Hi Allan. You have gotten me very deep into macro & extreme macro. I'm loving it & friends are amazed at my shots, stacked in Zerene. I watch at least one of your clips every day. I thought you might be interested in what I found as an easier & maybe cheaper way to hood the "working end" of my El Nikkor enlarging lens. I simply got a Fotodiox M39 to NK ring & then bought a PK-3 extension on Ebay. Now I can use a regular rear lens cap on the front - beauty!
Yes, i have now purchased one 50mm f/2.8N and it wasn't expensive at all. Thanks for the sharing of your extensive knowledge and the comprehensive work you have put on your videos! Happy new macro year!
I have a 50mm f/2.8N enlarger lens (still in one piece) so the moment I saw notice of this video pop up I diverted from what I planned to do this morning to watch and see what wisdom you had to offer on this topic. Right off you posed your question. My answer was "3 feet." I said it out loud, but I don't think you heard me. I was off by 0.5 ft. Do I get partial credit on the quiz for being almost right? Ok, with that out of the way I will release the video from pause and continue watching to discover what other lessons you will impart, beside "keep a grip."
Distracted by photographic interests at scale ranges from centimeters to light years the past couple years, fungi in our forest this fall, then lichen and the siren call of slime molds lured me back to sub-centimeter photography.. I dug out the PB6 and 50mm f/2.8N, mated reversed, with your recommended "lens shade". The kit had been waiting patiently in the drawer to be reattached to the D850 and taken for a ride on the StackShot. From a series of test shots and measurements I created a spreadsheet that calculates magnification and tabulates working distance at increments over the range of bellows extension. A column also calculates effective aperture given an entered lens aperture setting. Values of effective aperture < 20 are shaded green, > 20 red. I just finished shooting a series of a resolution test slide, inspecting the images and evaluating resolution in lines per mm. A whole tray full of lichen samples are sitting outside in the cold and damp waiting to be brought in and explored. I'm grateful for your archive of videos to remind me of what I've forgotten and guide me through skills yet to be mastered.
I've dropped El Nikkor at least four times(Mr Fumble fingers has a problem attaching it to the bellows) and my cat tried to play soccer with it at least at least three times(she also like to play with my specimens)...........so far, so good
Like many other enlarging leenses, this El-Nikkor 50mm 2.8 lens is designed to produce imaging at distances closer to subjects than your regular kit lens 50mm 1.8. However, that doesn't make is a great macro lens. It is designed to project an image being enlarged in the area of 5x to 20x. Modern macro lenses operate in the area of 1x to 4x. No denying that a good, used enlarging lens will optically function as a close up lens costing a small fraction of the price of a new macro lens.
Hello Allan, thank you for a very helpful and informative video, for someone starting out in the macro/micro field. I was able to get hold of the rings etc, for your mounting and hooding suggestions, although with one difference and one stray light observation. Like barrelcactusaddict earlier, following your reverse-mounting method, I was unable to find a 40.5mm (male) thread to 52mm (male) thread step-up adapter ring as you did; all the rings I could see online from this side of the pond had the 52mm side as a female thread. This though had the benefit (?) of fitting directly onto the 52mm thread of of my Nikon BR2A ring, meaning I only needed 2 rings for the mounting, not 3. Stray light: thinking about your advice on the illuminated aperture scale, yesterday evening I was sitting playing around with the various rings at a kitchen work surface, which was lit by led striplights underneath the overhead cabinets. The strip lights are shielded from direct view by a 5cm/2" deep coving(?)/coping(?) strip, the usual kitchen arrangement. Holding the complete rings/lens/rings assembly in front of me, hood-end towards me and pointed down at about 45 degrees, the light was hitting it directly, and I immediately saw a thin arc of light shining inwards from the rectangular slot of the BR3 ring release lever, which happened to be pointing upwards towards the light. The 39mm to F mount adapter was the last piece I got for the whole job, arriving in yesterday's mail, and looks identical to the one in your video, with the very thin knurled edge. When I attached it to my BR3, I noticed it was a slightly loose fit, a fraction of a mm movement with accompanying click noise. I'd imagine this and the stray light are connected. Easily fixed, however, with a sliver of black electrical tape; gorilla tape was a bit too awkward to work with inside the BR3. You'll laugh at this - I was so keen to get an EL 50 after watching your vid, that I've ended up with two of them. The first one i bought on ebay took so long to arrive that I thought it was lost, and after a couple of message exchanges with the seller, I pressed the 'buy' button on a second one, with the intent of submiiting a refund request to ebay. And yes, no sooner had I done that than the postman was knocking on the door with the first one. I'll stick one of them on ebay etc myself, highlighting the macro/micro ability, and pointing viewers in the direction of your website, if that's ok. Best wishes from sunny Northern Ireland, ha, ha :-(
I had a splurge and managed to find & buy El Nikkor N 50mm (new, unused), 63, 80 and 105mm to have a play. Also a Kowa Varifocal 50-80mm. All mint. Fun!
What are the chances, was looking for some info about this lense for macro photography and this video just came out. Great explanation and very informative. I'm specifically thankful for pointing out how to mount it on modern cameras.
I wouldn’t bet on that lens being suitable for film scanning. My 50mm APO Rodagon and Schneider Componon were horrible for this. Virtually ANY 90-105mm macro will work MUCH BETTER. (50mm enlarger lenses render horribly soft corners for film scanning)
@@martyzielinski1442 Its working better at f/8 than any macro lens ive ever used for scanning. almost perfectly sharp (even at the corners) and almost 0 chromatic aberration.
I thought all you needed to do was rotate the rear m39 flange window 120°… Well that what I saw in an article recently. I turned it on my 50 and 63. The window no longer illuminates. Order a 80mm as well to test with my 8x10 large format camera. Maybe I will do the same with it. Thanks for the video.
What a great channel, stumbled on it when you were making the flash to fibre optic adaptor. Never really thought of trying macro before, I have now! And such a pleasure to go back to manual. Grew up as a kid using it, never could afford a meter, TTL hadn’t even been dreamt of. Develope d and printed my own hairy photos (that blanket over the window!) measured my own chemicals, developed a lifelong interest in blowing things up. You’d think I’d have naturally gone back to manual, didn’t, have now. You have taught me a lot. I really have to thank you so much. And of course for that wonderful comment “You may have wondered why I put 4 before 5, well that’s how numbers work” strong work indeed! Being a dr too of course I had to find an unanswered question - I have an Olympus MFT, can’t find bellows anywhere. What about converting my MFT mount to Nikon/Canon or whatever? Sure they must make them. Any tips. And - I now have brand new prime lens (macro), I had forgotten how beautiful the primes are. Thank you Allan, definite one of the good guys in my book. P
Thanks Phillip, I really appreciate your kind words. Bellows are pretty much agnostic when it comes to macro. MFT to F-mount adapters can be found on eBay and through outfits like RafCamera. You can put literally anything on the other end - reversed primes, macro lenses, enlarger lenses, objectives, the sky is the limit. There are advantages and disadvantages to the MFT format in the macro world - all related to the sensor size - and probably worth a separate video. Get one of these and a set of PB-6 bellows (www.adorama.com/us1415760.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwiqWHBhD2ARIsAPCDzakmvNfTZi1NNU0t6hvtX1APfoTMtVMTr6-aUivcrVwVRZJQmlUC59IaAn5uEALw_wcB&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiqWHBhD2ARIsAPCDzakmvNfTZi1NNU0t6hvtX1APfoTMtVMTr6-aUivcrVwVRZJQmlUC59IaAn5uEALw_wcB&) then strap in for the adventure of a lifetime - you are going to see and photograph things you didn't know existed a week ago! Have fun!
