[Matchete]

Okay guys with your insight I think I've figured out the root of the problem.

There's a small rotating pin close to the bayonet on the bellows camera mount.

When the camera is mounted on the bellows the pin turns and keeps the lens wide open.

What I need to know now is how do I deactivate this thing.

Can I post the link to the fleabay auction here ?

[Matchete]

The switch on the lens mount only seems to allow the attachment and removing of the lens, like the round button on the lower left side of the lens mount on the K-5.

[Matchete]

Could there be a way to lock the rotating switch without damaging it or the K-5's lens mount ?

[Gimbal]

Moreover, my pictures seem somewhat soft even with a tripod and perfect focus using live view

Another thing to consider is using mirror lockup or 2 sec. delay, it really does a big difference in sharpness during extreme macro.

[toooldtocare]

First, make sure we are talking the same thing. Your lens is a M lens, not M42 screw mount, that yours has a bayonet?

Second, does the pin you are talking about look like the black pin mounted on the flat, bent stock inside of my bellows. That pin moves up and down as you push in on the silver button on the outside and bottom of the bellows.

The button in the middle on the lever on the outside of the bellows controls the pin on the silver face of the mount to release the lens. This button and pin has nothing to do with stopping the lens down.

It is the black pin inside that stops the lens down and yours probably has one like it. If so, it should move somehow, or the lens would stop down all the time the aperture ring was not set to wide open. Also, using the 2 second delay is an excellent recommendation by Gimbal because it automatically engages mirror lockup.

[toooldtocare]

You may have already done this, but look at these photos too. The first shows the back of a standard M lens and the operating lever that controls the lens. Moving this lever will open the lens from a closed position if it is not set at full aperture. Make sure your lens does that. The second photo shows the lens on my bellows with the lens stopped down. This is the normal taking mode. The third shows the lens wide open, this is where I focus. I control my opening via the aperture dial and the push button I am holding in. It locks if turned to the right so I can stop the lens down and take my hand off the bellows during exposure.

As stated earlier, you need to stop the lens down to meter because you have no connections through the bellows to the lens and the camera does not know what it is doing. At least that is what it looks like to me from your photos of your bellows. If it is wide open, than it will stay wide open. Hope this helps.

[Matchete]

I've made it !

My last guess was right, the rotating pin was preventing the lens from stopping down, I've blocked it with some duct tape and now Demp10's method works wonders

The lens now stops down when I rotate the aperture ring, and the viewfinders darkens as proof.

To answer your final questions tooldtocare, I was using 2 sec delay with live view all the time, and my K mount 100mm works perfectly, including its operating lever.

However my bellows seem to be fully manual, and don't feature such a thing as the silver button you are pushing on yours.

Thanks again to all for your help, I'll be sure to post some critters pics !

Attached Images

 

[toooldtocare]

Glad you are up and running. I do not take may bug photos, but here is one of mine.

[Matchete]

Nice caterpillar !

Here is one of my first somewhat satisfying images, it's a kind of fly larva.

[toooldtocare]

Looks like you have your camera up and running. Question though, did you step on that bug when you got finished?

[Matchete]

I know he's kinda gross sorry

But he was already dead at the time of the picture