javed_shakoor Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 <p>I am trying to take photos of coins with a D700 and a 55/2.8 macro lens with the above equipment. The problem I am having is that the pb-6m attaches to the end of the pb-6 and there is not enough distance to focus. What am I doing wrong and, basically, how does one use a pb-6m with a pb-6?<br> Thanks in advance.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jose_angel Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 <p>With the 55 Micro and a PB-6 you get a magnification ratio over 3:1. The working distance is about 10-20mm.<br /> If you look for a higher magnification than the PB-6 provides (!!), you need to add even more extension. The working distance will be then even shorter, so it could be that with the PB-6M the focus plane fall inside the lens cone, I guess.<br /> If you reverse the 55 Micro at such magnifications, you`ll gain a few millimeters in working distance.<br /> Better to use a shorter lens, reversed. With the PB-6 (only) you can get near 10X, with a 20-24mm lens, with a similar working distance.<br /> I don`t have a PB-6M, but I suspect it`s intended to use with longer lenses.<br /><br /></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kari_oinonen Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 <p>The mentioned lens goes to 1:2 alias 0,5x magnification as such. With an 25 mm extension (tube) you get 0,5x - 1x magnifications.<br> What kind of magnification ratios are you aiming at? PBs are better with higher ratios/ longer lenses. Also PBs have a certain minimum extension built in, that may even bigger than 25 mm. <br> See what you can get with that lens alone, then add components to the rig one at a time.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_driscoll Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 <p>As the others have said you can get pretty huge magnification using just a PB-6 and a 55 mm lens. It is highly likely that if you add the extra extension of a PB-6M the working distance (distance from lens to subject) will become so small as to unworkable. Try with the PB-6 alone first, with the bellows on minimum extension, and move the object to and from the lens. When you can achieve focus try increasing the extension. It is likely that you won't need any more than that provided by the PB-6 alone.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javed_shakoor Posted September 7, 2013 Author Share Posted September 7, 2013 I think you may be mixing up a PB-6M with a PB-6E, Richard. The PB-6M is just a copy stand and does not add any extension. The PB-6E is the extension bellows which fits on to the PB-6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_driscoll Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 <p>Javed,<br> Of course you are right and I am daydreaming!<br> Did you try with bellows at minimum extension?<br> What happens then? Can you get focus?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javed_shakoor Posted September 7, 2013 Author Share Posted September 7, 2013 I did and, actually, I did much better when I used a 60/2.8 lens. When set to life-size this lens gave me better working distance and excellent sharpness. Having said all this, and after spending all that money on it, I must confess I don't see much use for a PB-6M! Can't think of many situations where I'd use it, especially with those clips on each side. If you're photographing a coin, you would need to stick it on to a cardboard or something to keep those clips out of the image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_driscoll Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 <p>After your last post I looked in my files and found a Nikon close-up catalogue from about 1984! It shows the PB6M on a PB6 and the lens looks like a 55mm f/2.8 AIS. I suspect the trouble is that the object image distance is essentially fixed so that with any particular lens the magnification is fixed too. Did you have to use an extension tube to fit the bellows to the D700? If so that may have meant that the lens/bellows combination was no longer working as intended. I can't see the use for the clips either except perhaps to fix something like a microscope slide when the bellows are horizontal in order to trans-illuminate the object.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cambor Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 You need to use the M2 extension tube which normally comes withe the lense but are quite cheap to buy to get 1:1 magnification, the tube that came with mine was a Nikon PK-13 27.5mm, works perfect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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