[UncleVanya]

A mechanical cable release is handy. It can just be a standard (single) cable. If you have the Auto Bellow (M42) or Auto Bellows-K/M/A when used with an auto lens of the appropriate mount (m42 for m42, K-mount for K-mount) you can focus/compose wide open and then stop the lens down with the cable. The cable socket on the Auto Bellows is also a button that you can press and lock by twisting it so you can still stop down the lens without a cable. The advantage of using a cable is that you don't have to touch the lens or button to stop down thus avoiding possibly jarring or moving the lens/bellows.

I have a nice vitage Minolta cable release that has a locking collar around the button which makes one handed operation a snap. The more common thumbscrew lock is a little more clumsy to operate with one-hand.

You can use the dual cable release with a single connection to the bellows only.

If you are using available lighting I recommend you meter wide open and calculate the EV shift for the appropriate shutter speed at the f-stop you will be shooting at. There may not be enough light with the lens stopped down to get a meter reading.

Head smacking forehead! Well doh - that makes sense. I have never done that but it is perfectly reasonable. Thanks!

Great ideas here.

[Erictator]

Thanks, another good nugget of info and some great advice. I don't know why I didn't think of that, seems so obvious now.


Probably because I didn't receive my bellows yet.


FYI - I found a "Pentax Bellows A and slide copier attachment A" and it's on the way to me now.


It's funny, because I also found and on-line manual for the bellows, and even though there is an "M" model, and I got the "A" model, I can't see where there is anything more automatic about the "A" than the "M" was.


Oh well, it looks like it is built like a tank. Should get the job done.


I'll prolly have more questions once I get my hands on the thing,
Thanks again,
Eric

A mechanical cable release is handy. It can just be a standard (single) cable. If you have the Auto Bellow (M42) or Auto Bellows-K/M/A when used with an auto lens of the appropriate mount (m42 for m42, K-mount for K-mount) you can focus/compose wide open and then stop the lens down with the cable. The cable socket on the Auto Bellows is also a button that you can press and lock by twisting it so you can still stop down the lens without a cable. The advantage of using a cable is that you don't have to touch the lens or button to stop down thus avoiding possibly jarring or moving the lens/bellows.

I have a nice vitage Minolta cable release that has a locking collar around the button which makes one handed operation a snap. The more common thumbscrew lock is a little more clumsy to operate with one-hand.

You can use the dual cable release with a single connection to the bellows only.

If you are using available lighting I recommend you meter wide open and calculate the EV shift for the appropriate shutter speed at the f-stop you will be shooting at. There may not be enough light with the lens stopped down to get a meter reading.

[David]

The cable release was for film cameras that used a mechanical release. It also operates a stop down mechanism in the bellows which allows you to focus wide open then stop the aperture down as you make the shot. Sadly that type of cable release doesn't work with dslrs.

Read my post above. You can easily modify the camera connection to work with a DSLR. Press the cable release to stop down the lens but not enough to actuate the camera, press Green Button for exposure, then press cable release fully in. Here is my setup with 27cm extension. The bud was 3-4 mm across.

[UncleVanya]

Read my post above. You can easily modify the camera connection to work with a DSLR. Press the cable release to stop down the lens but not enough to actuate the camera, press Green Button for exposure, then press cable release fully in. Here is my setup with 27cm extension. The bud was 3-4 mm across.

You missed my head smacking reply...

I have come to the conclution that if you use bellows or extensiontubes and wan't maximum magnification, you should use a wide angle lens.

The calculator found in the link is quite useful.

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/macro-extension-tubes-closeup.htm

[Class A]

In addition to flash, I do have some constant light sources, like a light table, also have LED lights...

I wouldn't use LED lights as they typically don't give you a full spectrum.

If you want to copy B&W negatives only, LEDs will be OK, but for colour slides most LED lights will not be optimal due to their relatively low CRI .

[exposeric]

Hi
tried out a Schneider 45mm APO enlarger and a Kern Aarau 50mm APO lens (similar results with both lenses) using reverse mount on camera and Novoflex slide copier reproducing an old Leica test pattern color slide.

