Sneak peak: DIY smallest vibrating adaptor.

David MD Smith · October 19th, 2006, 11:11 AM

Hi Toenis,

I was wondering how you fix the the mechanism inside the macro tube.
The Thorlabs ones have been so popular for so long with static diyers because of their retaining rings and threaded interior which also allows for very precise back focus adjustment.

Also, on the subject of camera to adapter fastening, if one were to use nikon macro tubes, with a nikon male at the video camera end, then you could use the nikon BR3 macro adapter (no idea what it's for in stills photography) together with a male-male 52mm macro coupler to give some thing that could be attached to the video camera's filter thread via suitable use of step up step downs.

Oh yeh, would your device be capable of vibrating the nikon type D screen with it's inbuilt condenser?

cheers

Dave

Rolland Elliott · October 21st, 2006, 09:58 PM

OK I just got my ebay tubes in
The ebay extention tubes have the followign theads Canon about 59mm Nikon about 57mm

Very odd sizes.

I have 55mm and 58mm filters so I was able to guess the sizes.

Peace, Rolland

Toenis Liivamaegi · October 22nd, 2006, 11:04 AM

David, vibrating screen holder should be clued inside the tube with epoxy, hotglue etc after backfocus adjustment. As it is 8mm thick it aligns itself quite well and can be fixed with few drops of epoxy or even with bondo. It can be fixed with small scews too but this wouls require more tools than just a drill.

Rolland, that is the main problem with those tubes that some of Nikon ones are with odd threads and some are with standard 58mm threads. The main disadvantage is that those with 57mm threads are with smaller inside diametre too. Canon EOS/EF tubes are also with uncommon M60 0.75 threads that only Hasselblad used for some lenses.

Fortunate thing is that one can fit a metal ring ripped from common 55mm rubber lens hood inside the EOS/EF tube very snuggly and with little bit of threadlock it will remain there forever and one will have a standard 5mm threads on adaptor. We haven`t yet figured out how to port those uncommon threads on some Nikon tubes with parts available to everyone.
Maybe we will just come up with custom size stepping rings for different tubes.

Best regards,
T

Rolland Elliott · October 22nd, 2006, 11:43 AM

OK, I have been messing around with my cheap Ebay extention tubes. If you buy a 52mm UV filter and a 58mm to 52mm step down ring you can easily epoxy glue the assembly into the cheap ebay tubes using some epoxy like JB Weld.

Same thing for the Canon tubes except you use a 55mm UV filter and a 58mm to 55mm step down ring. I might leave the UV glass in there to protect the focusign screen from dust as an added benefit.

The filters fit pretty snugly. they just need a bit of epoxy to hold them in place.

Since The VX2100 and Canon GL2 are both widely used DV cams, I'm assuming most people will use a 58mm mounting thread, but you can use any step down ring to accomplish the appropriate size.

peace, Rolland

Rolland Elliott · October 22nd, 2006, 12:24 PM

Now that I am thinking about this.

Wouldn't a rotating filter mount like those on polarizer filters be better for this project?

Afterall the focusing screen needs to be aligned to the camera sensor and the idea of screwing the tubes in and out sounds like a bad idea to me. Wouldn't that change the distance and hence focus area?

Peace, Rolland

Rich Hibner · October 22nd, 2006, 02:16 PM

I'd be cautious about the glue. I know people had problems ruining their Nikon Screens when they used superglue for something. So, just be careful.

Chris Knight · October 22nd, 2006, 05:38 PM

With those marco tubes of yours, how do you you adjust the focusing screen so that it is the perfect distance from the back of the SLR lens? It's probably a stupid question but I'm a little confused.

Would rotating the focusing screen so that it is perfectly horizontal and locked into position be a problem as well?

Also, am I correct that at the ends of the macro tubes are a male and a female lens mount, and these lens mounts screw off with 55mm threads that can be stepped up or down to fit the appropriate camera?

I am very much intetested in your project and can't wait for your vibrating piece to be available. I got the 35mm adapter bug about a month ago and built my own adapter just from lurking around here. Now I'm looking for a cleaner solution...

Rich Hibner · October 22nd, 2006, 09:03 PM

Hopefully soon, T, will be able to get a prototype to me for the 3inch thorlabs or the 2inch and I can easily find a solution for the tubing, but that would require him to make larger diamaters, smaller and might make it, better or worse. My only fuss with the bigger thorlabs tube are the macro's. It sucks to have a bigger tube and a small macro or have a bigger macro meaning more money. So it's just considered fickle. I think the macro tubes have a slr lens mount on the end. So that means, you have to find a way to mount a lens coupling to your camera, then mount the tube for the vibrating hassy. The vibrating hassy for a 2inch tube only has to be 51 in diameter and wonder if that's too small.