@@AllanWallsPhotography You know, after a period of not very mature reflection, rather than an adaptor, the Nikon Z6 ii or Z7 i or ii seem to have many advantages, full frame and especially in the case of the Z7 i or ii, a hell of a lot more pixels. Then I won't need to spend money on the adaptor. A little ingenuity may be require to justify this within our domestic budget perhaps, but who doesn't like a challenge!
@@AllanWallsPhotography haha I would love one. Used them at university and they are dreamy. Unfortunately I think it was a family clearing out the house and seeing no value in his photography stuff. I'd like to thank you for your video on the bellows. I managed to find the same ones in a charity shop near me and with the 50mm enlarger lens and adapter rings it's a superb setup.
Learning so much from your excellent videos. Would you mind sharing some information on what equipment you use to mount items such as your bellows and Stackshot?
Allan, one little trick is instead of the tape to cover the light source, on the back of the lens there are three screws. Undo the screws and rotate the plate 1/3 now the hole will be covered. Replace the screws.
Hi just to clarify one mistake here .There is absolutly no need to cover the apeture dial with tape .You are missing one point .That dial illumination comes from a window in the rear mount of the lens itself and the light source comes through the window on the enlarger .To prove my point ,just shine a single led light through thet little rear window on the mount and it will illuminate 1 figure in white and the rest in orange .If however you shine it through the elements it will not do any illumination because the light shaft only goes through a seperate tiny tube to the dial .If it still leaves you in doubt just tape that little opaque window on the rear of the 50n lens ,but theres absolutly no need . Love your vids .I have stripped and cleaned these for years and a couple of hundred other lenses .
Thanks for this video Allan. Just received this lens from an Ebay seller, in excellent condition, and set it up on my D7500 with adapters and extension tubes as you described. I am amazed how sharp this lens is! Looking forward to finding some interesting subjects to shoot.
Cool! It is my go to lens for any focus stacking of all small insects when I need the whole bug in the frame. As good as it is on extension tubes, it is the bellows that completes the system. 99% of the pictures I take are taken with the bellows. The EL Nikkor becomes an instant 1:2 macro lens or super sharp 3 or 4:1 macro monster in under 20 seconds withe the bellows. Anyway - congratulations on one of the real "must have" purchases in macro photography. You won't regret it!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Thanks Allan. I have watched your video on using the bellows. Have had some initial success with focus stacking so will keep at it!
Your channel is fantastic, you do a great job. Your videos are always very instructive where I always learn something new even doing macro photography for some time. As a small contribution, I believe that a better solution for the lens hood is to use K4 or K5 rings from the Nikon K Macro Extension Tube Set, easy to find in the secondhand market and for accessible prices. As a bonus you get the K1 (female F-Bayonet to male F-Bayonet), K2 (same as BR2A but with female 52mm thread) and K3 (same as BR3 but with male 52mm thread) rings very useful in various setups.
Excellent idea, Carlos! Thanks. I will try it - I have lately been using a one inch long tube of black velvet on a foam backing, It slides on the lens over the protruding rear element. It provides no physical protection to speak of, but it has completely eliminated the occasional internal reflection I was getting with the BR-3 - I will try your method as soon as I find the set of tubes!
The bug on your package at 1:37, so familiar, its relatives here in the Pacific Northwest don't grow to subtropical size, but they make up for size in abundance. Some come in with the firewood and fly about the room, crash landing against lamps and us. We pick them up and release them back outside. Some suffer a worse fate. They smell like freshly cut grass when crushed. I suppose I should pin one and take its portrait with a reversed Nikon 50mm f/2.8N enlarger lens. I may be anticipating where this video is going, time to release from pause again and find out.
Hey Allan. Thank you so much for this video, it is really helping me get started! I am however having trouble tracking down a "52mm to 58mm step down adapter with continuous 52mm female thread". Does it come by a different name? I have tried all week and spent money on several adapters that are not what I hoped they would be. All working otherwise :) I have been watching your videos for about three weeks so far and have even bought an objective lens (waiting for the adapter from China). Really enjoying the learning, cheers mate!
This video is so nice and clear that I got excited to try this set up. After attaching everything into place on my Z8 all I'm getting is a big blur --- from any distance! No matter how close or how far or at whatever aperture. So dissappointed. Lens seems ok. What am I missing here?
Hi Allan, great video, thanks you, so if understand for negative reshooting, i should use it in the regular orientation, and a "silly" question, so far which one would you prefer the old version or the N? are those new coatings that good ?
To appreciate how gentle your postal carrier really is, comparatively speaking, I suggest you obtain and watch a copy of the 1988 movie "Funny Farm, which featured Chevy Chase and Madolyn(sic) Smith Osborne.
I personally don't think so. I use them both all the time and they are optically identical, from what I have read. So the advantage is only slight, and that is from the coatings.
Have been a bit busy but managed to buy the El Nikkor F2.8 N second hand for £50 sterling just waiting for the adaptor rings to arrive. Just looking through the lens hand held it maginifies alot
Got a perfect one on the way from Japan! However, I'm using an FD bellows and Sony e mount a6400. w/40.5->52 + 52->FD and an m42 tube set for a hood. Thanks for the tips! Now where IS that cockroach?
I used this lens, but... I was not satisfied, especially because of the CA. Now I use Meopta Meogon f/5.6 versions (with bellows and reverse adapter) which are much better! Try it, you will be surprised! It's sharper, but it has zero CA. I have 5.6/50 and 5.6/60, both versions are fantastic. And they are cheaper than the Nikon... I like your work, I watch your films, regards, Theo.
Thanks Theo, I am so surprised to read your comment! I have tried the Meopta lens and I found to have quite a lot of aberration - I am sure to was partly my fault (or completely!) and my lighting might have contributed, so I will dig the lens out and give it another try. Were you having issues with the f/2.8N lens or the f/2.8? I did encounter bad CA with the older "non-N" Elnikkor but have not in many years of using the "N". I feel a new video coming on!
For traditional enlarger work the F4 version is adequate as long as you stop down to F8 and keep the enlargements below 21 x 30 cm, plus it's really cheap
It is adequate as an enlarger lens, but not as good reversed as a macro lens - even though it has the same optics, the lack of coatings make it very prone to internal reflections when using flash. I still like and use it, though. It has character.
