[Nass]

I've been offered some perfect Minolta 111 tilt shift bellows. Has anyone had luck or experience adapting these for use with Pentax? I don't know anything about the Minolta mount. I presume I'll need to get some adapters to make this work? Does it need glassed adapters or are they clear?

Many thanks

[RioRico]

What are the standards like? Does it use lensboards? Can the mounts be removed and replaced with PK pieces? Do you have pictures of the bellows?

[interested_observer]

The short version of a long story is that I opened a box recently and it unexpectedly contained a brand new Contax Auto Bellows, Rail Set and Slide Copier system, which I discovered the other day is the same as the Minolta version - it does tilt shift (or rather swing shift). So, I have been doing a bit of research and it looks like it is possible to get a M42 flange for the camera side (see the links below).

• Minolta Tilt/Shift Bellows?: Sony SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review
• Tilt-shift bellows
• FS: Tilt/Shift Bellow - Minolta Auto Bellow III + more - The GetDPI Photography Forums

Actually, thinking this through a bit, a M42 set of adapters should do the trick. There should be no glass involved, since the bellows themselves will do the focusing - and the documentation I have indicates it goes from 1/3x to 5.5x in terms of macro (depending on the lens attached 25mm to 135mm) and then the tilt/shift on top of that.

On the lens side, you can use old Minolta glass, or go the M42 adapter route.

[SOldBear]

Maybe....

In fact, I'm interested as well. I have a complete set of Minolta bellows I. Currently I'm using only the focusing rail. But I've been thinking that I can use the lens mounting ring and the body mounting ring of this set to adapt the Minolta bellows to Pentax body and Pentax lens.

I don't have an urgent need to try the idea yet because I also have a Pentax pK-mount bellows set.

[Nass]

I decided against this - turns out the tilt is the wrong way for my intended purpose, and putting it sideways wouldn't work for me. Thanks for the replies guys, appreciated.

[newarts]

Here's an inexpensive way make dumb lens-body adapters or extension tubes to couple differing lenses and bodies.

Buy an inexpensive set of extension tubes for each mount type from the same manufacturer (so they have the same threads between tube segments) then switch ends.

Voila! Both a lens side & body side lens type adapter!

The following will provide both a PK(lens)-Minolta AF(body) and a Minolta AF(lens)-PK(body) for less than $20.

http://www.amazon.com/Fotodiox-Extension-Digital-DSLR-A350-SLT-A33/dp/B0054E...6818734&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/Fotodiox-Pentax-Extension-Extreme-Close-up/dp/B003Y5T4...6759111&sr=8-1

[RioRico]

Here's an inexpensive way make dumb lens-body adapters or extension tubes to couple differing lenses and bodies.

Buy an inexpensive set of extension tubes for each mount type from the same manufacturer (so they have the same threads between tube segments) then switch ends.

Voila! Both a lens side & body side lens type adapter!

The following will provide both a PK(lens)-Minolta AF(body) and a Minolta AF(lens)-PK(body) for less than $20.

Amazon.com: Fotodiox Macro Extension Tube Set Kit for Sony A-Series Alpha Digital SLRs DSLR-A350, A300, A200, A700, A900, A100, A380, A500, A550, A850, A450,A290, A390, A580, SLT-A33, A55, Minolta Maxxum 5D, 7D, 7, 9xi, 7xi, 5xi: Electronics
Amazon.com: Fotodiox Pentax K (PK) Macro Extension Tube Set Kit for Extreme Close-up, fits Pentax K-5, K-r, K-x, K-7, K-m, x70, X90, K200d, K20d, K100D Super, K10D, K110D,K100D, *ist DL2, *ist DS2, *ist DL, *ist DS, K1000, K2000, K-M: Camera & Photo

I tried that, not with Fotodiox products, but macro sets from the same maker for PK and Nikon. Alas, the tubes weren't the same diameter. If all Fotodiox tubes are the same, then this is an excellent way to cobble-together adapters.

[Nass]

Nice one newarts

[interested_observer]

Wonderful suggestion newarts and Rico.

I was starting to go down that direction, since none of the other adapter combinations really would work for me. A 13 mm C/Y extension tube (found one for about $20 at KEH) would probably be the simplest, and then use Rico's patent pending chopping method using a Dremel on the camera side of the extension tube C/Y mount, turning it into a modified Pentax K mount.

This appears to be very effective for Macro use 1/3 to ~6x. With the added extension tube magnification, I am estimating that the widest focal length for tilt shift operations would be on the order of 45mm.

The bellows does appear to be pretty cool in the tilt shift configuration. Probably need to try this some time, however not really into Macro.

[demp10]

You can also use cheap teleconverters from the same manufacturer, remove the glass and swap either the lens mounts or the camera mounts.

There is a M42 to Minolta adapter. I got one as part of a set a couple months ago from eBay.

Now speaking from experience, if you try to shift a lens while the bellows are extended, you'll find that it gets tricky beyond a very small angle. Most 35mm lenses have a small image circle, enough to cover the full frame, and even a small tilt at a distance will place that circle way out of the sensor.

You may have better luck with medium format lenses or even better with large format (4x4 or 8x10). These lenses have much larger image circles and even with several degrees of tilt, some part of the image will reach the sensor.

[Den]

Wow! I just discovered I had a Minolta lll bellows in some stuff I inherited and was going to ask how I could adapt it. Thanks guys. I am going to order those things from Amazon! Brilliant!!!