October 21st, 2006, 09:58 PM	#62
Rolland Elliott Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: Charlotte, NC 28273 Posts: 108	ebay tubes are odd sizes OK I just got my ebay tubes in The ebay extention tubes have the followign theads Canon about 59mm Nikon about 57mm Very odd sizes. I have 55mm and 58mm filters so I was able to guess the sizes. Peace, Rolland __________________ Rolland Elliott

October 22nd, 2006, 11:43 AM	#64
Rolland Elliott Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: Charlotte, NC 28273 Posts: 108	Adatper solutions OK, I have been messing around with my cheap Ebay extention tubes. If you buy a 52mm UV filter and a 58mm to 52mm step down ring you can easily epoxy glue the assembly into the cheap ebay tubes using some epoxy like JB Weld. Same thing for the Canon tubes except you use a 55mm UV filter and a 58mm to 55mm step down ring. I might leave the UV glass in there to protect the focusign screen from dust as an added benefit. The filters fit pretty snugly. they just need a bit of epoxy to hold them in place. Since The VX2100 and Canon GL2 are both widely used DV cams, I'm assuming most people will use a 58mm mounting thread, but you can use any step down ring to accomplish the appropriate size. peace, Rolland __________________ Rolland Elliott

October 22nd, 2006, 12:24 PM	#65
Rolland Elliott Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: Charlotte, NC 28273 Posts: 108	polarizer filter might be better adatper Now that I am thinking about this. Wouldn't a rotating filter mount like those on polarizer filters be better for this project? Afterall the focusing screen needs to be aligned to the camera sensor and the idea of screwing the tubes in and out sounds like a bad idea to me. Wouldn't that change the distance and hence focus area? Peace, Rolland __________________ Rolland Elliott

October 22nd, 2006, 05:38 PM	#67
Chris Knight Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Hyde Park, New York Posts: 53	Confused about Distance from back of Lens to GG With those marco tubes of yours, how do you you adjust the focusing screen so that it is the perfect distance from the back of the SLR lens? It's probably a stupid question but I'm a little confused. Would rotating the focusing screen so that it is perfectly horizontal and locked into position be a problem as well? Also, am I correct that at the ends of the macro tubes are a male and a female lens mount, and these lens mounts screw off with 55mm threads that can be stepped up or down to fit the appropriate camera? I am very much intetested in your project and can't wait for your vibrating piece to be available. I got the 35mm adapter bug about a month ago and built my own adapter just from lurking around here. Now I'm looking for a cleaner solution...

October 19th, 2006, 11:11 AM	#61
David MD Smith Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 42	Hi Toenis, I was wondering how you fix the the mechanism inside the macro tube. The Thorlabs ones have been so popular for so long with static diyers because of their retaining rings and threaded interior which also allows for very precise back focus adjustment. Also, on the subject of camera to adapter fastening, if one were to use nikon macro tubes, with a nikon male at the video camera end, then you could use the nikon BR3 macro adapter (no idea what it's for in stills photography) together with a male-male 52mm macro coupler to give some thing that could be attached to the video camera's filter thread via suitable use of step up step downs. Oh yeh, would your device be capable of vibrating the nikon type D screen with it's inbuilt condenser? cheers Dave

October 22nd, 2006, 11:04 AM	#63
Toenis Liivamaegi Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Tartu, Estonia Posts: 579	David, vibrating screen holder should be clued inside the tube with epoxy, hotglue etc after backfocus adjustment. As it is 8mm thick it aligns itself quite well and can be fixed with few drops of epoxy or even with bondo. It can be fixed with small scews too but this wouls require more tools than just a drill. Rolland, that is the main problem with those tubes that some of Nikon ones are with odd threads and some are with standard 58mm threads. The main disadvantage is that those with 57mm threads are with smaller inside diametre too. Canon EOS/EF tubes are also with uncommon M60 0.75 threads that only Hasselblad used for some lenses. Fortunate thing is that one can fit a metal ring ripped from common 55mm rubber lens hood inside the EOS/EF tube very snuggly and with little bit of threadlock it will remain there forever and one will have a standard 5mm threads on adaptor. We haven`t yet figured out how to port those uncommon threads on some Nikon tubes with parts available to everyone. Maybe we will just come up with custom size stepping rings for different tubes. Best regards, T

October 22nd, 2006, 02:16 PM	#66
Rich Hibner Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 218 Images: 1	I'd be cautious about the glue. I know people had problems ruining their Nikon Screens when they used superglue for something. So, just be careful.

October 22nd, 2006, 09:03 PM	#68
Rich Hibner Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 218 Images: 1	Hopefully soon, T, will be able to get a prototype to me for the 3inch thorlabs or the 2inch and I can easily find a solution for the tubing, but that would require him to make larger diamaters, smaller and might make it, better or worse. My only fuss with the bigger thorlabs tube are the macro's. It sucks to have a bigger tube and a small macro or have a bigger macro meaning more money. So it's just considered fickle. I think the macro tubes have a slr lens mount on the end. So that means, you have to find a way to mount a lens coupling to your camera, then mount the tube for the vibrating hassy. The vibrating hassy for a 2inch tube only has to be 51 in diameter and wonder if that's too small.