If you undo the three screws on the back of the lens you move the oval window thing to a new position so the light does not go through to the aperture scale, then you do not need to put tape over it.
I use the older el nikkor 50 2.8 for full body shots if i want to include the background. I would say it has the best colors of all my lenses. Maybe thats because it doesnt have coatings? Basicly apochromatic. A bit Soft at 2.8 but perfect for portraits (hairs still sharp but wrinkles less pronounced). A question: is it radioactive? Because its glass elements turned a bit yellowish which is common with radioactive lenses
Pro quality content. Simple and straight to the point. Question please: When you say if we want to shoot 4:1 we need 200mm extension. Lets assume 150mm gives you 3:1. Now going into the question, can I use a zoom lens set to 150mm and connect the Nikkor the zoom front element, or in another words, using the zoom as a 'bellows'? You know what I mean? Thanks
Hi Carlos - you certainly can, but you won't get much magnification at 150mm, though at 200-300mm, with the El Nikkor reversed, you can get quite a bit of magnification, but your IQ isn't great and the WD is very short.
@@AllanWallsPhotography thanks. So ideally one would have to use the zoom lens at 200mm with el Nikkor reversed to achieve the magnification you mention in you video, is it? So it can be used? In terms of IQ will it be degraded? At 200mm? Compared to the bellows? Thanks in advance.
@@carlosazevedo7748 I am saying that you could use this lens in a "stacked lens" configuration with a 200mm primary lens. In this configuration the enlarger lens acts like a close-up filter. It is much easier to use the lens reversed on 200mm of empty extension, as I discuss in the video. The magnification ratios I describe are achieved with nothing but extension - no additional lens required.
Good morning Mr. Allan, I have a Schneider 50 mm f2.8 Componon S but this Nikon intrigues me! In your experience, should I replace the Componon with this Nikon N? Thank you
Allan the show is great (this old guy checks out your channel all the time). There is a guy here that is selling a Nikkor EI 80mm Enlarger Lens will that work like the 50mm or what will the difference. Should I buy it for this kind of macro.
Hi Stu, I may have already answered this one, but I think you would be happier with a shorter focal length El Nikkor. You can use the 80mm, but you will get less magnification for a given extension.
Thanks for this informative video. I have the older version of the lens in all metal body. Not sure if it has any coating at all, but I would like to use it reversed. Allan, is it possible to do so? It does have a filter thread.
I have a couple of the pre-N versions of the lens, and I really like them. They lack the advanced coatings of the later version, but the optical construction is identical. Use it in reverse and make sure you use a hood to protect the rear (front) element from your flash. Some of my best images were taken with that lens. The filter thread (40.5mm and the mounting thread [M39] are identical to the f/2.8N. Best results seem to be around f/5.6.
A good solution! I like being able to shorten or lengthen the hood by adding or removing step rings, but your method could do the same by varying the length of your tube segment.
Hello Allan, thank you for your channel, you are great! Can I ask you how much extension I need to get to 3:1 with this 50mm? I'm trying to find a setup that can cover from 1:1 to 3:1 to shoot handheld.. I'm thinking of using an helicoedal extension tube
I would go with 120-130mm from sensor to lens - with the lens reversed, you should get nice sharp 3:1 images. The extension tubes will work just as well, and having the helicoid will let you just your magnification in the field. You will want to use flash - there will be quite a bit of light loss at 130mm.
@@AllanWallsPhotography yes, I always use flash for my shots. 130mm from the sensor look nice and compact, i think i'll try.. i'm currently use a vivitar 55mm 1:1 plus a 2x macro focusing converter and this setup is heavy and enormus ':b check my shots on instagram if you like :) "andrea_denisi_macro". I wish you the best!
Hello! Would you know which would give a more flat field, this EL Nikkor or the Nikkor 55mm 2.8 macro? I have a PB-6 with the PS-6 slide copying adapter that I use to digitalize 35mm negatives with the Nikon 55mm f2.8 macro. I noticed that if I focus on the center of the negative the corner became a little soft, if I focus on the corner then the cent becomes a little soft. Even though the macro lens is supposed to be flat field it's not perfect. I wonder if an enlarger lens like this one would give me sharp focus across the entire negative.
OK, cool. So I tried it out. I have the older brass / aluminium big stops (f2.8). forward mounted on Nikon PB-4 & D300s. It gets 1:0.87 fully collapsed or 3.42:1 fully extended. Do you mean it it better reversed for 2:1 or 3:1 with not having to extend bellows as far out? How would you compare the sharpness or quality of the P-Nikkor 105mm f4 bellows beside infinity focus & stopdown locking ring?
Also, I did purchase the M39 to F mount adapter so that I could mount this lens in the normal position and I’m running into an issue where the mirror is hitting the back of the lens when it tries to flip out of the way because the back of the lens protrudes past the adapter ring. When I reverse mount the lens I don’t run into this issue. Thx,
How many meter drop does it take to break the older 50mm f2.8 metal version one? I have that one. I hear it is better because Nikon used real flourite apochromatic element, which the newer one did not. I also have the 80mm one (have the check the f stop, but I remember it also at f2.8) for medium format. Will I get more distance?
When the lens is setup, reversed, what is the approximate magnification ratio with no extension tubes and what is the magnification ratio when the lens is mounted in the normal position? Thx
I have a Nikon Nikkor EL 50mm with f/2.8 and a Nikon d200 and a d610 dslr cameras. In the beginning I thought that I need to connect to my camera the Nikkor EL50mm lens I need i) a m39 to 42mm then ii) a m42 to m42 macrohelicoid and then iii) a m42 to Nikon F mount. But the d200 (as well as the d610) flange focal distance is 46.5mm and the nikkor el 50mm is only 44mm. So it always will exist a 2.5mm short. Can you tell me what mount adapter system do I need to connect the lens to the camera? The system with 1) a stepping ring 40.5 to 52mm 2) a stepping ring 52 to 58mm with continuous inner 52mm female throat ring 3) a 52 to F mount reversing ring and as a lens hood I need a) 39mm to F-mount adapter b) Nikon BR3 (F mount to 52mm filter thread) c) alternative stepping rings 52mm to 43mm (I see that you propose 3 (a 52 to 43, a 43 to 52, a 52 to 43) With these 1-2-3 and a-b-c do I solve this problem? In a prior video you proposed 1) Step up 40.5mm male to 55mm male 2) Fotodiox step down 55mm female to52mm male 3) 52mm male to F-mount 4) Extension tube BR3 (female F mount to 52 female) + 52mm UV filter as lens hood Which one of these (1-2-3 and 1-2-3-4) works better? Thank you very much.
I am sorry for making this so complicated - but they both work quite well. The flange focal distance of the El Nikkor is not relevant to this problem. You only have to ensure that the enlarger lens, reversed or not, os close to the right distance from your sensor for the magnification ratio you desire. Unlike with microscope objectives, you can use this lens at almost any extension - it will simply change the magnification ratio. I do prefer the 1,2,3,4 solution better, because of the better protection of the El Nikkor, though they both work very well. By the way, the importance of the flange focal distance is simply so that you can more accurately estimate your expected magnification - but seeing as all such calculations are little more than estimates, I always recommend actually measuring the magnification of every setup. I hope that I have answered your question!
