Morfing infinites to bellows

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ChrisR
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Morfing infinites to bellows

Post by ChrisR »

We had a thread about mounting the JML, perhaps we need one for the tube lens John found. here
The thread looks like about 41mm diameter by 0.5mm. It'll screw into some 42 x 1mm females but not others.
I've found the lens slips neatly into the throat of B.P.M. bellows. These were very popular a couple of decades ago, and there are still a lot about. I don't know if they travelled Stateside. There are "focus slides" to fit, which were extra, but again do still appear on ebay.
The threaded part of the lens is fatter than the rest, on a shoulder which sits snug and square against the bellows endplate. Subsequent adapters such as Nikon are too small to let it out, so it can be held in place neatly with a rubber "O" ring. If you don't have a boxful of those to pick from, visit a plumbers' merchant to get one just the right size. A disc or two of card would work.

I've left the O ring out. These show the lens dropped through the hole, then followed by a female BPM Nikon(female) mount, then a Nikon to Tmount adapter. I could have used an M42 female followed by an M42 to whatever, male. The inner diameter of the male is smaller than the Tube lens, so can hold it back.

Image

Blame
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Post by Blame »

Looks like a good fit.

Whenever the bits arrive I am planing to fit mine into a section of cheap Ebay m42 extension tubing.

The dimensions look a little tight, but with a bit of sandpapering a lot of praying to the deity of my choice and finally some glue, I think I can do it.

As long as I sandpaper with an even circular motion and stop when it just fits it should be pointed in the right direction.

That will give me a M42 thread at each end, and the need for a wide range of adapters.

I am not using a bellows so the orders are:

1 M42 to camera adapter (Sony)
3 Tube lens kits (I voted for 2x M42 and 1xSony, just for variety)
1 M42 (male, camera side - NOT 42mm) to 52mm (female, lens side)
1 jinfinance 52mm to 36mm mitutoyo adapter.

God knows when all that lot will finally arrive.

My Mk1 macroscope consists of a short plank of wood with a 40mm hole in it. This is clamped horizontally to the top of a flat topped microscope so that the hole is just over the side. look though it and you can see one side of the microscope slide tray. That is the bit I am sticking my insects to. The whole camera/tube lens assembly rests on top of the hole with the mitutoyo poking through it.

Not a very stable setup. The camera risks crashing to the ground and I risk scratching the objective ever time I poke it through the hole. I am planning a more ambitious MK2.

The new Mk2 will consist of a short plank with a bigger hole - 58mm this time. It so happens that I have a 58mm (male) to metal flange adapter. I have no idea where it originated from. It came with a camera lens. Anyway, I plan to glue this adapter topside of the hole. I then plan to glue a 40mm to 58mm to the front of the jimfinance 52mm to mitutoyo adapter. I will use araldite.

I will end up with a camera/tube lens assembly that screws onto the plank. The good thing is that I can use the same plank for mounting a camera with a more prosaic macro lens.

The whole thing won't be exactly beautiful but it does meet the design requirements:

1) Don't trash the microscope - my daughter needs it for her biology A level.
2) Simple enough for a complete idiot with 5 thumbs on each hand to put together (me).

And onwards to the even more ambitious Mk3....

ChrisR
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Post by ChrisR »

Not sure about fitting it to a 42mm tube. I have parts of several sets , the tube lens will only go inside some of them, not a hope with a cheap set recently from China.
I think it would be fairly easy to reduce the diameter of the lens barrel on a belt sander. It takes only a little practice, I've done thiis many times:
hold the item in a cloth and let the belt spin it in your fingers, so it's rolling, as it were,
then twist the axis a little, so the belt is scrubbing across the "roller". It takes very little pressure, just keep it in even contact and metal will come off quickly and evenly, though an anodized finish is harder than the substrate, so care is needed.

Another way that would be straighforward, if you have some old bellows sapre (liike me!) would be to unscrew the cloth from the inside and insert a piece of eg thick card with the lens screwed into it. (Oly bellows & PB6? are designed to come apart iirc)
Image

Craig Gerard
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Post by Craig Gerard »

...snip... Not sure about fitting it to a 42mm tube. I have parts of several sets, the tube lens will only go inside some of them
It comfortably fits inside the jinfinance M42 extension tubes.
http://cgi.ebay.com/M42-screw-42-thread ... 0246527130

Craig
To use a classic quote from 'Antz' - "I almost know exactly what I'm doing!"

Blame
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Post by Blame »

ChrisR

Time will tell. Rather a lot of time I fear. The M42-Sony adapter was my first order... 4 weeks and counting.

The 41mm male thread on the lens is (presumably) a loose fit for the 42mm female thread on the tube. If I sand that male thread down a tad then the tube should slide right over... all of it save the male end of the tube which has smaller internal diameter.

The external diameter of the male end of the tube is 42mm. The external diameter of the non-threaded end of the lens is 39mm. I just have to thin the tube metal at that end to 1.5mm thick.

I would vote to thin the tube metal rather than lens because it is probably softer.

