SRB Lens-Body adaptor, 42mm to Nikon

[KeithM]

This may seem a strange thing to post here but here goes...

First thanks to Eddie the rat for, firstly, reminding me how much fun close-up photography is and, secondly, for posting the link toSRB Film Service (http://www.srbfilm.co.uk). This company is well worth a look if you need any form of lens/body attachment/adaptor/whatever. And their service is notably good !

The adaptor simply converts the S2 to accept any 42mm thread mounted lens/accessory. It features a small negative lens to restore infinity focus since the lens is a bit further from the film plane than intended. However this has one *big* bonus - it makes a good seal against dust ingress when fitted to the body ! Once fitted, you've a 42mm body which allows you to fumble around and change lenses with impunity. OK so you're back to no electronics - no metering or lens aperture functions but the viewfinder focus-assist dot still works ! :)

My main intention was to fit bellows to the S2 but I do have a 42mm mount lens still which I'll come to. First, the bellows...

Keith.

[KeithM]

Details are...

Camera settings: std/std/soft, 3024 fine jpeg, auto-WB, iso200
Exposure: f/8 at 1/45s
Lens: Yashica 55mm reverse mounted on bellows, approx 100mm extension
Light is direct sunlight through window.

Image processing: USM, resize and re-USM.

Keith.
ps: plant biology is not one of my strong points... I may be wrong about which bit of the flower I've photographed :)

[KeithM]

Details are...

Camera settings: std/std/soft, 3024 fine jpeg, auto-WB, iso200
Exposure: f/8 at 1/6s
Lens: Yashica 55mm reverse mounted on bellows, approx 180mm extension
Light is direct sunlight through window.

Image processing: USM, resize and re-USM.

Bit of a cliche but at least the subject is well known to most ! :)

Keith.

[KeithM]

Having a box full of old 42mm bits, the bellows setup used an old yashica lens, reverse mounted using a reversing ring and the S2 mounted using the SRB adaptor. I brought the Helios bellows many years ago but undoubtably similar could be picked up fairly cheaply today.

Mounting on a tripod is straight-forward and the mount slides forward/back to allow balancing.

The only downside is that due to the baulk of the S2, it only sits upright on the bellows. Any other position fouls somewhere !

The shots above were taken fairly quickly with an ad-hoc setup. I think a small light-tent and flash will appear next, probably mounted on a sturdy piece of wood and a mount to support the bellows. Subject 'height adjustment' courtesy of the nearby bookcase :)

Perfect for the long winter evenings !!

Keith.

[KeithM]

In the information for the adaptor, SRB recommends not using lenses longer than about 300mm. But when you've got a 400mm lens at the back of the cupboard, you've just gotta try it !! :)

Details are...

Camera settings: std/std/soft, 3024 fine jpeg, auto-WB, iso200
Exposure: f/11 at 1/180s
Lens mounted on tripod.

Image processing: USM, resize and re-USM.

( The image inset was taken with my 45mm to give some impression of the distance involved ! )

The lens is actually a T-mount item, so I can feel another order approaching and convert the lens properly...

Keith.

[KeithM]

Having some old 42mm kit lying about, the adaptor makes a bargain purchase.

42mm lenses and accessories can be picked up quite cheaply these days so allowing for the loss of lens functions, having the adaptor fitted into the S2 and becoming a dust protector, you can afford to swap lenses/whatever without worrying.

The correction lens, so far, doesn't seem to introduce any obvious distortions. Maybe when I've taken some more, better quality, close-ups with the bellows, I'll be able to make a better judgement.

Until then, it's a game of search the house for suitable subjects ! :)

Keith.

[sandman]

Keith that's amazing sharpness for that focal length.
I used SRB years ago , when i wanted a closeup filter , and somewhere i've still got their booklet , even back then it had about 30 pages of goodies . forgot all about them , so i might try and find it and browse .

Why are'nt you out working .?
I've got the day off , but it's 'orrible out here today .

Brian

[KeithM]

Brian,

I was amazed by the Paragon as well - it's a lens I brought sometime about 1978 I think - the thing is that it is a simple long lens - no fancy optics to make it physically smaller - it is a *long* lens :)

It's slow to use being a preset aperture job but 600mm for free is worth every penny !

I'm impressed by SRB - I ordered the adaptor Friday lunchtime using their on-line order form, opting for 2nd class post, and it was on the doormat Saturday morning ! Excellent service I feel.

Ahem, I could very possibly be at work ( ssshhhh!! ;) )

Keith.

[Eddie the Gnat]

Hi Keith,

I'm so glad you're having fun, and your results look great.:)
I'm sorely tempted to get one of these adapters myself now - I fancy trying an old zenitar 16mm fisheye on the s2.

Have fun

Eddie

[KeithM]

Eddie,

Go for it as they say !! :) As SRB say themselves, there are a lot of good optics out there on 42mm mounts which work very well - if you don't mind going back to basics !

Having spent all my 35mm film photography time on totally manual cameras, I don't find it a problem.

And as I've found with my new 45mm Nikkor, it's an optically simple prime lens which delivers great image quality, as does the Paragon 400mm.

Much fun to be had I feel for less money !

Keith.

[CaptJR]

question?
When using these optics that you have to be in manual, does the little light in the view finder still light up when your in focus? I think I'd have trouble telling when it was in good focus without that.
Thank you
JR

[Eddie the Gnat]

Yes. I think that that light will light up under any conditions, as long as the amount of light coming through the lens is within the EV range of the AF sensors. I suspect it might not be of any use with Keith's bellows at maximum extension, but of course I could be wrong (it's happened once or twice before :) ).

Eddie

[KeithM]

The dot does still work OK in spite of what the S2 manual says !! :)

The paragon lens is an f/6.3 which is slightly smaller than Fuji's specified limit of f/5.6 - but it still worked with the lens stopped down to f/8 and f/11 !

The dot also worked with the bellows at 180mm extension but there was plenty of light to see the subject so I guess there was enough for the 'focus detector' to work as Eddie says ! - max extension is 290mm which I have yet to try... ( probably set fire to subjects trying to get enough light on them :) )

I admit, I'm surprised that it functioned OK and I found it helped greatly using the bellows with focussing by moving the subject back and forwards.

Keith.