Custom bellows was fast for me and as for being expensive--the quality of the bellows is much better than the bellows from Rudy. Not every project may warrant Custom Bellows, but they remain the best money can buy.
Custom bellows was fast for me and as for being expensive--the quality of the bellows is much better than the bellows from Rudy. Not every project may warrant Custom Bellows, but they remain the best money can buy.
People always say custom bellows makes good quality bellows and expensive. Could you show us the bellows from custom bellows and how expensive? What materials does custom bellows use? For example, how much for a Deardorff v8 bellow.
Custom Bellows did a bellows for a project camera that someone is working on for me, so I have not seen the bellows yet. I don't have the price handy, but I remember thinking it was reasonable.
From what I have heard and from their bellows that I have seen, I believe they are the gold standard. If I could afford it, I would have them do any bellows I ever need. If you have seen one of the super, unbelievably, amazingly flexible Canham bellows, my understanding is that those are by Custom Bellows. They are really nice. You can see how the bellows compresses and extends and allows for movement in this review on the home page: http://www.largeformatphotography.in...canhamdlc.html. This is the material that I asked them to use to make my project bellows. I can also say that they did the project quickly and shipped it to the USA for incorporation into my project. I don't know if anyone else uses this material. The material Western Bellows used seems close, but still not quite as flexible as the Custom Bellows material.
I purchased the bellows shown in my post above from Rudy because I had heard good things about his product and because it is what I could afford at the time. I think there is an important place for that in the market.
I am really happy that Custom Bellows is still around. I have an idea for a project I want them to do for me, and when I can afford it, I have a couple of bellows frames that I will be sending to them.
My custom bellows from Camera Bellows (which I guess eventually became Custom Bellows) for my old Conley 8x10 cost £180 delivered (to the US) in March 2003. I sent them the front standard and rear frame (which nests inside the rear standard) which they glued to the bellows. I don't have a picture of it, but it looks like other really good bellows, black (and lined) and easily long enough for 450mm lens (probably 600mm). I sent the remnants of the old bellows too.
The only trouble with doin' nothing is you can't tell when you get caught up
The bellows for my Century 7a 8x10 was £198 + £25 for shipping. I sent them the old bellows frames. They attached the new bellows to them and sent them back.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
I bought a bellows from them for an 8x10 Deardorff bellows a few years ago. It was made of a special light weight fabric - like the fabric used for the Canham bellows. I recall it cost something like $325 + shipping to the US. Time from order to bellows on doorstep was less than two weeks.
Neither expensive nor slow in my opinion!
My last order with CB was last January (2015) for a replacement bellows for an 8x10 Sinar Norma. Custom Bellows had the job completed (according to my emails) one day after they received my bellows frames. Seriously. It was two weeks from ship to receipt that I had the new bellows on the camera. Nothing short of outstanding! Price was right at US$350, including shipping.
YMMV, but they get my vote (and my business) every time. So glad that the rumor (or rumour) was nothing more than just that!
I'm always amazed how affordable it is to have any bellows made for any camera I've seen by any company currently manufacturing them.
Yes I've heard that it isn't that hard to make them, but try pricing the cost of the fabric and there won't be much left for their labour costs.
Besides I can't picture most people here not getting some customizing done at the time.
I know that when I get one made for my B&J I'll have it made a little longer plus have it glued on.
Just got off the phone with Jim Ormond at Western Bellows. He is out of business.Originally Posted by Bill_1856
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