Many vintage cameras had a lens without a filter thread. Manufacturers such as BDB, Leech and Actina created push-on filters for users of that type of camera. These filters, typical with an aluminium mount, push over the lens and hold in place with a small spring clip. They came without a glass filter and had …
Category archives: Lenses
Using a reversing ring
A reversing ring reverses an interchangeable lens on the camera body. One side has a camera body mount, the other side has a diameter the same size as the lens’ filter thread you intend to reverse. A “Nikon AI to 55mm reversing ring” for example would allow a Nikon lens with a 55mm thread to be …
Can’t find the right BPM camera mount?
BPM bellows with its interchangeable mount system is all well and good, but what if you cant find the right mount for your camera body? BPM haven’t made mounts for well over two decades, so the modern camera mounts are impossible to find. And some of the older mounts, such as Yashica/Contax, Rollei 35SL and …
Tilt Shift Bellows
Large format photographers using cameras with bellows have always had the luxury of being able to adjust the lens and/or sensor plane so they are not parallel. This technique is performed to alter the plane of focus. While a conventionally parallel set-up provides front to back sharpness from a focus point parallel to the sensor, …
Extension Tubes
Extension tubes are tubes without any optical elements that you place between the camera and lens of an interchangeable lens camera. They extend the lens so it can focus closer, giving the lens macro capabilities. Some have full automatic couplings so the camera can continue to be used in all its auto and program exposure …
Fungus on Photography Lenses
Fungus spores are everywhere, but they only germinate in humidity and they thrive on dust. A lens that has a dose of fungus has it because it has dust inside (and all lenses have some specs of dust even if they’re hard to see), and it’s been kept in a humid/warm environment. Fungus likes dark, …
Teleconverters
A tele-converter is a budget accessory that will increase your photography options. The most common one is a 2x converter that doubles the focal length of your lens. Your 50mm lens becomes 100mm, your 70-300mm zoom becomes 140-600mm. Vivitar made a number of converters through the 70s and 80s. Teleconverters are ideal for photography such …