[pacerr]

Bellows offer two distinct advantages but a bucket full of disadvantages owing to size, weight and complexity. The advantages are maximum versatility with a wide range of lenses and the ability to absolutely nail an enlargement ratio when necessary (if you can even do that without trial and error corrections).

I never found either positive trait to be essential. Carrying +1 and +3 'close-up' filters virtually unnoticed in a shirt pocket and/or a capable macro lens covered every working need I've ever had in the field.

Give due consideration to lighting conditions and the potential for flare from un-shaded* and un-coated filters but shooting geometry generally solves those issues. With the superb cropping and enlargement capability of today's 16+ mega-byte sensors nothing's lost by lacking infinitely adjustable magnification ratios. And a BIG tripod's essential with bellows.

Missing critical focus, misjudging the effect of curvature of field on flat-plane targets and DOF boundaries causes far more lost-image issues than any other minor 'degraded optical effects' whether using tubes, filters or bellows.

I enjoyed the technical challenge of learning to use bellows but I wasn't about to consider taking them 'to work' after the first frustrating attempt to use one efficiently and effectively on site. It's a whole lot easier to just move the camera an inch or so than to re-set everything after tweaking bellows on a tripod. What's important is the results, not the gear used, unless the equipment actually becomes a limiting factor.


*Lens hoods may conflict with close working distance and portable, on-camera lighting methods.

[BrianR]

Unless you're always planning to shoot wide open (or stopped down all the way) a bellows would especially suck on the aperture ringless dfa100mm WR. You could probably work out a way to manually stop down the aperture to what you want, but ehh, if a bellows is part of the plan you'd be better off picking up a wider focal length lens with an aperture ring.

Another alternative is to try some Raynox adapters DCR-150 Macro conversion lens for D-SLR cameras, 4K and HDV Camcorders. They can be fun too but beware of possible image degradation.

The DCR-250 pairs wonderfully with the dfa100mm, it gives you 0.8x to 2x magnification depending on what focusing distance the lens is set to. Far more useful than bellows or tubes on a 100mm macro (in my opinion). Example:





Also see Pascal's photostream (forum member Doundounba), which has many fabulous examples using the dfa100mm and a raynox, sometimes with the 1.4x HD TC: https://www.flickr.com/photos/doundounba/

[Paul Charlier]

Hmmm, I think I will stick with the standard 100mm lens for the moment and explore its limits first. It may do all I need if I spend more time with it. Thank you all for your input.
Paul

---------- Post added 06-26-18 at 01:46 AM ----------

Unless you're always planning to shoot wide open (or stopped down all the way) a bellows would especially suck on the aperture ringless dfa100mm WR. You could probably work out a way to manually stop down the aperture to what you want, but ehh, if a bellows is part of the plan you'd be better off picking up a wider focal length lens with an aperture ring.



The DCR-250 pairs wonderfully with the dfa100mm, it gives you 0.8x to 2x magnification depending on what focusing distance the lens is set to. Far more useful than bellows or tubes on a 100mm macro (in my opinion). Example:





Also see Pascal's photostream (forum member Doundounba), which has many fabulous examples using the dfa100mm and a raynox, sometimes with the 1.4x HD TC: Pascal Gaudette | Flickr

Hi, thanks for the tip about the Raynox adapters DCR-150 Macro conversion lens. Hadn't come across them yet.
Cheers Paul

[rjbrett]

I just got a set of the Glanz tubes ("A"contacts only, no AF)from Bay Photo in Tamworth = so they're still around.