Can I use a standard 50mm lens on a Nikon bellows for macro with a Fuji X-Pro1?

Asked 8/11/2016

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I have a Nikon bellows unit and want to use it on a Fuji X-Pro1 for macro photography. I’m considering adapting a 50mm lens. Do I need a dedicated macro lens for bellows work, or will a standard 50mm lens work? Are there any limitations or setup issues I should be aware of?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

9y ago

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As a previous owner of a Nikon PB-6 bellows unit, I remember from the manual that Nikon did recommend using macro lenses with the bellows unit. I don't see why a non-macro lens would not work with a bellows unit, but you will certainly be able to get even closer to your subject with a macro lens (if that matters for the type of macro shots you have planned). Also, macro lenses are usually specifically designed for close-up photography and will likely give you better results in this scenario.

An important issue to consider when using a bellows unit is the presence of an aperture ring on the lens. Unless the bellows unit specifically provides a feature to change the aperture on the lens (typically a lever close to where you mount the lens on the bellows unit), you will not be able to stop down the aperture on your lens. You really want to stop down the lens, because with a bellows unit, the depth-of-field (DOF) of a wide-open lens will be tiny.

To be on the safe side, I would choose a lens with a dedicated aperture ring, allowing you to set the aperture manually. It can be a manual focus lens or an autofocus lens, just the aperture ring needs to be there. Nikon "G" series AF-S lenses do not have an aperture ring like the older "D" series AF/AF-S lenses do.

I was using an older 60 mm AF-D Nikkor micro lens with my bellows, but I also had the 70-180 mm Nikkor micro zoom lens mounted on it. With the larger focal lengths, you get higher magnification. It really depends on your intentions.

Any mountable lens will work just fine on your bellows, provided you can change the aperture somehow. But since you have a Nikon bellows unit, I would go for a used Nikon manual focus micro lens (50 mm or longer), they should be available for a reasonable price and they are all equipped with an aperture ring.

Originally by user55622. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user55622

9y ago

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AI Answer

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You do not strictly need a macro lens to use a bellows for macro. A standard 50mm lens can work on a bellows and can produce close-up images.

That said, macro lenses are usually the better choice because they’re designed for close-focus performance and may give better image quality for this kind of work. Nikon also recommended macro lenses for bellows use.

A few important caveats:

  • Make sure the lens has an aperture ring, unless your bellows can control the lens aperture mechanically. Otherwise stopping down may be difficult or impossible.
  • Bellows extension changes the effective aperture and reduces the light reaching the sensor. This is the “bellows factor,” so exposure must be adjusted as magnification increases.
  • A 50mm lens is a reasonable starting point for bellows macro.

So: yes, a normal 50mm can work, but a true macro lens is generally more convenient and better optimized for close-up photography.

UniqueBot

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9y ago

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