That was really good. I will have to borrow one of the club members Nikon since I shot Canon. Can you recommend something in Canon, outside of the MPE lens, my budget manager, wife, will void that purchase.
Hi Lee, that is the beauty of this lens. Because there are no automatic functions, it can be used with any camera body. All you need to do is get adapters for your particular bellows/extension tube mount (eg. 40.5mm to EF mount adapter). This goes for any enlarger lens.
I just found a couple of these lenses on eBay for under $50US. I am waiting for a response from the seller now on my offer. Thank you for making macro fun. I have struggled with this for years and never really got hooked on it.
would it make sense to use the pb6 extension with a microscope lens??? based on what you explained it wouldnt make sense to use it on a 50mm 2.8, but would i be able to get usable images if i were to use the pb6 plus pb6e and a microscope lens?? or does it just not make any sense at all to buy the pb6E ??? are there any viable applications for the pb6 and pb6E combo???, i hope so cause im about to buy both , i found a good deal, at least i hope , tomorrow ill place the order, its around 300 euros for both, its from a photography shop thats closing business
Actually a very good question. There is not much reason to have the PB6E bellows extension, at least not for macro photography - there are not really any circumstances where you would want more than 200mm of extension - any of the lenses we are likely to use will be well into the diffraction zone bu=y the time to run out of bellows without the extension. I use the PB6 with prime lenses, enlarger lenses, finite and infinity corrected microscope objectives - it is the most versatile piece of gear I own. I frequently jump back and forth between lenses and like to adjust magnification of primes and enlargers - using extension tubes would be a pain in the posterior - even with a helicoid. There is one situation in which it would be fun to have the extension - to put between tube lens and objective and be able to adjust the infinity space on the fly. I'm not sure how much good it would be but it would be fun to experiment with. I would buy it, just because they are getting hard to find, butI can't now because you did.
how does the quality of the "N" series lens compare to the older version (which doesn't have the illuminated f-stops)? If the quality is similar then wouldn't the older version be better? That way you wouldn't have to prevent light leaks with tape.
Hi Christopher - I personally don't see a whole lot of difference, though occasionally I will pick up a little flare from the older lens. The two lenses are optically identical, but the N has some more advanced coatings and many photographers think it is a sharper lens. There is quite a bit of copy to copy variability and I think I must have a really good copy of the older lens, because I love them both.
Thanks for the promptness of your response. I've ordered the "N" version and will just block the light portal on the back of the lens with tape or some other opaque material. Thanks for your videos. They are very helpful. @@AllanWallsPhotography
The pre-N versions lack the light "leak" design and are built out of solid brass, not a largely plastic construction like the N versions. The older versions will not break open if dropped, which is a common problem on even the most expensive enlarging lenses using largely plastic casing, which is nearly all of them. The newer versions have more modern coatings, which may give a slightly higher contrast image, but in the age of digital use or film scanning, such differences are lost in the "post-processing" phase of image management anyway. I've used old and new versions of the lens, and I see no sharpness difference. All that said, we should remember that an enlarging lens, including the El-Nikkor 50mm 2.8, is not designed as an enlarging lens. In fact, is is designed to a very narrow range of optimum performance. These emphasis flat image field (irrelevant in most macro photography) and even light distribution (a goal in any lens). They are also deigned to perform best (at least this lens) in the magnification range of 1:8 - 1:20, and as to resolution are going to be nothing special outside that much less than macro range. For macro use, their best feature is that they are cheap, very cheap, compared to a lens truly designed for macro work. Of course, if you have to add $250 of bellows and another $50 in adapters, not so cheap.
Hi Mr. Walls, I've been finding every adapter for this lens so far, but I cannot find the 40.5 male thread to 52 male thread step up ring anywhere. I only see 40.5 male to 52 female adapters, no coupling adapters; I can't even see the adapter you have on Google Images. Could I get away with using the 40.5 male to 52 female, and then a 52 male to EF mount adapter?
Oh yes - absolutely. There is almost always a workaround and 40.5mm is not that uncommon. I think it was a popular Leica filter thread size. But use whatever you can find to make the connection - what a great lens that is - my absolute favorite for 2-3:1 in the studio!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Sounds great! It took a few hours, but I managed to find the adapters I'd need on eBay; hopefully I'll quickly learn to properly use reversed lenses. I'm also debating on whether or not to get the manual focus rail I have in mind, or the Cognisys Stackshot; I plan to enquire more in-depth of the manual rail's manufacturer, and test that out first: if it's no good, I'll try to finance the automated rail. It'll take some getting used to, but hopefully everything will work out.
@@barrelcactusaddict4583 I am very impressed! You are a serious person and you have the ability to change course when circumstances demand - these are two traits that will serve you well in macro photography! I was concerned that my exuberance may have been too much. I am glad it wasn't!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Thank you so much, that is most kind of you to say, I really appreciate it! I'm so grateful for your having provided me so much valuable insight and advice, and I cannot wait to begin!
I guessed 70". Yea, I was off. Ha. God provided you an insane bug! 😆 There's no coincidences. :) Does adding an adapter cause IQ to decrease or any negative effect? Thank you.
I truly enjoy your videos and I always learn something from them that helps improve my sessions.
Thank you for the timely and informative video. Again.
Amazing explanation! Thanks a lot.
Thanks for this review, very informative.
You are a good teacher ❤
Allan-another great video. The postman never leaves me anything like that bug; that thing is awesome.
Great informative video as per the normal Allan, well done & much appreciated.
Thanks for sharing.
Happy New Year Allan. Great vlog mate. Greg
Cheers Greg, same to you!
Hi Allan. You have gotten me very deep into macro & extreme macro. I'm loving it & friends are amazed at my shots, stacked in Zerene. I watch at least one of your clips every day. I thought you might be interested in what I found as an easier & maybe cheaper way to hood the "working end" of my El Nikkor enlarging lens. I simply got a Fotodiox M39 to NK ring & then bought a PK-3 extension on Ebay. Now I can use a regular rear lens cap on the front - beauty!
Great quiz!
Yes, i have now purchased one 50mm f/2.8N and it wasn't expensive at all.
Thanks for the sharing of your extensive knowledge and the comprehensive work you have put on your videos!
Happy new macro year!
Most certainly my favorite non-objective macro lens, and for the price, unbeatable! Happy New Year! Allan
I have a 50mm f/2.8N enlarger lens (still in one piece) so the moment I saw notice of this video pop up I diverted from what I planned to do this morning to watch and see what wisdom you had to offer on this topic. Right off you posed your question. My answer was "3 feet." I said it out loud, but I don't think you heard me. I was off by 0.5 ft. Do I get partial credit on the quiz for being almost right? Ok, with that out of the way I will release the video from pause and continue watching to discover what other lessons you will impart, beside "keep a grip."
