El-Cheapo Lenses

I did not know I would have to wait 48 hours for the seller to respond to my offer. (on the canon auto bellows Ray posted)

other questions

Are the canon FL bellows different than the Canon auto bellows?
I see some that are in black and white box and some that are in the black and gold box.

Some other things I am wondering, if some of my old canon A-1 stuff will be of any use.
- 50 MM ( I think it is a 1.8)
- I also have a 100 - 200 zoom (but looks dusty, not sure if can be cleaned)
- multiplying filters ( I think they are 1X,2X and 3X that fit the above lenses)
It seems like I had something like a multiplier that fit in between the lens and body that made the 50mm into a 100mm.

Should I be starting to look for lighting options?
And is a tripod the best way to go or is there another type stand.

I hope I am not getting to far ahead of myself .. I just wish the seller would respond on the bellows offer.

You have a kindred spirit here in Australia. I thought I knew a 'fair bit' about photography but this is a whole new creature.! However this thread is making it a little bit easier and I will continue to learn as I go.! Good luck on your adventure.!

FL was an older lens mount without auto coupling. FD stuff can mount to FL mounts but won't couple aperture adjustment, which is not a problem for macro work.




Some stuff may be of use, but most likely not. Better to use a more purpose-oriented lens with the bellows




Do you have an IKEA near you? Pick up a couple (or three) Jansjo gooseneck LEDs. For the stand, a copy stand may work better than tripod depending on your situation. It's probably OK to start with tripod and start to figure out technique and limitations, then decide on the stand.

Tom...congrats on getting the Auto Bellows for a great price!

The FL bellows with the accessories is interesting but it's not clear to me what the "Microphoto Hood" and "Macrophoto Coupler" actually do. I expect the coupler is a lens adapter, and perhaps the hood is an extension, both to be used with the slide copier, but I am not sure. It's likely these items won't be useful for coin photography.

What you need now is to decide on the lens, and then get the appropriate adapter. Most adapters come from China, so you may have a long wait if you buy direct. Look for US sellers that will ship quickly. Still same Chinese-made goods, but sourced from US distributors.

I saw this 80mm EL-Nikkor lens come up for sale today. It's not "EL Cheapo" by this thread's standards but is fairly inexpensive for what you get:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...B:SS:US:1123

If you buy that lens, or a similar one, you will need to adapt from your bellows' FD lens mount to M39 thread of the lens. This is tough to do in one adapter, but can be done with two: an FD-M42 adapter plus an M42-M39 adapter. Going to M42 first also gives you other options for lenses and adapters you might buy later. Here are examples of what you need:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/M42-SCREW-L...em20cc95baa0
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5x-M42-M39-...em2a244586a9

BTW, if you plan to do variety shots with microscope objectives, you will need a RMS adapter. You can get a "real" Canon one like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CANON-FD-BO...em53f00a0717

Or you can use the M42 adapter and add something like this, which also has the M39 adapter (but ships from Belarus)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/14084650567....m1438.l2649

Or my favorite, a cone shaped one like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zykkor-Lens...em1e6b21550e

...Ray

Tom...you are welcome for the assistance!

The 75mm lens is very good, and so is the 80mm. You might see if you can get the 75mm for a good price rather than going for the 80mm. The 75 is a little smaller and has bigger aperture, so is probably a bit better for high mag shooting. The 80mm will be better for lower mag shooting, and especially for Dollars.

You will need to choose a combo of adapters to work with the lenses, and if you want to go with a microscope objective for high mag shots. Here are the optional lineups:

bellows -> FD-M42 -> M42-M39 -> M39 lens
bellows -> FD-M42 -> M42 lens
bellows -> FD-RMS -> RMS objective
bellows -> FD-M42 -> M42-RMS -> RMS objective
bellows -> FD-M42 -> M42-M39 -> M39-RMS -> RMS objective

For now, I'd recommend getting the first line only as it's most flexible and also least expensive to start.

Tom...that adapter goes between bellows and lens. You also need a M42-M39 adapter for the 75mm lens. Your FD-EOS adapter goes between camera and bellows...Ray

This one is in NJ and will ship fast and free by 11/19 if you buy today...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/M39-Lens-to...em4166a4ef1d

I've bought things from this seller before with no problems. I have no affiliation other than being a happy customer.

I'd avoid the bellows/lens you linked to. Lens is too long for coin use, and the bellows is old without a focus rail so you would need a fine focus capable copy stand.