A couple years ago I began seeing tilting lens adapters on ebay and thought it was an excellent idea for close up work and thought, someday I should make one using an enlarging lens. This would of course be a manual focus manual diaphram system. The tilting function can give extended DOF in certain planes using the Scheimflug principal as used by 4X5 view cameras.

Then, about a year ago Canon came out with 3 different "tilt/shift macro lenses" for about $2K each ! The 90mm is f2.8, tilts 10 degrees and goes to 1:2 mag. So this served as additional inspiration to do a DIY version.

I use a Sony A77II which is basically a mirrorless camera with a prism box. The EVF works good with manual diaphram lenses so that would be my base body. My goal would be to do small tabletop product and floral type subjects - no bugs or 1:1 !

I started with a helicoid focusing extension tube in the 12-17mm range in M42 mount $20 - and used a m42 to Sony A mount adapter on ebay - $10.

I then got a M42 to M4/3 tilting adapter (this would go on the front of the focusing adapter) - you cannot get a M42-M42 tilting adapter - that is what I wanted - so I planned on modifying the M4/3 to make it M42 screw- $24 on ebay. I would be using a dremel tool and a 39-42mm screw adapter so I could make it screw into the front of the helicoid.

For lenses, I started out with an expensive ( $80) 60mm f4 enlarging Rodagon ( 6 element) and found out that with using the tilt adapter I could only get 1:1.3 to 1:1.7 - which was too much magnification ( for me). So I decided to try an in-expensive ($20) 90mm lens ( a 90mm f4.5 enlarging Raptar 4 element) - which gives me 1:9 to 1:4.2 which is more like what I was looking for. I can use a normal extension tube for greater magnification than this if needed. A 75mm enlarging lens would give mags somewhere in between the above ranges and would probably work for most people. I converted both enlarging lenses to M42 screw so I can interchange them on the front of the tilt adapter OR the focus tube. I may go ahead and get a 75mm lens also.

So, below is what it looks like .... with some example images.

..

A couple years ago I began seeing tilting lens adapters on ebay and thought it was an excellent idea for close up work and thought, someday I should make one using an enlarging lens. This would of course be a manual focus manual diaphram system. The tilting function can give extended DOF in certain planes using the Scheimflug principal as used by 4X5 view cameras.

Then, about a year ago Canon came out with 3 different "tilt/shift macro lenses" for about $2K each ! The 90mm is f2.8, tilts 10 degrees and goes to 1:2 mag. So this served as additional inspiration to do a DIY version.

I use a Sony A77II which is basically a mirrorless camera with a prism box. The EVF works good with manual diaphram lenses so that would be my base body. My goal would be to do small tabletop product and floral type subjects - no bugs or 1:1 !

I started with a helicoid focusing extension tube in the 12-17mm range in M42 mount $20 - and used a m42 to Sony A mount adapter on ebay - $10.

What a fun project.
I then got a M42 to M4/3 tilting adapter (this would go on the front of the focusing adapter) - you cannot get a M42-M42 tilting adapter - that is what I wanted - so I planned on modifying the M4/3 to make it M42 screw- $24 on ebay. I would be using a dremel tool and a 39-42mm screw adapter so I could make it screw into the front of the helicoid. This tilting adapter can rotate 360 degrees so the tilt can be adjusted in any direction.

For lenses, I started out with an expensive ( $80) 60mm f4 enlarging Rodagon ( 6 element) and found out that with using the tilt adapter I could only get 1:1.3 to 1:1.7 - which was too much magnification ( for me). So I decided to try an in-expensive ($20) 90mm lens ( a 90mm f4.5 enlarging Raptar 4 element) - which gives me 1:9 to 1:4.2 which is more like what I was looking for. I can use a normal extension tube for greater magnification than this if needed. A 75mm enlarging lens would give mags somewhere in between the above ranges and would probably work for most people. I converted both enlarging lenses to M42 screw so I can interchange them on the front of the tilt adapter OR the focus tube. I may go ahead and get a 75mm lens also. You may notice the small profile of the 90mm enlarging lens - this helps to allow more light to the subject in really close work as opposed to using a large purpose designed full fledged "macro" lens.

So, below is what it looks like .... with some example images.

..

A couple years ago I began seeing tilting lens adapters on ebay and thought it was an excellent idea for close up work and thought, someday I should make one using an enlarging lens. This would of course be a manual focus manual diaphram system. The tilting function can give extended DOF in certain planes using the Scheimflug principal as used by 4X5 view cameras.

Then, about a year ago Canon came out with 3 different "tilt/shift macro lenses" for about $2K each ! The 90mm is f2.8, tilts 10 degrees and goes to 1:2 mag. So this served as additional inspiration to do a DIY version.

