Nikon PB-5 Bellows - The Ugly Duckling

When your looking for information or reviews about Bellows for Nikon the PB-5 doesn't seem to get a lot of love, certainly nowhere near as much as the PB-4 or PB-6 in some circles and to be honest it's unnecessary and a little sad that something that does exactly what the others do, but in an easier package, gets bad press when there is nothing whatsoever wrong with them.

If you know Nikons older gear, you know when I say, they are built to last, all metal, (Bellows not, obviously) no dodgy or weak or cheap parts, smooth rails, if maintained properly, solid and work as advertised, if you've ever used older Novoflex Bellows and move up to the PB-5 you'll be surprised at the difference on build quality, they are twice as big in size at least and give you a feeling of confidence when in use, something that's important in critical work, you want to know your gear is reliable and work without thinking about it and sometimes that's what your paying for.

Please don't think I'm slagging off the Novoflex, they are lovely and perfect for field work because of their size, solid and tougher than they look, nice metal and smooth rails but the PB-5 is in a different class all together.

The PB-4 does more but still it's just a bellows unit, same as the PB-6, just a bellows at the end of the day and anyone looking at the pics wouldn't have a clue what you used.

One other great reason to choose the PB-5 is this:

Good luck finding a PB-4 or PB-6 for that money, boxed inc Manual and a Massive base plate that weighs almost as much as the PB-5, so it's going nowhere when mounted.

My PB-5 from the EB listing, going to add bigger knobs or rubber sleeves for easier and finer focusing, not such an ugly duckling after all.

If any of the PB-4/6 lovers are watching and once you've stopped salivating with anger, come back when you can tell the difference which bellows was used in any pic, used straight as a bellows....I'll wait.....Don't worry though, now you've  I get it but there are cheaper and more accessable alternatives that don't constantly need updating or rely on electronics to get superb results with some practice

It also shows that whatever some 'Review' or Begging YT Channel might say, you do not need to spend loads of money to get decent quality gear. (This + £12 D70S + £35 Nikon 50mm f1.8 AF v1 = £83.50 Bliss.

Do not believe everything you read on the internet: Abraham Lincoln