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Photo Forum / Film Photography / Darkroom / September 2005

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bellows factor question

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Robert J. Mathes - 17 Sep 2005 18:07 GMT
Can anyone tell me when the bellows extension on a view camera becomes a
factor in exposure? Doesn't it have to do with lens focal length in some
way? I know the formula for determining the bellows extension factor but I'm
not sure exactly when it applies. Thanks!
Malcolm Stewart - 17 Sep 2005 21:35 GMT
> Can anyone tell me when the bellows extension on a view camera becomes a
> factor in exposure? Doesn't it have to do with lens focal length in some
> way? I know the formula for determining the bellows extension factor but I'm
> not sure exactly when it applies. Thanks!

What you need is "QuickDisc".  Download from www.salzgeber.at/disc/

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M Stewart
Milton Keynes, UK
http://www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm

Nicholas O. Lindan - 18 Sep 2005 16:24 GMT
> bellows extension ... factor. I know the formula
> I'm not sure exactly when it applies. Thanks!

It _always_ applies.  The question is: Do you care?

BCF = (1 + (extension/focal length))^2

A BCF of 2.0 means 1/2 the shutter speed or open up one stop.

Lets say 1/2 a stop is GE =>  BCF is 1.41

extension = (sqrt(BCF)- 1) * focal length

extension = 0.187 * focal length = 20%
          = 1 1/4" (30mm) on a 6" (150mm) lens

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Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer:  Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
To reply, remove spaces: n o lindan at ix  . netcom . com
Fstop timer -  http://www.nolindan.com/da/fstop/index.htm

Mike - 18 Sep 2005 18:22 GMT
Yeah all kinds of formulas but both Calumet and Kodak made slick
calculators.  You put a target on the subject field, whip out a special
ruler measure one side of the target and the exposure factor is right there
on the ruler.

> Can anyone tell me when the bellows extension on a view camera becomes a
> factor in exposure? Doesn't it have to do with lens focal length in some
> way? I know the formula for determining the bellows extension factor but I'm
> not sure exactly when it applies. Thanks!
Richard Knoppow - 18 Sep 2005 18:44 GMT
> Can anyone tell me when the bellows extension on a view
> camera becomes a
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> extension factor but I'm
> not sure exactly when it applies. Thanks!

  Bellows factor is due to the inverse square law affecting
the light from the lens to the film. For B&W and probably
color negative its negligible down to subject distances of
around 4 or 5 times focal length. Bellows factor in stops is
simply the ratio of the extension at infinity focus to the
extension at the object distance of interest. For intstance,
at unity magnification the bellows extension is 2 times that
at infinity so the exposure must be increased by 2 stops or
4 times.

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---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@ix.netcom.com

John Forest - 19 Sep 2005 20:42 GMT
Just as a quick rule of thumb, when the distance from the lens to the
subject becomes less than about nine times the lens focal length you need to
start allowing more exposure.  Following this idea, for a 135mm lens, which
is a little more than 5 inches in focal length, the exposure factor starts
becoming a consideration when the lens is closer than about 48 inches to the
subject.
Richard Knoppow - 22 Sep 2005 23:56 GMT
> Just as a quick rule of thumb, when the distance from the
> lens to the subject becomes less than about nine times the
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> factor starts becoming a consideration when the lens is
> closer than about 48 inches to the subject.
  This is a better rule of thumb than mine. At 10X the
focal length the exposure time is about 1.2X, which is not
significant.

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---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@ix.netcom.com

 
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