[InKeepingSecrets]

I found a set of old bellows in some of my grandfathers stuff.

It reads "Kopil Duo track Bellowscope" and on the tracks it reads 0.7 to x2.2 f=55mm. My grandfather always had pentax equipment so i think it would suit a pentax

But the mounts on either side of the bellows are definately not K-mount is it possible or likely its m42?

if so can i get a converter to suit my k20d? would it be worth it?

How do i tell if the bellows is still in good condition?

Any help would be much appreciated

Heidi

[kauaiguy]

hi, heidi,

i'm not familiar with that particular bellows, but i've got an older pentax one. if it's not a k-mount, then it's most likely an m42 as you suspected. you can find K-M42 adapters - there's the original pentax ones that fit flush with the mount and can be removed with your fingernail, and some after-market ones that require a tool to remove them, or sit above the body mount with a flange. those last ones are cheaper, but you will probably have trouble focusing at infinity with them since the lens sits further out from the camera. if you're just going to buy one for the bellows, the cheaper flanged ones are probably ok, but my advice is to go with the "real" one, incase you find yourself really liking (as i did) your m42 lens on your camera.

as for it's condition, you'd have to just look at it with a critical eye, knowing what it does. the bellows itself should be flexible and not cracked or letting light inside. the gears and rails might need to be cleaned of dust and grit, and the mounts and especially the insides as free from dust as possible. the two uses i know of for bellows are for macro work, and for getting your old slides onto your computer - some bellows come with a slide converter/adapter, some required you to buy that part separately. looking on ebay for awhile, you might find pictures of them, see how they're used. (i just did, found 8 Kopil Bellows* there, 3 were for m42 pentax)...

is it worth it? well, i needed one to convert a bizillion slides for archiving, and it came with a 135mm M42 lens and adapter. i used it once for macro, and found the whole setup to be cumbersome, instead using a dedicated macro lens. for slides, i got it's adapter, flipped things around and used my 35ltd macro lens instead, and it worked beautifully. i didn't play with the bellows long enough to find it's strengths, but i've still got it, just in case. besides, they look so cool.

[Eaglerapids]

Be very careful!!!!!!!!
You will be able to mount the bellows with the Pentax adapter but you can't get it off!!!
I'm gonna post this real quick and then edit this to further explain.

Ok, here's my story:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/16316-oh-my.html

My big mistake was putting the adapter on the bellows FIRST, then onto the camera, if I had put the adapter into the camera first I wouldn't have been able to screw the bellows on because of the flash overhang.

[stevebrot]

Be careful! Be VERY careful!

In all likelihood, it is M42 screwmount. There is also the outside possibility that it could be T-mount. T-mount is 42mm diameter, but 0.75mm rather than 1mm pitch. Mate an M42 lens onto a T-mount receiver and you have the potential for a jammed/cross-threaded mess.

Steve

[stevebrot]

Is this your unit?


Image lifted from the Web...no obvious copyright notice

If so, it appears that the rear adapter is removable to allow easier attachment to the camera. The sequence goes like this:

• Remove rear adapter from bellows
• Attach rear adapter to camera body
• Mate bellows to rear adapter and secure with set screw

Removal is the reverse of the above. Bellows of this design help avoid the stuck bellows issue Eaglerapids mentions above.

Steve

[Steinback]

I have a set of M42 bellows and they are quite useable with a K mount camera. To get around the problem Eaglerapids mentioned I use an extension tube to move the bellows far enough from the camera body that the bellows can be screwed on and off of a M42 to K mount adaptor without hitting the flash protrusion.

If your bellows are M42 mount one side should have a male thread and the other side a female thread. You will need at least one M42 lens to use on the bellows; the magnification scale on the side sounds like it is set up to be accurate for a 55mm lens but other focal lengths can be also be used. I would suggest getting a lens between 50mm and 135mm to get a reasonable trade off between magnification and working distance (how far away from the front of the lens focus is achieved).

Light leaks in the accordian section between the lens and the camera could be a problem if it is damaged. If you notice holes or tears then something like draping black fabric over the damaged section or sealing tears with opaque tape should work.

[newarts]

I have a similar bellows. I removed the spring from an m42-K adapter and put it on the Bellows.

I've had no difficulty mounting or dismounting my K100D.

On my bellows, the knurled knob at the top allows the male threaded lens adapter to rotate. This rotation is sufficient to mount/dismount the bellows.

Dave

[RioRico]

I have a set of M42 bellows and they are quite useable with a K mount camera. To get around the problem Eaglerapids mentioned I use an extension tube to move the bellows far enough from the camera body that the bellows can be screwed on and off of a M42 to K mount adaptor without hitting the flash protrusion.

I also have the M42 Bellowscope and do exactly the same thing, put an extension tube on the back. I usually mount enlarger lenses in the 50-150mm range and they work just fine - longer lenses may require extension tubes on the front also.