, that fits my camera and lenses, which is likely to be the intermediate learning option. I mostly shoot out of doors, which also limits options but might also provide some applications.

Harold

[Photo-DIY]

I have a Hama / Spiratone tilt / shift bellows. I would say it is not really rigid, too.
As I know the big standard Novoflex bellows, I suppose the T/S bellows to be very good.
The new CASTBAL-T/S could probably be an option too.

I have a further old T/S bellows, but as I remember only the front is moveable, and it was not very rigid.

With all these bellows on a DSLR the mirror box could induce vignetting. And the microlenses on the sensor could give shading too.

[austrokiwi1]

I was searching the forum for posts on the Mirex Tilt Shift adapter( I have one) and found this old thread. Although some years later I thought it would be worth adding my one cents worth:

I have the Minolta Tilt-shift bellows, A Mamiya 645 Tilt Shift Bellows, and the Mirex Tilt Shift adapter. I rarely use the tilt shift adapter for Macro work. For scenery and architecture its brilliant. I use the mamiya 645 - EOS version. Of Course I also have to use an EOS to e-mount adapter

This is what the manufacturer recommended: I had first asked for an M42 adapter) but it was made( as it is used) with the Sony E mount in mind. I was warned by the manufacturer my version of the adapter would not work well on Canon cameras as it would not have the full range of movement that it does on my A7rII(I first used the mirex on the A7r). The problem is the levers that enable the rotation of the adapter. Thoose levers are larger on my version of the mirex and on a Canon it would collide with parts of the cameras body.

The Minolta bellows is good and its brilliant having parts interchangeable with Contax and other manufacturers but as far as tilt and shift goes I find it useless. But that's because of the other bellows I use

For tilt and shift work(Edit : and swing, rise and fall) I use the Mamiya 645 Tilt Shift Bellows( also has some parts that are interchangeable with the minolta). Its rigid and strong. With the Mirex adapter that bellows turns into a mini view camera. The big issue was mounting lenses and it was easily solved. I obtained with the bellows a 67mm Mamiya 645 reversing ring. RAF camera then made an M45- M67 mm adapter for me. That adapter fits the lens mount section of an old Minolta SR extension ring set( has an M45 thread). What I really like is the larger cross section of the bellows, the Minolta's cross section was just too small to take advantage of the image circle of the lenses I use on bellows

[jjphoto]

...For tilt and shift work I use the Mamiya 645 Tilt Shift Bellows( also has some parts that are interchangeable with the minolta). Its rigid and strong. With the Mirex adapter that bellows turns into a mini view camera. The big issue was mounting lenses and it was easily solved. I obtained with the bellows a 67mm Mamiya 645 reversing ring. RAF camera then made an M45- M67 mm adapter for me. That adapter fits the lens mount section of an old Minolta SR extension ring set( has an M45 thread). What I really like is the larger cross section of the bellows, the Minolta's cross section was just too small to take advantage of the image circle of the lenses I use on bellows

Thanks, interesting to hear about the M645 lens reversing adapter. I didn't know these existed at all. I suspect these are hard to find, might be wrong though, but this does seem to be a solution as this bellows is certainly an excellent unit but I always wondered how to use it without simply using drilled plastic caps (which I dislike very much).

I think the Cambo Actus is the best solution on the market today. https://www.cambo.com/en/news/cambo-act ... roduction/ . It's possibly also the most expensive solution yet I can not avert my gaze!

Edit! Not sure if the Actus is useful with Canon, it looks a much better solution when used with a shallow flange camera such as the Sony A7/A7r because it allows wider lenses to be used, as well as more movement because there is no mirror box to cause shadowing/vignetting (a problem I have when using a Sinar with Canon body).

[austrokiwi1]

Thanks, interesting to hear about the M645 lens reversing adapter. I didn't know these existed at all. I suspect these are hard to find, might be wrong though, but this does seem to be a solution as this bellows is certainly an excellent unit but I always wondered how to use it without simply using drilled plastic caps (which I dislike very much).

I lucked out with the reversing ring... it was sold with the bellows. Long before buying I had decided that the M 645 bellows was what I wanted and hunted for it for a considerable period of time. I also knew I needed the reversing ring. Getting the two together was unexpected and fortuitous. Yes the reversing ring is hard to find I had seen a number on Ebay and for all the prices being asked seemed ridiculously high. Edit: I did a quick check on Ebay and found 58mm Reversing rings for M645 are easily found and affordable. Perhaps it was just the 67mm that is expensive?

[ChrisR]

You'd think the Cambo Actus would have a rising front?
Seems not:
https://www.calphoto.co.uk/product/Camb ... -/386-011A

The front standard mount would make a nice micro mount goniometer, perhaps. You probably wouldn't need it for the camera at the same time