I do not do macro photography but I really appreciate good ASMR :) Thank you.
I don’t like your bugs but I like your contents. Thank you
I will try to get one :) great explonation !
Distracted by photographic interests at scale ranges from centimeters to light years the past couple years, fungi in our forest this fall, then lichen and the siren call of slime molds lured me back to sub-centimeter photography.. I dug out the PB6 and 50mm f/2.8N, mated reversed, with your recommended "lens shade". The kit had been waiting patiently in the drawer to be reattached to the D850 and taken for a ride on the StackShot. From a series of test shots and measurements I created a spreadsheet that calculates magnification and tabulates working distance at increments over the range of bellows extension. A column also calculates effective aperture given an entered lens aperture setting. Values of effective aperture < 20 are shaded green, > 20 red. I just finished shooting a series of a resolution test slide, inspecting the images and evaluating resolution in lines per mm. A whole tray full of lichen samples are sitting outside in the cold and damp waiting to be brought in and explored. I'm grateful for your archive of videos to remind me of what I've forgotten and guide me through skills yet to be mastered.
I've dropped El Nikkor at least four times(Mr Fumble fingers has a problem attaching it to the bellows) and my cat tried to play soccer with it at least at least three times(she also like to play with my specimens)...........so far, so good
Like many other enlarging leenses, this El-Nikkor 50mm 2.8 lens is designed to produce imaging at distances closer to subjects than your regular kit lens 50mm 1.8. However, that doesn't make is a great macro lens. It is designed to project an image being enlarged in the area of 5x to 20x. Modern macro lenses operate in the area of 1x to 4x. No denying that a good, used enlarging lens will optically function as a close up lens costing a small fraction of the price of a new macro lens.
Hello Allan, thank you for a very helpful and informative video, for someone starting out in the macro/micro field. I was able to get hold of the rings etc, for your mounting and hooding suggestions, although with one difference and one stray light observation.
Like barrelcactusaddict earlier, following your reverse-mounting method, I was unable to find a 40.5mm (male) thread to 52mm (male) thread step-up adapter ring as you did; all the rings I could see online from this side of the pond had the 52mm side as a female thread. This though had the benefit (?) of fitting directly onto the 52mm thread of of my Nikon BR2A ring, meaning I only needed 2 rings for the mounting, not 3.
Stray light: thinking about your advice on the illuminated aperture scale, yesterday evening I was sitting playing around with the various rings at a kitchen work surface, which was lit by led striplights underneath the overhead cabinets. The strip lights are shielded from direct view by a 5cm/2" deep coving(?)/coping(?) strip, the usual kitchen arrangement. Holding the complete rings/lens/rings assembly in front of me, hood-end towards me and pointed down at about 45 degrees, the light was hitting it directly, and I immediately saw a thin arc of light shining inwards from the rectangular slot of the BR3 ring release lever, which happened to be pointing upwards towards the light.
The 39mm to F mount adapter was the last piece I got for the whole job, arriving in yesterday's mail, and looks identical to the one in your video, with the very thin knurled edge. When I attached it to my BR3, I noticed it was a slightly loose fit, a fraction of a mm movement with accompanying click noise. I'd imagine this and the stray light are connected. Easily fixed, however, with a sliver of black electrical tape; gorilla tape was a bit too awkward to work with inside the BR3.
You'll laugh at this - I was so keen to get an EL 50 after watching your vid, that I've ended up with two of them. The first one i bought on ebay took so long to arrive that I thought it was lost, and after a couple of message exchanges with the seller, I pressed the 'buy' button on a second one, with the intent of submiiting a refund request to ebay. And yes, no sooner had I done that than the postman was knocking on the door with the first one. I'll stick one of them on ebay etc myself, highlighting the macro/micro ability, and pointing viewers in the direction of your website, if that's ok.
Best wishes from sunny Northern Ireland, ha, ha :-(
I had a splurge and managed to find & buy El Nikkor N 50mm (new, unused), 63, 80 and 105mm to have a play. Also a Kowa Varifocal 50-80mm. All mint. Fun!
What are the chances, was looking for some info about this lense for macro photography and this video just came out. Great explanation and very informative. I'm specifically thankful for pointing out how to mount it on modern cameras.
Some great tips as always, thank you. I've just checked my table working height is 75cm, so hopefully I'll be safe.
Very informative video!
Im planning on picking one of these up for both macro photography and film scanning
I wouldn’t bet on that lens being suitable for film scanning. My 50mm APO Rodagon and Schneider Componon were horrible for this. Virtually ANY 90-105mm macro will work MUCH BETTER. (50mm enlarger lenses render horribly soft corners for film scanning)
@@martyzielinski1442 Its working better at f/8 than any macro lens ive ever used for scanning. almost perfectly sharp (even at the corners) and almost 0 chromatic aberration.
I thought all you needed to do was rotate the rear m39 flange window 120°… Well that what I saw in an article recently. I turned it on my 50 and 63. The window no longer illuminates. Order a 80mm as well to test with my 8x10 large format camera. Maybe I will do the same with it. Thanks for the video.
What a great channel, stumbled on it when you were making the flash to fibre optic adaptor. Never really thought of trying macro before, I have now! And such a pleasure to go back to manual. Grew up as a kid using it, never could afford a meter, TTL hadn’t even been dreamt of. Develope d and printed my own hairy photos (that blanket over the window!) measured my own chemicals, developed a lifelong interest in blowing things up. You’d think I’d have naturally gone back to manual, didn’t, have now. You have taught me a lot. I really have to thank you so much. And of course for that wonderful comment “You may have wondered why I put 4 before 5, well that’s how numbers work” strong work indeed!
Being a dr too of course I had to find an unanswered question - I have an Olympus MFT, can’t find bellows anywhere. What about converting my MFT mount to Nikon/Canon or whatever? Sure they must make them. Any tips.
And - I now have brand new prime lens (macro), I had forgotten how beautiful the primes are. Thank you Allan, definite one of the good guys in my book. P
Thanks Phillip, I really appreciate your kind words. Bellows are pretty much agnostic when it comes to macro. MFT to F-mount adapters can be found on eBay and through outfits like RafCamera. You can put literally anything on the other end - reversed primes, macro lenses, enlarger lenses, objectives, the sky is the limit. There are advantages and disadvantages to the MFT format in the macro world - all related to the sensor size - and probably worth a separate video. Get one of these and a set of PB-6 bellows (www.adorama.com/us1415760.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwiqWHBhD2ARIsAPCDzakmvNfTZi1NNU0t6hvtX1APfoTMtVMTr6-aUivcrVwVRZJQmlUC59IaAn5uEALw_wcB&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiqWHBhD2ARIsAPCDzakmvNfTZi1NNU0t6hvtX1APfoTMtVMTr6-aUivcrVwVRZJQmlUC59IaAn5uEALw_wcB&) then strap in for the adventure of a lifetime - you are going to see and photograph things you didn't know existed a week ago! Have fun!
