Can anyone please tell me if the standard 50mm lens can be used with the R bellows ? What is the ratio ?

-- Anthony Brookes (gdz00@lineone.net), April 08, 2001

Answers

First of all, yes the 50/2 can be fitted to the bellows. As to the magnification, the bellows has a maximum extension of 110mm. Adding 50mm extension to a 50mm lens gives 1:1, so the bellows can more than double that, plus there's some more extension available using the 50's own focusing mechanism. The only problem is that the standard 50 was not computed for maximum performance in the close-up range nor for use at extremely small apertures (in fact it only goes to f/16 which is limiting in macro work), so it would probably be overly ambitious to expect the same kind of image quality when used on a bellows at maximum extension, stopped down to f/16 (which again doesn't give you as much DOF as you will probably want)as you're used to in normal photography.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), April 08, 2001.

I have a reverse ring for my Nikon 50mm, so when using it on long extension, the rear element is facing forward. This is supposed to optimize the image quality and increase magnification. The lens is then used manual aperture of course. Leica must have some sort of adapter like this. People also use quality enlarging lenses on bellows as well.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), April 08, 2001.