Do you have bellows experience?

[JohnCater]

I enjoy macro photography and have always thought about buying a bellows. I am looking for advice on which bellows to buy, which canon lens (macro) to purchase if I only had money for one, and what the advantages/disadvantages there are of working with a bellows? I will be working with the Canon 10D.

Thanks,
John

[openspace]

Bellows are really only of use if you plan on shooting at extremely high magnifications - 5 times lifesize for example for scientific purposes. Is this what you want to do?

When I want to achieve magnification beyond 1:1 (subject lifesize on the negative) I use a set of Kenko extension tubes which allow me to achieve near 3 times lifesize. Trust me, I don't use them much though. We're talking hairs on a spider's leg half the width of a pencil when blown up to 8x12.

[w10d]

I'd agree with Openspace, bellows can be overkill; its probably 20 years since I used them with 35mm. The one big advantage is if the bellows offer tilt/shift movements, which can be very helpful with close-up.

[openspace]

I agree with w10d. Tilt and shift can offer significant advantages, particularly in capturing extreme depth of field.

[JohnCater]

Thanks for the responses. I wanted something larger than 1:1 but didn't know if the bellows could be used for other things I hadn't thought about. I like photographing bugs, flowers and just odds and ends -- up-close. The extension rings sound like my best option. Is Kenko good? They're not nearly as expensive as the Canon rings. If I can get excellent quality at a cheaper price, I'm all for it but I am picky on the quality of my photographs. I have a macro lens for my medium format equipment but I wanted even greater magnification when I move to digital.

Over the past few years, I've only used medium format. I'm not even sure the 10D will satisfy me as I often like prints up to 16X20. I wanted the Canon 1DS but just can't afford it right now. I guess many people are in that boat. : )

John

[w10d]

johncater wrote:
I wanted the Canon 1DS but just can't afford it right now. I guess many people are in that boat. : )

John
Too true! Still at least the 1.6x crop from the 10D sensor will give you a head start on the close-ups :)