@@AllanWallsPhotography You know, after a period of not very mature reflection, rather than an adaptor, the Nikon Z6 ii or Z7 i or ii seem to have many advantages, full frame and especially in the case of the Z7 i or ii, a hell of a lot more pixels. Then I won't need to spend money on the adaptor. A little ingenuity may be require to justify this within our domestic budget perhaps, but who doesn't like a challenge!
One of my neighbours had thrown out an enlarger with this lens on. I’m very pleased I came across your video.
My kind of neighbor. If he owns a Hasselblad, I suggest you camp out by the street - just in case.
@@AllanWallsPhotography haha I would love one. Used them at university and they are dreamy. Unfortunately I think it was a family clearing out the house and seeing no value in his photography stuff. I'd like to thank you for your video on the bellows. I managed to find the same ones in a charity shop near me and with the 50mm enlarger lens and adapter rings it's a superb setup.
Learning so much from your excellent videos. Would you mind sharing some information on what equipment you use to mount items such as your bellows and Stackshot?
Thank u so much for this video.I will try my nifty fifty for macro.Much lighter than my macro lens!
Allan, one little trick is instead of the tape to cover the light source, on the back of the lens there are three screws. Undo the screws and rotate the plate 1/3 now the hole will be covered. Replace the screws.
Nice
I recently bought an M39 to M42 ring threaded on both sides.. That will work..
Hi just to clarify one mistake here .There is absolutly no need to cover the apeture dial with tape .You are missing one point .That dial illumination comes from a window in the rear mount of the lens itself and the light source comes through the window on the enlarger .To prove my point ,just shine a single led light through thet little rear window on the mount and it will illuminate 1 figure in white and the rest in orange .If however you shine it through the elements it will not do any illumination because the light shaft only goes through a seperate tiny tube to the dial .If it still leaves you in doubt just tape that little opaque window on the rear of the 50n lens ,but theres absolutly no need .
Love your vids .I have stripped and cleaned these for years and a couple of hundred other lenses .
Thanks for this video Allan. Just received this lens from an Ebay seller, in excellent condition, and set it up on my D7500 with adapters and extension tubes as you described. I am amazed how sharp this lens is! Looking forward to finding some interesting subjects to shoot.
Cool! It is my go to lens for any focus stacking of all small insects when I need the whole bug in the frame. As good as it is on extension tubes, it is the bellows that completes the system. 99% of the pictures I take are taken with the bellows. The EL Nikkor becomes an instant 1:2 macro lens or super sharp 3 or 4:1 macro monster in under 20 seconds withe the bellows. Anyway - congratulations on one of the real "must have" purchases in macro photography. You won't regret it!
Allan Walls Photography Will have a look on Ebay. Do you reverse the EL Nikkor when using the bellows?
@@selkie72 Absolutely - vary magnification by adjusting bellows extension.
@@AllanWallsPhotography Thanks Allan. I have watched your video on using the bellows. Have had some initial success with focus stacking so will keep at it!
I know the feeling before taking my medications sir
Your channel is fantastic, you do a great job. Your videos are always very instructive where I always learn something new even doing macro photography for some time.
As a small contribution, I believe that a better solution for the lens hood is to use K4 or K5 rings from the Nikon K Macro Extension Tube Set, easy to find in the secondhand market and for accessible prices. As a bonus you get the K1 (female F-Bayonet to male F-Bayonet), K2 (same as BR2A but with female 52mm thread) and K3 (same as BR3 but with male 52mm thread) rings very useful in various setups.
Excellent idea, Carlos! Thanks. I will try it - I have lately been using a one inch long tube of black velvet on a foam backing, It slides on the lens over the protruding rear element. It provides no physical protection to speak of, but it has completely eliminated the occasional internal reflection I was getting with the BR-3 - I will try your method as soon as I find the set of tubes!
@@AllanWallsPhotography I ordered a set of M42 extension tubes for the same reason since Im using a an older pentax bellows with M42 mounts.
As usual, we’ll done.
The bug on your package at 1:37, so familiar, its relatives here in the Pacific Northwest don't grow to subtropical size, but they make up for size in abundance. Some come in with the firewood and fly about the room, crash landing against lamps and us. We pick them up and release them back outside. Some suffer a worse fate. They smell like freshly cut grass when crushed. I suppose I should pin one and take its portrait with a reversed Nikon 50mm f/2.8N enlarger lens. I may be anticipating where this video is going, time to release from pause again and find out.
Hey Allan. Thank you so much for this video, it is really helping me get started! I am however having trouble tracking down a "52mm to 58mm step down adapter with continuous 52mm female thread". Does it come by a different name? I have tried all week and spent money on several adapters that are not what I hoped they would be. All working otherwise :) I have been watching your videos for about three weeks so far and have even bought an objective lens (waiting for the adapter from China). Really enjoying the learning, cheers mate!
This video is so nice and clear that I got excited to try this set up. After attaching everything into place on my Z8 all I'm getting is a big blur --- from any distance! No matter how close or how far or at whatever aperture. So dissappointed. Lens seems ok. What am I missing here?
Hi Allan, great video, thanks you, so if understand for negative reshooting, i should use it in the regular orientation, and a "silly" question, so far which one would you prefer the old version or the N? are those new coatings that good ?
Trying to buy one of these lens from e bay , the prices seem to have gone up a bit for a secondhand one. Like the videos
To appreciate how gentle your postal carrier really is, comparatively speaking, I suggest you obtain and watch a copy of the 1988 movie "Funny Farm, which featured Chevy Chase and Madolyn(sic) Smith Osborne.
That sounds promising! Will do!
Great video! Is there a great advantage to the 2.8N over the 2.8? You mentioned additional coatings...
I personally don't think so. I use them both all the time and they are optically identical, from what I have read. So the advantage is only slight, and that is from the coatings.
Have been a bit busy but managed to buy the El Nikkor F2.8 N second hand for £50 sterling just waiting for the adaptor rings to arrive. Just looking through the lens hand held it maginifies alot
You are going to love that lens - it is razor sharp f/5.6. My 2nd fave lens.
Got a perfect one on the way from Japan! However, I'm using an FD bellows and Sony e mount a6400. w/40.5->52 + 52->FD and an m42 tube set for a hood. Thanks for the tips! Now where IS that cockroach?
I used this lens, but... I was not satisfied, especially because of the CA. Now I use Meopta Meogon f/5.6 versions (with bellows and reverse adapter) which are much better! Try it, you will be surprised! It's sharper, but it has zero CA. I have 5.6/50 and 5.6/60, both versions are fantastic. And they are cheaper than the Nikon... I like your work, I watch your films, regards, Theo.
Thanks Theo, I am so surprised to read your comment! I have tried the Meopta lens and I found to have quite a lot of aberration - I am sure to was partly my fault (or completely!) and my lighting might have contributed, so I will dig the lens out and give it another try. Were you having issues with the f/2.8N lens or the f/2.8? I did encounter bad CA with the older "non-N" Elnikkor but have not in many years of using the "N". I feel a new video coming on!