I use a Sony A77II which is basically a mirrorless camera with a prism box. The EVF works good with manual diaphram lenses so that would be my base body. My goal would be to do small tabletop product and floral type subjects - no bugs or 1:1 !

I started with a helicoid focusing extension tube in the 12-17mm range in M42 mount $20 - and used a m42 to Sony A mount adapter on ebay - $10.

I then got a M42 to M4/3 tilting adapter (this would go on the front of the focusing adapter) - you cannot get a M42-M42 tilting adapter - that is what I wanted - so I planned on modifying the M4/3 to make it M42 screw- $24 on ebay. I would be using a dremel tool and a 39-42mm screw adapter so I could make it screw into the front of the helicoid. This tilting adapter can rotate 360 degrees so the tilt can be adjusted in any direction.

For lenses, I started out with an expensive ( $80) 60mm f4 enlarging Rodagon ( 6 element) and found out that with using the tilt adapter I could only get 1:1.3 to 1:1.7 - which was too much magnification ( for me). So I decided to try an in-expensive ($20) 90mm lens ( a 90mm f4.5 enlarging Raptar 4 element) - which gives me 1:9 to 1:4.2 which is more like what I was looking for. I can use a normal extension tube for greater magnification than this if needed. A 75mm enlarging lens would give mags somewhere in between the above ranges and would probably work for most people. I converted both enlarging lenses to M42 screw so I can interchange them on the front of the tilt adapter OR the focus tube. I may go ahead and get a 75mm lens also. You may notice the small profile of the 90mm enlarging lens - this helps to allow more light to the subject in really close work as opposed to using a large purpose designed full fledged "macro" lens.

So, below is what it looks like .... with some example images.

..

A couple years ago I began seeing tilting lens adapters on ebay and thought it was an excellent idea for close up work and thought, someday I should make one using an enlarging lens. This would of course be a manual focus manual diaphram system. The tilting function can give extended DOF in certain planes using the Scheimflug principal as used by 4X5 view cameras.

Then, about a year ago Canon came out with 3 different "tilt/shift macro lenses" for about $2K each ! The 90mm is f2.8, tilts 10 degrees and goes to 1:2 mag. So this served as additional inspiration to do a DIY version.

I use a Sony A77II which is basically a mirrorless camera with a prism box. The EVF works good with manual diaphram lenses so that would be my base body. My goal would be to do small tabletop product and floral type subjects - no bugs or 1:1 !

I started with a helicoid focusing extension tube in the 12-17mm range in M42 mount $20 - and used a m42 to Sony A mount adapter on ebay - $10.

I then got a M42 to M4/3 tilting adapter (this would go on the front of the focusing adapter) - you cannot get a M42-M42 tilting adapter - that is what I wanted - so I planned on modifying the M4/3 to make it M42 screw- $24 on ebay. I would be using a dremel tool and a 39-42mm screw adapter so I could make it screw into the front of the helicoid. This tilting adapter can rotate 360 degrees so the tilt can be adjusted in any direction.

For lenses, I started out with an expensive ( $80) 60mm f4 enlarging Rodagon ( 6 element) and found out that with using the tilt adapter I could only get 1:1.3 to 1:1.7 - which was too much magnification ( for me). So I decided to try an in-expensive ($20) 90mm lens ( a 90mm f4.5 enlarging Raptar 4 element) - which gives me 1:9 to 1:4.2 which is more like what I was looking for. I can use a normal extension tube for greater magnification than this if needed. A 75mm enlarging lens would give mags somewhere in between the above ranges and would probably work for most people. I converted both enlarging lenses to M42 screw so I can interchange them on the front of the tilt adapter OR the focus tube. I may go ahead and get a 75mm lens also. You may notice the small profile of the 90mm enlarging lens - this helps to allow more light to the subject in really close work as opposed to using a large purpose designed full fledged "macro" lens.

So, below is what it looks like .... with some example images.

..

Without Math and Science the world is an illusion. I appreciate the Wiki reference as well as the subject of Tilt Lens modification. imagemeister, Great example photos, indeed.

I spent a lot of time searching for a Minolta AF Tilt Adapter... I have a Sony A65 which is truly an Minolta ALPHA... why Sony bastardized the word Alpha stolen for use in E Mount cameras like the A7... i do not excuse. My friend in england bought a A7 now messed up having to use an adapter for low cost Minolta Maxxium lenses.

Many Tilt adapter but non did I find for classic AF mounts. Did I miss one in the under $50 range?? I have several M42 lenses as well as Nikon [8088] and a Pentax film SLR .... Help me adapt !