Question Regarding Use Of A Telescope Convertor

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

Author	Replies: 5 / Views: 1,548
austrokiwi Pillar of the Community 2087 Posts	Posted 09/25/2013 02:32 am I am currently in the process of acquiring a bellows set up. I have the bellows( Minolta III manual bellows) and a lens (Minolta MD 28mm) is on the way however I have discovered that I can get a Minolta Telescope adapter. The adapter converts a zoom lens into a telescope. I was wondering if I reverse a lens and add the telescope converter whether I would turn the bellows set up into something more like a microscope set up. Am I right in my thinking? If I am would it actually be useful? I ask the last question as I wonder if I would just be going a step too far. Edited by austrokiwi 09/25/2013 03:22 am Report this Post to the Staff

rmpsrpms Pillar of the Community United States 4038 Posts	Posted 09/25/2013 02:45 am The Minolta Bellows III is a very well-made bellows. I have one myself and it's a beautiful, precision instrument. The 28mm is a bit too short for full-coin shots, but should work for higher mags like 2:1. You probably need a 80mm or 100mm to get good full coin shots. I would not plan too much for the telescope conveter. I have a Nikon and a Canon version, and they are fun to play around with but I can't really see much use in coin photography for them... Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com Report this Post to the Staff
austrokiwi Pillar of the Community 2087 Posts	Posted 09/25/2013 03:21 am Thanks for the comments rmpsrmps. My current camera set up is fine for full-coin shots I use a either a 105mm, or 50 mm macro lens. The plan with the bellows set up is as a replacement for my USB microscope. I find the photos from the USB microscope just way too limited. I have actually found I get better "micro" Photographs with my 105mm lens. You have nicely confirmed my view that the 28mm is the correct lens for my purpose as I am not looking at full-coin shots. I was actually hoping to find an even shorter lens but it seems the shorter the prime lens the higher the price( even buying the antiques!) and the harder to find. I think I will dump the telescope convertor idea......probably more toy than useful for coins. Report this Post to the Staff
rmpsrpms Pillar of the Community United States 4038 Posts	Posted 09/28/2013 5:01 pm Since you're going to use the setup for higher magnifications, it would be beneficial to reverse the 28mm lens on the bellows. You might want to try it both ways to see what gives the best result. You also have the option of using a microscope objective instead of the 28mm lens. There are always some available on ebay and often quite inexpensive. You may pay more for the adapter than the objective! Another alternative is a purpose-made macro bellows lens. These can give superb results, depending on the magnification desired. Maybe I should put together a list of suggested lenses for different mag ranges and publish separately...Ray Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com Report this Post to the Staff
austrokiwi Pillar of the Community 2087 Posts	Posted 09/28/2013 5:16 pm Thanks I have received the 28mm lens. the MD-MA adapter is still in the post.....and I am hunting for a 49mm ( Minolta MD) reversing ring. I had noted your earlier comments. I will practice with the 28mm and then follow up by looking for a dedicated bellows lens. Will post photos when I get the adapter Report this Post to the Staff
austrokiwi Pillar of the Community 2087 Posts	Posted 10/04/2013 08:08 am The MD MA lens adapter arrived to day and I tried it out on the bellows with the 28mm MD lens. I just couldn't get it to focus. Luckily I had taken another suggestion and had purchased cheaply a 100mm bellows lens. The 100mm worked well, but it wasn't much better than the 105mm macro I already have. I'll post some pictures later this weekend. So why didn't the 28mm work. I suspect the "W" on the lens holds a clue. The W stands for wide angle!! I decided to see what was going on. I put the adapter directly on my camera and put the lens on. Yes I was able to take photos but at a focus distance of less that 5cm. The adapter was acting as an extension ring. The 28mm wide angle makes a great close-in Macro without a bellows!! If I manage to hold the camera still enough ( or enable the image stabilization) I will have a great ant photography set up! Now I wanted the 28mm lens on the bellows so as to replace my USB Camera....LOL I got far more than I asked for.....to the point its unsuitable. I am sure others would have noted that a wide angle wouldn't do the job particularly if I had thought to mention that the lens was a wide angle. I am sure I could get great microscopic shots of coins...problem is I don't think a ring light would be able to get light on the subject with the miniscule focus distance the bellows gives. Edited by austrokiwi 10/04/2013 08:25 am Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 5 / Views: 1,548

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

All Forums Category: General Numismatic Forums Forum: Coin Photography, Image Editing, and Related Software

Silver Gold Bull US is the United States leading bullion dealer. We deliver gold coins, gold bars, silver coins, silver bars and precious metals to your door. Order today!

The First Dollar, your premier source for bullion and rare coins. See our bullion list on the site and the coin inventory on ebay.

View Last 100 New Topics

View Last 100 Active Topics

Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us | Advertise Here | Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum

It took 0.27 seconds to rattle this change.