Nikon PB-6 on a mirrorless digital camera: reproduction ratios change?

Dan Fromm · 2026-01-28T09:11:12-0500

Ian C said:
Regarding one point of post #47

". . . apparently the PS-6 doesn't have an integral bellows. What was Nikon thinking?"

The Nikon PS-6 has an integral bellows shade to keep room light from interfering with film or slide copying. To open it, you’d grasp the rearmost frame and pull rearward to defeat the two magnet latches at the sides that normally keep the bellows shade closed. It opens most easily by prying open one side at a time.

You can see this in the following video at the 1:15 time.

Nikon PS-6 slide negative copy and lightroom editing - YouTube

Here’s a video about using the PB-6 bellows unit.

Thanks for the clarification.

I went to 1:15 of the video. It shows nothing like what you mentioned. I think you made a typo, the location is ~ 21.00.

Ian C · 2026-01-28T09:21:53-0500

It's in the first link.

This one.

The relevant scene starts at about 1 minute 12 seconds.

The time indication at the bottom left in the video starts at 0:00.

When it reaches the 1 minute, it shows 1:00. The one minute 15 second point shows 1:15.

fdonadio · 2026-01-28T13:39:47-0500

Dan Fromm said:
The PS-4 has a bellows at the rear. The bellows' rear clips into a 55 MicroNikkor's filter threads to keep out stray light. What in your rig keeps the darkness between lens and PS-6 slide holder in? I've checked the PB-6 manual and apparently the PS-6 doesn't have an integral bellows. What was Nikon thinking?

The PS-6 does have a bellows, I just can’t clip it to the El-Nikkor or the Componon, as the lens diameter is too small.

To avoid stray light, I turn the room lights off. The model light on my Godox makes it easy to see the original.

But I don’t agree it’s surreal at all. Except for having to use the extension tubes for the 80mm, it’s pretty much the normal way.

fdonadio · 2026-01-28T13:45:02-0500

250swb said:
Insightful, but the OP was asking about using a Nikon Z mirrorless camera, which has a different native lens mount, so the camera and therefore the subsequent accessories does matter doesn't it?

Well… I have no obligation to use Z lenses. Nikon even markets the FTZ adapter —I would even say heavily — as a way to use older lenses. Which I do, as I use the same lenses to shoot film on my F2AS, FM2, F3 and F4.

Also, using the PS-6 for holding framed slides and film strips is much easier than using a copy stand setup.

I don’t see anything wrong here, except the problems I noted extensively in my previous posts.

250swb · 2026-01-28T17:13:12-0500

fdonadio said:
Well… I have no obligation to use Z lenses. Nikon even markets the FTZ adapter —I would even say heavily — as a way to use older lenses. Which I do, as I use the same lenses to shoot film on my F2AS, FM2, F3 and F4.

Also, using the PS-6 for holding framed slides and film strips is much easier than using a copy stand setup.

I don’t see anything wrong here, except the problems I noted extensively in my previous posts.

I think you must have misread what I wrote. To put it into a nutshell, with an FTZ adapter on your Z camera you only need a lens that can do 1+1 which is the F mount 60mm AF-D which is NOT a Z lens, it's an F lens. With a 55mm Nikkor you are only adding the other elements you need to make it 1+1, such as extra bellows or extension tubes, so your 'kit' becomes needlessly more complicated (and the 60mm AF-D is better than the 55mm anyway). On the front of the lens mount anything you like, a slide copier or a negative copier (the same thing really in a good setup).

fdonadio · 2026-01-29T07:33:26-0500

250swb said:
I think you must have misread what I wrote. To put it into a nutshell, with an FTZ adapter on your Z camera you only need a lens that can do 1+1 which is the F mount 60mm AF-D which is NOT a Z lens, it's an F lens. With a 55mm Nikkor you are only adding the other elements you need to make it 1+1, such as extra bellows or extension tubes, so your 'kit' becomes needlessly more complicated (and the 60mm AF-D is better than the 55mm anyway). On the front of the lens mount anything you like, a slide copier or a negative copier (the same thing really in a good setup).

Oh, sorry, I see. It’s a different way of doing it.

But, again, bellows are in fact used for microphotography and reproduction work. It’s what they’re designed for.

I don’t agree that having “less gear” equates to better or easier results. In fact, using bellows is quite easy and, once its parts are locked in place, they don’t move easily. So, each setup has its advantages.

If I had used the 55mm Micro-Nikkor with the same setup, this thread would probably never have existed. I would have been happily digitizing my negatives and slides from day one.

Nikon PB-6 on a mirrorless digital camera: reproduction ratios change?

Dan Fromm

Ian C

fdonadio

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250swb

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