My goal is to transfer most of the slides in JPEG because of the huge amount. Therefore the test has been done without digital negatives.

With flash (Metz MZ-40i on standard SCA shoe plus SCA 3007A M; power 1/64 - 1/256) I've set the appropriate color temperature of 5600k in manual with or w/o strobe mode on flash.
In manual mode the results are quiet good (except HDR*).
Strobe mode had been set to check out the possibility making HDR (Auto; HDR +/-1) - without serious results.

With the HMI light source (daylight) WB set on AWB the resolution in pixel shift mode seems to be better (dust and dirt is very good defined, but the resolution of the test pattern looks quite similar like without PS.
Sharp slides with high resolution (Kodachrome 25, a.o.) transferred in PS mode could be an advantage and have not been checked yet.
*In HDR (Auto; HDR +/-1) there is no improvement in my view with the test pattern slide. Can imagine, that slides with huge contrast, will get better defined in HDR mode (not checked yet).

[Erictator]

I finally tried mine with an old Vivitar 100mm Macro, and I can fill the viewfinder with the date on a Dime!


It does take some light though, and a sturdy tripod, because the DOF gets pretty thin and you have to close it down. I can now see why some like the cable release for the aperture.


My Slide Copier A is missing the stinking rail. Some rails are just round rods to work with the older bellows, but mine are both newer, the bellows and copier. So it needs the stupid L bracket style that screws on the front of the bellows center cross bar with a large wheel head screw.


That is going to be hard to find... prolly have to make something up if I can't find one?
Eric

Hi
tried out a Schneider 45mm APO enlarger and a Kern Aarau 50mm APO lens (similar results with both lenses) using reverse mount on camera and Novoflex slide copier reproducing an old Leica test pattern color slide.

My goal is to transfer most of the slides in JPEG because of the huge amount. Therefore the test has been done without digital negatives.

With flash (Metz MZ-40i on standard SCA shoe plus SCA 3007A M; power 1/64 - 1/256) I've set the appropriate color temperature of 5600k in manual with or w/o strobe mode on flash.
In manual mode the results are quiet good (except HDR*).
Strobe mode had been set to check out the possibility making HDR (Auto; HDR +/-1) - without serious results.

With the HMI light source (daylight) WB set on AWB the resolution in pixel shift mode seems to be better (dust and dirt is very good defined, but the resolution of the test pattern looks quite similar like without PS.
Sharp slides with high resolution (Kodachrome 25, a.o.) transferred in PS mode could be an advantage and have not been checked yet.
*In HDR (Auto; HDR +/-1) there is no improvement in my view with the test pattern slide. Can imagine, that slides with huge contrast, will get better defined in HDR mode (not checked yet).

[exposeric]

I finally tried mine with an old Vivitar 100mm Macro, and I can fill the viewfinder with the date on a Dime!


It does take some light though, and a sturdy tripod, because the DOF gets pretty thin and you have to close it down. I can now see why some like the cable release for the aperture.


My Slide Copier A is missing the stinking rail. Some rails are just round rods to work with the older bellows, but mine are both newer, the bellows and copier. So it needs the stupid L bracket style that screws on the front of the bellows center cross bar with a large wheel head screw.


That is going to be hard to find... prolly have to make something up if I can't find one?
Eric

Hi Eric
found it much easier working with 50mm or shorter without bellows. The 45mm enlarging lens was mounted on the smallest 42mm extension tube and the 50mm macro-lens was mounted on the smallest PK extension tube. After my first attempt I thought about to copy also crops from slides. A short improvised check I did with the end of the two rails bellow where the Asahi slide copier can be mounted. The result was quiet good with a 50% crop using helicoid extension and the camera in pixel shift. I plan to mount the camera on a large Novoflex sliding rail for focusing and to mount the Asahi slide copier on a small Novoflex sliding rail for choosing crops on left or right side as well.
Eric

[exposeric]

Concept of slide copier
(update: small rail for focusing, large one for sliding left/right)