If things really look close, I could forget about the glue and just warm up the tube in the oven, tap it on, and then let it cool.

Blame
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Post by Blame »

Craig Gerard

I bought from here, because I am a cheapskate:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWNX:IT

Looks much the same. I think measuring conventions vary. Some give 28mm for the longest section, others 30mm. Probably a question of counting the overlapping threads.

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Post by ChrisR »

Some of mine look similar, but no go. So how are you using it?

The root diameter of the 42mm male thread is about 1mm diameter bigger than the body of the tube lens, so it could be made to go through with just enough spare.

I found another nikon (male ) T mount , and it does go through that and sit nicely. Two others, it didn't. Seems like a much better solution: (not to scale!!)
Image

Craig Gerard
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Post by Craig Gerard »

Chris,

I'll add some pics when I have time (I did not do any work yesterday, so I have to do twice as much today).

I have one of the morfanon lenses installed in an M42 focusing helicoid; an M42 (male thread) to 52mm adapter (and some gravity) holds it firmly in position.

Craig
To use a classic quote from 'Antz' - "I almost know exactly what I'm doing!"

Blame
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Post by Blame »

ChrisR

I am not sure but it looks like you are suggesting fitting on something like a filter adapter.

If I can make it work the tube is better. This is because the tube fits tight to both end of the lens. The lens needs to be absolutely centered and parallel to the tube. Locking at both ends helps keep it parallel.

I am already expecting loss of quality in the corners. I can't afford poor centering to move the quality area from the center and trash a corner or even a side.

Len Willan
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Post by Len Willan »

I have found this is another way is to use my “Nikon Br5 > M42 Adapter” that I made many years ago.

It is simply made by taking the Female M42 threaded seat from an old M42 extension tube, that has Stop down function as shown in Top right hand corner.

This is then cemented (I use UHU 2 part epoxy) into a Br5 Adapter.
I have found this device useful in many projects.

Now screw “The Morfanon” flush into the completed adapter.

Fit into a Nikon PF 13.

All joints are flush and tight.

It should be noted that the Br5 has an external 52mm thread, so I am now looking for 52 mm female to 52 mm female adapter or thin tube so that Infinite adapters can be easily used,such as M52 male thread to M25 x 0.75 (nikon CFI microscope objective) adapter
Image
Image

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Post by ChrisR »

This could work with tubes if there's enough material to remove at the cyan areas. Ideally some flocking stuck in there would allow a sliding fit - as well as killing reflections.
Image

Craig Gerard
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Post by Craig Gerard »

Len wrote:...snip.. I am now looking for 52 mm female to 52 mm female adapter
Len, if you can't find that specific adapter, there is another way.... for example; I have a 62 to 52mm adapter. The female 52mm thread is internal (on the inside of the ring) and there is sufficient thread to use it as a 52mm to 52mm female coupler; used in this way, you just need to forget about the 62mm part, as it is irrelevant (but still there should you ever need it). I've used this method in the past and in works well.

Craig
To use a classic quote from 'Antz' - "I almost know exactly what I'm doing!"

ChrisR
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Post by ChrisR »

You can also use a "bigger", eg 55 or 62mm coupler and two "bigger" to 52 step-down rings.

Len Willan
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Post by Len Willan »

Thank you Craig, and Chris for your suggestions.

My Hoya brand 62 > 52 rings internal thread is not complete, it has an internal unthreaded step, so it cannot have a 52 mm mount at each end.

Using my “Nikon Br5 > M42 Adapter” technique ,it would be possible to adapt M52 male thread to M25 x 0.75 (Nikon CFI microscope objective) adapter, by using a 49 to 52mm adapter.
The 49 mm thread measures 48.74 mm and the Nikon CFI microscope objective) adapter measures internally 47.80 mm.

The fix would be to turn down (reduce by) 0.47 mm the adapter thread and cement the two parts together.

Another Adapter is then made to be added to “My Adapter Hell “ collection.

I have now added a picture of the set up using a 42 mm RMS adapter , but it should convey my current thinking.
Image

Blame
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Post by Blame »

ChrisR wrote:This could work with tubes if there's enough material to remove at the cyan areas. Ideally some flocking stuck in there would allow a sliding fit - as well as killing reflections.
Image

Yes, that is just about what I intended. I would mount the lens a few mm forward so that it is flush with the back of the tube lens female thread. I believe in keeping the gap between tube lens and objective as small as possible.

I planned to use one 28-30mm section of tube with the back of the lens poking out a couple of mm, and the front lens thread filed down just enough to give a good fit.

However now I see your diagram I think I may like it more because it is easier to just hack away at that front thread.

I think I may start with my version and the end up with yours after I sand down that front thread too far.

It WILL need sanding. A 41mm male thread is a loose fit to a 42mm female so clearly unmodified it ain't going fit through the uncut section of tubing.

Or does it have to? If that female thread is long enough I could just screw the lens to the bottom and still use the remainder to bolt on the next adapter. In that case your version makes a lot more sense as it still gives a tight fit in 2 places.

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