Anyone used bellows? Has anyone used bellows for close ups? How was your experience? I currently have close up lenses and extension tubes. Do bellows have any advantages over those?

bikinkawboy Loc: north central Missouri

Has anyone used bellows for close ups? How was your experience? I currently have close up lenses and extension tubes. Do bellows have any advantages over those?

Incidentally, I don’t have photoshop and doubt I will. Thanks!

Orphoto Loc: Oregon

Extension tubes are way more convenient to carry in the field. Bellows are more adjustible for the exact amount of extension needed. In most cases you wont have bellows preserving electrical connection between lense and camera body so you lose autofocus and even auto aperture opening and closing. Some bellows offer rise/tilt movements; that can be a plus. Finally, bellows allows back standard movements while focus stacking --the most software friendly way to obtain your slices.

On balance, an interesting experience for the technically minded but far slower to operate.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

bikinkawboy wrote:

Has anyone used bellows for close ups? How was your experience? I currently have close up lenses and extension tubes. Do bellows have any advantages over those?

Incidentally, I don’t have photoshop and doubt I will. Thanks!

I use a bellows but only around the house and because I have one.
It is primarily a tripod proposition and I also use a flash.
The lens is a FLM 100mm f4 designed for a bellows but any lens will do, preferably a prime though.
I took a couple of shots of my setup a while back to show what it looked like in use and will share here again as well as the shots taken that day.
It takes effort and time but can be interesting, the bellows rail helps in positioning and is the only means of focusing.
Is it worth it for some not others yes. I find it interesting but not all the time.
See examples of other combinations attached and their descriptions.
Finally it is all about experimenting and having fun doing it and not taking it too seriously, life is too short.

Bellows, camera, flash and tripod in use

Bellows with a 50mm Componon-s enlarging lens

Bellows and standard 50mm macro

Bellows and extension tube combo

William Loc: Mississippi

complicate work@

bikinkawboy Loc: north central Missouri

Thank you to everyone for your advice and experience! It is appreciated!

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

bikinkawboy wrote:

Has anyone used bellows for close ups? How was your experience? I currently have close up lenses and extension tubes. Do bellows have any advantages over those?

Incidentally, I don’t have photoshop and doubt I will. Thanks!

One of the big advantages with bellows is that you can maintain the exact distance between front of lens and subject and focus moving the camera (on a tripod of course). However for handholding extension tubes are more convenient.

jlg1000 Loc: Uruguay / South America

bikinkawboy wrote:

Has anyone used bellows for close ups? How was your experience? I currently have close up lenses and extension tubes. Do bellows have any advantages over those?

Incidentally, I don’t have photoshop and doubt I will. Thanks!

Don't know your gear, but I use Meike's because it extends the electrical contacts which enables all lens features (autofocus, iris)

elliott937 Loc: St. Louis

Would you please elaborate on your use of Meike? Is it a lens?
Bill

jlg1000 Loc: Uruguay / South America

elliott937 wrote:

Would you please elaborate on your use of Meike? Is it a lens?
Bill

Hi,

They are low cost extensions tubes which ferry electrical signals to the whichever lens you use.

They work well. They come as a kit with 10mm and 16mm tube length. You combine both and get 26mm extension.

https://www.amazon.com/-/es/MEIKE-MK-S-AF3A-autom%C3%A1tico-0-394-0-630/dp/B01MRXL7Q1

They are compatible with most common camera brands. Check if they work for yours

Bigmike1 Loc: I am from Gaffney, S.C. but live in Utah.

The only bellows I have used is on a 1920's German camera I bought used in a camera store in Mannheim, Germany for about DM20.00 back in the day when we got 4 marks to the dollar. It used 120 roll film. I still have that camera.

jederick Loc: Northern Utah

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bikinkawboy wrote:

Has anyone used bellows for close ups? How was your experience? I currently have close up lenses and extension tubes. Do bellows have any advantages over those?

Incidentally, I don’t have photoshop and doubt I will. Thanks!

Your devices retain automation. Nearly every bellows does not.

Bellows date to a simpler time, back when your question would never arise.
You do not want a bellows. Stick with what youre using.

You ask how was my experience ? Sorry, but its just a piece if hardware. No thrills, no tribulations. Theres just nothing to report experience-wise.

Some bellows, the "dual rail" type, have built in focusing rails. Thaz an advantage thaz commonly available separately. You might look into getting a focusing rail ... but skip the bellows.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

I purchased a bellows attachment for my first camera and even used them a couple times. As I was a rank amateur at photography not to mention even more amateur with bellows, the results were less than great, even acceptable might be a stretch. I still have them and they are in good condition. The problem with them is they are for a film camera, a Petri FT and I have not shot a film photo in ten years or more.

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bikinkawboy wrote:

Has anyone used bellows for close ups? How was your experience? I currently have close up lenses and extension tubes. Do bellows have any advantages over those?

Incidentally, I don’t have photoshop and doubt I will. Thanks!

Not sure why you mention photoshop. If you meant you have no PP facility at all, and if you doubt you ever will, then you definitely do NOT want a bellows. 100% avoidance of any PP is a very superficial version of photography while, OTOH, a bellows requires a greater connection to principles and methods.

fetzler Loc: North West PA

bikinkawboy wrote:

Has anyone used bellows for close ups? How was your experience? I currently have close up lenses and extension tubes. Do bellows have any advantages over those?

Incidentally, I don’t have photoshop and doubt I will. Thanks!

I have used bellows in the past. Using bellows is very similar to using extension tubes except they are more flexible as the length of the bellows is adjustable in small increments. Bellows can be used to attach enlarger and microscope lenses to your camera for high magnification. A bellows could be used to add swings and tilts help control the perceived depth of field. Novoflex makes a tilt-shift bellows.

Post processing software is very useful (and it doesn't have to be Photoshop). The free software produced by your camera manufacturer may be quite useful. Software to allow focus stacking is, I think, essential to high magnification macro photography. The depth of field is otherwise just too small.

Today there are a number of very good macro lenses made by various manufacturers. Many go to 1X magnification but there are some that go 5X. In my opinion these lenses are easier to use.