For traditional enlarger work the F4 version is adequate as long as you stop down to F8 and keep the enlargements below 21 x 30 cm, plus it's really cheap
It is adequate as an enlarger lens, but not as good reversed as a macro lens - even though it has the same optics, the lack of coatings make it very prone to internal reflections when using flash. I still like and use it, though. It has character.
If you undo the three screws on the back of the lens you move the oval window thing to a new position so the light does not go through to the aperture scale, then you do not need to put tape over it.
I have tried that, Philip, but user some lighting setups there is still some light leak. The tape seems to manage it.
I use the older el nikkor 50 2.8 for full body shots if i want to include the background. I would say it has the best colors of all my lenses. Maybe thats because it doesnt have coatings? Basicly apochromatic. A bit Soft at 2.8 but perfect for portraits (hairs still sharp but wrinkles less pronounced). A question: is it radioactive? Because its glass elements turned a bit yellowish which is common with radioactive lenses
Pro quality content. Simple and straight to the point. Question please: When you say if we want to shoot 4:1 we need 200mm extension. Lets assume 150mm gives you 3:1. Now going into the question, can I use a zoom lens set to 150mm and connect the Nikkor the zoom front element, or in another words, using the zoom as a 'bellows'? You know what I mean? Thanks
Hi Carlos - you certainly can, but you won't get much magnification at 150mm, though at 200-300mm, with the El Nikkor reversed, you can get quite a bit of magnification, but your IQ isn't great and the WD is very short.
@@AllanWallsPhotography thanks. So ideally one would have to use the zoom lens at 200mm with el Nikkor reversed to achieve the magnification you mention in you video, is it? So it can be used? In terms of IQ will it be degraded? At 200mm? Compared to the bellows? Thanks in advance.
@@carlosazevedo7748 I am saying that you could use this lens in a "stacked lens" configuration with a 200mm primary lens. In this configuration the enlarger lens acts like a close-up filter. It is much easier to use the lens reversed on 200mm of empty extension, as I discuss in the video. The magnification ratios I describe are achieved with nothing but extension - no additional lens required.
Good morning Mr. Allan, I have a Schneider 50 mm f2.8 Componon S but this Nikon intrigues me! In your experience, should I replace the Componon with this Nikon N? Thank you
Allan the show is great (this old guy checks out your channel all the time). There is a guy here that is selling a Nikkor EI 80mm Enlarger Lens will that work like the 50mm or what will the difference. Should I buy it for this kind of macro.
Hi Stu, I may have already answered this one, but I think you would be happier with a shorter focal length El Nikkor. You can use the 80mm, but you will get less magnification for a given extension.
Thanks for this informative video. I have the older version of the lens in all metal body. Not sure if it has any coating at all, but I would like to use it reversed. Allan, is it possible to do so? It does have a filter thread.
I have a couple of the pre-N versions of the lens, and I really like them. They lack the advanced coatings of the later version, but the optical construction is identical. Use it in reverse and make sure you use a hood to protect the rear (front) element from your flash. Some of my best images were taken with that lens. The filter thread (40.5mm and the mounting thread [M39] are identical to the f/2.8N. Best results seem to be around f/5.6.
@@AllanWallsPhotography Got it! Much thanks for the tip, Allan. It's encouraging. I will give it a shot.
For a lens hood, when mounted in reverse, I use a L39 to M42 thread adapter and then an m42 extension tube again mounted in reverse.
A good solution! I like being able to shorten or lengthen the hood by adding or removing step rings, but your method could do the same by varying the length of your tube segment.
Hello Allan, thank you for your channel, you are great! Can I ask you how much extension I need to get to 3:1 with this 50mm? I'm trying to find a setup that can cover from 1:1 to 3:1 to shoot handheld.. I'm thinking of using an helicoedal extension tube
I would go with 120-130mm from sensor to lens - with the lens reversed, you should get nice sharp 3:1 images. The extension tubes will work just as well, and having the helicoid will let you just your magnification in the field. You will want to use flash - there will be quite a bit of light loss at 130mm.
@@AllanWallsPhotography yes, I always use flash for my shots. 130mm from the sensor look nice and compact, i think i'll try.. i'm currently use a vivitar 55mm 1:1 plus a 2x macro focusing converter and this setup is heavy and enormus ':b check my shots on instagram if you like :) "andrea_denisi_macro". I wish you the best!
love your videos but the sound... you should consider in getting a mic
7:52 step down ring I think
Hello! Would you know which would give a more flat field, this EL Nikkor or the Nikkor 55mm 2.8 macro? I have a PB-6 with the PS-6 slide copying adapter that I use to digitalize 35mm negatives with the Nikon 55mm f2.8 macro. I noticed that if I focus on the center of the negative the corner became a little soft, if I focus on the corner then the cent becomes a little soft. Even though the macro lens is supposed to be flat field it's not perfect. I wonder if an enlarger lens like this one would give me sharp focus across the entire negative.
You talk about using the El Nikkor directly on the camera. How would you focus? The enlarging lens has no helecoid for focusing??
OK, cool. So I tried it out. I have the older brass / aluminium big stops (f2.8). forward mounted on Nikon PB-4 & D300s. It gets 1:0.87 fully collapsed or 3.42:1 fully extended. Do you mean it it better reversed for 2:1 or 3:1 with not having to extend bellows as far out? How would you compare the sharpness or quality of the P-Nikkor 105mm f4 bellows beside infinity focus & stopdown locking ring?
Also, I did purchase the M39 to F mount adapter so that I could mount this lens in the normal position and I’m running into an issue where the mirror is hitting the back of the lens when it tries to flip out of the way because the back of the lens protrudes past the adapter ring. When I reverse mount the lens I don’t run into this issue. Thx,
How many meter drop does it take to break the older 50mm f2.8 metal version one? I have that one. I hear it is better because Nikon used real flourite apochromatic element, which the newer one did not. I also have the 80mm one (have the check the f stop, but I remember it also at f2.8) for medium format. Will I get more distance?
When the lens is setup, reversed, what is the approximate magnification ratio with no extension tubes and what is the magnification ratio when the lens is mounted in the normal position? Thx
Any thoughts on the 80mm? I want to digitize 35mm & 120 film. Wouldn't 80mm give me a greater working distance?
How do I adapt a 39 mm circular polarizer to a reversed el-nikkor 50mm 2.8? TIA
Where can I get this lens? Not able find
I have a Nikon Nikkor EL 50mm with f/2.8 and a Nikon d200 and a d610 dslr cameras.
In the beginning I thought that I need to connect to my camera the Nikkor EL50mm lens I need
i) a m39 to 42mm then
ii) a m42 to m42 macrohelicoid and then
iii) a m42 to Nikon F mount.
But the d200 (as well as the d610) flange focal distance is 46.5mm and the nikkor el 50mm is only 44mm.
So it always will exist a 2.5mm short.
Can you tell me what mount adapter system do I need to connect the lens to the camera?
