The lenses we use

Have questions about the equipment used for macro- or micro- photography? Post those questions in this forum.

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mawyatt
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Post by mawyatt »

Ray,

There is a program that does a much better job at stitching than PS. Rik informed me of it long ago when I was trying to do some early massive chip image stack & stitch work which I couldn't get PS to complete.

It is PTGui.

https://www.ptgui.com/

Best
Research is like a treasure hunt, you don't know where to look or what you'll find!
~Mike

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Mike, there are cheap Fotodiox shift adapters from Nikon mounts to MFT mounts. No need for tilts. Also, the good Nikon bellows have shifts in one direction (and tilts). For scanning a large aerial image it needs to be used backwards (shifting camera rather than lens), as I discussed in the thread. For Nikon cameras that is the best solution. For MFT cameras you can use both the bellows and the shift adapter so you can have three overlapping rows and columns. Both approaches are limited if the aerial image you want to scan is big. That limitation goes away if you use a Nikon sliding back on a view camera, or even a fixed Nikon back (or Sony, both backs are available) on a view camera with geared rear standard. I recently bought a Horeseman 4x5 camera and several kinds of 4x5 Nikon backs (camera of choice mounts directly to it) for this purpose. I can now scan anything and use lenses of any format from MFT to FF to 6x7 to 4" x 5". This will Be especially handy for my photolithography lenses, with 125mm image circle, m=5 and m=10 with NA up to 0.28. The detail in these aerial image is staggering.

Chris S.
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Post by Chris S. »

I'll second Mawyatt's recommendation of PTGui for stitching panoramas. It has a learning curve, and I'm far from expert with it, but have used it for a few difficult (non macro) panoramas. Very robust software.

--Chris S.

dolmadis
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Post by dolmadis »

Hi Lou

Would be interested in seeing how you arrange to hold the lens static whilst you move the camera body.

Cheers

John

ray_parkhurst
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Post by ray_parkhurst »

dolmadis wrote:Hi Lou

Would be interested in seeing how you arrange to hold the lens static whilst you move the camera body.

Cheers

John
The adapters I linked to do just that. Shift adapter mounts between lens and camera body.

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Likewise the extension tube (PN11) and bellows have a tripod mount. The camera is free to move if you mount the bellow backwards as shown in the post I linked to. And of course a view camera has independently shifting front and rear standards.

ray_parkhurst
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Post by ray_parkhurst »

Lou Jost wrote:Likewise the extension tube (PN11) and bellows have a tripod mount. The camera is free to move if you mount the bellow backwards as shown in the post I linked to. And of course a view camera has independently shifting front and rear standards.
I don't see the method for reversing the bellows in the post you linked. Did you publish that in another post on the subject? I have a PB-4 bellows so could use it as you say.

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Ray, I had thought it was in that thread, but didn't check. Sorry about that. I will search for it. I remember that Pau commented on it, so it is not entirely my imagination.

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Ray, here is a photo of my rig:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... 26c23cfbf3

You'll recognize the Fotodioxx shift adapter that you asked me about a few posts ago....

There is another more extensive post about this, I think....

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

There is a Nikon F to T adapter on the shifting standard of the bellows. This might cause problems for a FF camera.....an alternative would be one of those stacked sets of extension tubes, with unscrewable F mounts on each end (male on one end, female on the other). You could mount that on the F mount of the bellows and remove the F mount on the other end of the tube, and then try to find a filter thread that matches the extension tube thread. From there you'd be home free, with standard step-down rings down to a Nikon BR2 ring.

By the way, on the other end of the bellows is a Nikon BR3 ring.

mawyatt
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Post by mawyatt »

Ray & Lou,

Been looking into this also with the PB-4 (don't have one now, only have the PB-6). Seems that you can mount the Nikon camera body F mount with a pair of F mount to 52mm adapters, then use a 55mm to 52mm thru 52mm threading ring adapter to mount the two together. You may to make two sets of these, one that is fixed (glued threads) for landscape and another for portrait modes.

This solves the camera side, but the lens side I've been looking at having to make a pair of F mount lens adapters (the extension tube sets type) mate together back to back. They have a fairly wide flat spot around the perimeter that could be used for epoxy or super gluing the flat faces together, or maybe drill and tap a countersink set (3 or 4) for small bolts thru the two adapters.

Be interesting to see how Lou has done this.

Edit: I was away from the computer before posting and see Lou has already responded.

Best,
Research is like a treasure hunt, you don't know where to look or what you'll find!
~Mike

mawyatt
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Post by mawyatt »

Lou,

Those extension tubes you mention, if they are like the ones I have (cheap eBay), they some strange thread type that I've never been able to find an adapter to fit them. This is why I'm thinking of just butting 2 together and glue or bolt them so you end up with a F mount Lens type on each end of the combo which would then mount to the PB-4 bellows normal camera F mount and allow the lens to mount to the other side.

Best,
Research is like a treasure hunt, you don't know where to look or what you'll find!
~Mike

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Mike, for the lens side, a pair of Br-3 rings can also be mated head-to-head with a 52mm male-male coupler, and the outer one can be removed for mounting threaded lenses or reversed lenses.

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Ray, I should mention that the Fotodiox shift adapters have some looseness, but this can be reduced by taking them apart and tightening some internal screws.

ray_parkhurst
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Post by ray_parkhurst »

Lou...thanks for pointing to that bellows thread. I vaguely remember it now. Looks like lots of adapters to make it all work! I'm still pondering the future, and still getting things set up for the 6-image 2x Stack & Stitch.

BTW, I am very clear on the advantages of tilting at the camera to minimize the shift effects that happen if you tilt the lens. But I am less clear on the need to do pure shift at the camera. It seems that it would not matter where you shift, as long as the axis is not tilted. What do you see as the benefit of shifting at camera rather than just using the PB4 shift function as intended? Are you also doing tilt? Or perhaps I am not understanding something fundamental about shift?

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