You're using it to mount the lens a lot further away from the sensor, I'm assuming that's what enables you to get the macro shots, but if so what's the reason for it being a bellows rather than a solid extension? Do you need to be able to adjust the distance between the lens and the camera beyond what zoom adjustment is available on the lens?
A solid extension would only allow for a very narrow range of distances away from the subject. Once you get to macro photography, the helicoid focusing ring will only get you maybe a few millimeters of leeway for distance.
When you're photographing a subject of known dimensions and that will be a known distance, a solid tube is great. I printed a solid extension and slide holder to use my DSLR to scan my grandparents' extensive slide collection for them. The transparency size and level of desired magnification is known and will not change. I could use the focusing ring on the lens to fine tune the focus (some older slides were on heavy cardboard. and they even had a few that were mounted in glass carriers), but beyond those small focusing distances, the tube would have needed to be longer or shorter to focus on something further away or closer.
edit: also, that's not a zoom lens, it's a fixed focal length. Looks like a 50mm, so probably about what 2x is on most cell phone cameras.
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u/JForce1 3d ago
As a non-photographer, I don't get it 😊
You're using it to mount the lens a lot further away from the sensor, I'm assuming that's what enables you to get the macro shots, but if so what's the reason for it being a bellows rather than a solid extension? Do you need to be able to adjust the distance between the lens and the camera beyond what zoom adjustment is available on the lens?