jcolwell Offline Dedicated FM Upload & Sell: On
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p.1 #2 · Mamiya bellows with Hasselblad, what do I need ? | |
Hi Terry,
You managed to pick up a primo Mamiya M645 Auto Bellows N, for a decent price. I was watching this auction, as I'm on the look-out for a 'backup' front standard for this device, but I'm looking for a real bargain - like one where the back half has been run over by a truck. (not kidding)
I use a Mamiya 645 Auto Bellows N with a variety of lenses on my EOS 5D. If you want to use existing Hassy lenses, you can replace the duct taped HC to M645 crapdapter with a generic (and relatively well made) one from eBay for about $80 - see http://tinyurl.com/ygjkpsv for example. This will let you mount an HC lens on the Bellows, with some confidence that it won't fall off. OTOH, you can use a wide variety of other bellows, enlarger, reversed and large format lenses, as well. All you need is the right crapdapter - I mean, adapter.
I shouldn't speak too harshly of crapdapters, as I've converted two old HC and P6 to M645 adapters to hold an M42 adapter for my El-Nikkor 50/2.8 (and others), and for a Schneider-K Xenar 180/4.5 LF lens. I've also kludged an M645 extension tube 1 to adapt a sweet little Tokyo Kogaku Horseman Professional 105/3.5 lens to the M645 bellows. The last two lenses are used in "LF-style" with bellows movements, and they can achieve infinity focus on the bellows. Most of my other bellows lenses are for high magnification macro photos. Anyway, I use lots of goopy RTV sealant/adhesive in my crapdapters, and there's no way that the lens will rotate in the adapter when I turn its aperture ring - this stuff is good.
OK, to your questions.
- I suppose a metering prisim would be helpful, but it's way easier to mount this puppy on a DSLR, and use the histogram to get the exposures right in manual mode - especially if you're using flash for macro.
- most M645 lenses are not leaf shutter (LS)
- M645 LS lenses use a double-shutter release thingy to synchronize the lens leaf shutter with the body focal plane shutter. I suggest you forget this for most apps, and simply use the Hassy focal plane shutter with MLU - or forget that stuff and use a DSLR.
- there are many inexpensive bellows lenses - exactly what kinds of photos do you want to take with this gear (i.e. what magnification), and how much do you dislike colour aberration (i.e. read price)?
Here's two shots of my M645 Auto Bellows N. The first shows a SMC Takumar-Bellows 100/4 on an M42 to M645 crapdapter, and the second shows a reversed Mamiya C 80/2.8 with bellows hood.
Cheers, Jim


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