The system with
1) a stepping ring 40.5 to 52mm
2) a stepping ring 52 to 58mm with continuous inner 52mm female throat ring
3) a 52 to F mount reversing ring
and as a lens hood I need
a) 39mm to F-mount adapter
b) Nikon BR3 (F mount to 52mm filter thread)
c) alternative stepping rings 52mm to 43mm (I see that you propose 3 (a 52 to 43, a 43 to 52, a 52 to 43)
With these 1-2-3 and a-b-c do I solve this problem?
In a prior video you proposed
1) Step up 40.5mm male to 55mm male
2) Fotodiox step down 55mm female to52mm male
3) 52mm male to F-mount
4) Extension tube BR3 (female F mount to 52 female) + 52mm UV filter as lens hood
Which one of these (1-2-3 and 1-2-3-4) works better?
Thank you very much.
I am sorry for making this so complicated - but they both work quite well. The flange focal distance of the El Nikkor is not relevant to this problem. You only have to ensure that the enlarger lens, reversed or not, os close to the right distance from your sensor for the magnification ratio you desire. Unlike with microscope objectives, you can use this lens at almost any extension - it will simply change the magnification ratio. I do prefer the 1,2,3,4 solution better, because of the better protection of the El Nikkor, though they both work very well. By the way, the importance of the flange focal distance is simply so that you can more accurately estimate your expected magnification - but seeing as all such calculations are little more than estimates, I always recommend actually measuring the magnification of every setup. I hope that I have answered your question!
That was really good. I will have to borrow one of the club members Nikon since I shot Canon. Can you recommend something in Canon, outside of the MPE lens, my budget manager, wife, will void that purchase.
Hi Lee, that is the beauty of this lens. Because there are no automatic functions, it can be used with any camera body. All you need to do is get adapters for your particular bellows/extension tube mount (eg. 40.5mm to EF mount adapter). This goes for any enlarger lens.
I just found a couple of these lenses on eBay for under $50US. I am waiting for a response from the seller now on my offer. Thank you for making macro fun. I have struggled with this for years and never really got hooked on it.
would it make sense to use the pb6 extension with a microscope lens??? based on what you explained it wouldnt make sense to use it on a 50mm 2.8, but would i be able to get usable images if i were to use the pb6 plus pb6e and a microscope lens?? or does it just not make any sense at all to buy the pb6E ??? are there any viable applications for the pb6 and pb6E combo???, i hope so cause im about to buy both , i found a good deal, at least i hope , tomorrow ill place the order, its around 300 euros for both, its from a photography shop thats closing business
Actually a very good question. There is not much reason to have the PB6E bellows extension, at least not for macro photography - there are not really any circumstances where you would want more than 200mm of extension - any of the lenses we are likely to use will be well into the diffraction zone bu=y the time to run out of bellows without the extension. I use the PB6 with prime lenses, enlarger lenses, finite and infinity corrected microscope objectives - it is the most versatile piece of gear I own. I frequently jump back and forth between lenses and like to adjust magnification of primes and enlargers - using extension tubes would be a pain in the posterior - even with a helicoid. There is one situation in which it would be fun to have the extension - to put between tube lens and objective and be able to adjust the infinity space on the fly. I'm not sure how much good it would be but it would be fun to experiment with. I would buy it, just because they are getting hard to find, butI can't now because you did.
@@AllanWallsPhotography thx alot for the fantastic answer
how does the quality of the "N" series lens compare to the older version (which doesn't have the illuminated f-stops)? If the quality is similar then wouldn't the older version be better? That way you wouldn't have to prevent light leaks with tape.
Hi Christopher - I personally don't see a whole lot of difference, though occasionally I will pick up a little flare from the older lens. The two lenses are optically identical, but the N has some more advanced coatings and many photographers think it is a sharper lens. There is quite a bit of copy to copy variability and I think I must have a really good copy of the older lens, because I love them both.
Thanks for the promptness of your response. I've ordered the "N" version and will just block the light portal on the back of the lens with tape or some other opaque material. Thanks for your videos. They are very helpful. @@AllanWallsPhotography
The pre-N versions lack the light "leak" design and are built out of solid brass, not a largely plastic construction like the N versions. The older versions will not break open if dropped, which is a common problem on even the most expensive enlarging lenses using largely plastic casing, which is nearly all of them. The newer versions have more modern coatings, which may give a slightly higher contrast image, but in the age of digital use or film scanning, such differences are lost in the "post-processing" phase of image management anyway. I've used old and new versions of the lens, and I see no sharpness difference. All that said, we should remember that an enlarging lens, including the El-Nikkor 50mm 2.8, is not designed as an enlarging lens. In fact, is is designed to a very narrow range of optimum performance. These emphasis flat image field (irrelevant in most macro photography) and even light distribution (a goal in any lens). They are also deigned to perform best (at least this lens) in the magnification range of 1:8 - 1:20, and as to resolution are going to be nothing special outside that much less than macro range. For macro use, their best feature is that they are cheap, very cheap, compared to a lens truly designed for macro work. Of course, if you have to add $250 of bellows and another $50 in adapters, not so cheap.
Hi Mr. Walls, I've been finding every adapter for this lens so far, but I cannot find the 40.5 male thread to 52 male thread step up ring anywhere. I only see 40.5 male to 52 female adapters, no coupling adapters; I can't even see the adapter you have on Google Images. Could I get away with using the 40.5 male to 52 female, and then a 52 male to EF mount adapter?
Oh yes - absolutely. There is almost always a workaround and 40.5mm is not that uncommon. I think it was a popular Leica filter thread size. But use whatever you can find to make the connection - what a great lens that is - my absolute favorite for 2-3:1 in the studio!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Sounds great! It took a few hours, but I managed to find the adapters I'd need on eBay; hopefully I'll quickly learn to properly use reversed lenses. I'm also debating on whether or not to get the manual focus rail I have in mind, or the Cognisys Stackshot; I plan to enquire more in-depth of the manual rail's manufacturer, and test that out first: if it's no good, I'll try to finance the automated rail. It'll take some getting used to, but hopefully everything will work out.
@@barrelcactusaddict4583 I am very impressed! You are a serious person and you have the ability to change course when circumstances demand - these are two traits that will serve you well in macro photography! I was concerned that my exuberance may have been too much. I am glad it wasn't!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Thank you so much, that is most kind of you to say, I really appreciate it! I'm so grateful for your having provided me so much valuable insight and advice, and I cannot wait to begin!
Black painters' tape leaves less sticky residue than gaffer tape...
I guessed 70". Yea, I was off. Ha.
God provided you an insane bug! 😆 There's no coincidences. :)
Does adding an adapter cause IQ to decrease or any negative effect? Thank you.
why not do so El-Nikkor 50mm f/4
😂😂so kind of that bug to die on your box
2km
The 80mm is sharper than the 50mm.
I don’t buy the dead bug story. Obviously it committed suicide on your delivered mail.
You might be right - it definitely explains the tiny pistol.
Fortunately there is no gender dysphoria with camera connections.