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Greg Miller
19-Oct-2003, 15:30
I have a Horseman FA 4x5 Field camera with the standard synthetic "leather" bellows. When I am done with a shot and breaking down the gear, I find that it is quite tedious getting the bellows to fold up nicely inside the housing (instead of the bellows folding on the manufacurter's folds it just sort of folds where it wants to resulting in a big mess). Am I missing something? I also fear that the bellows will never fold up correctly again since a few times I was rushed for time and had to just let the bellows fold up in a random way which created false folds. Any ideas?

Thanks.

Ted Harris
20-Oct-2003, 09:48
Greg,

You didn't tell us if the camera was that way when you bought it or if it happened over time. I only ask because misfolds like that will become more or less permanent once they happen if they are allowed to set in.



I have boht a Horseman FA and a Horseman HF, one with perfect bellows and one with a ffew misfolds. The one with the misfolds was purchased used and they won't go away no matter how careful I am in the refolding when I close the camera. OTOH they are no where near as bad as what you describe and do not take much time to get right.



You might want to consder just getting the bellows replaced. My recollection is that this is not expensive; $175 including the labor from the authorized repair center, likely less somewhere else.

steve_782
20-Oct-2003, 14:28
I have an FA and thought, from day one, that the bellows are the real weak point with this camera. I had new bellows made for mine within 1 month of purchasing it and have never worried since. There are several firms that can make bellows for that camera. I paid $135 for mine from Flexible Products.