Best Standard Bellows for 90mm lens

[Stephen Sample]

I currently have a Wista 45 camera, but find the front movements rather limited with a 90mm lens, without really stressing the bellows. Can anyone tell me if the Linhoff Technika, Canham 45 dlc or other camera would have a better range of movement with the standard bellows. I don't want to contend with a bag bellows. Thanks.

[Bruce Pottorff]

Last week I took delivery on my new Ebony with the universal bellows, and it handles my 80 with no problem.

[Walter Calahan]

Why don't you want to use a bag bellows?

A cheaper solution, with very little hassle.

I use bag bellows all the time on my Acra-Swiss 4x5 and Canham 8x10. Not a problem.

Or are you fishing to buy a new camera. You don't need our excuss. Help the economy - buy a new camera. HA!

[Ted Harris]

Agree with Walter, try out the bag bellows and see how it works for you. While I am not familiar with the bag bellows for the Wista, most will allow you to work with lenses as long as 180 with ease (some even a bit longer) so that might do for you). OTOH, if you are planning on using a 90mm as your main or one of yoru main lenses then you might want to consider the cameras thar are specially built for use of wide lenses, e.g. the Walker wide or the Ebony.

I have used a Horseman FA, Canham Traditional, Phillilps 45 (with universal bellows), Ebony RW45 (with universal bellows) and Toyo 45AII all with a 90 with no problems. A small amount of restriction in movement with the Phillips but not with the others. Granted, I can't remember doing any 'heroic' tilts, shifts or swings with the lens. OTOH I no longer use a 90 and for years have used a 75 (either the 75 SA or my current 75 f4.5 Grandagon) with the Horseman, Canham and Toyo with no problems either.

[Brian Ellis]

O.K., be a good boy and use a bag bellows. You're wrong to not want to use one just because they're inconvenient to use, cost money, and are one more thing to lug around and fiddle with.

But on the assumption that when you said you didn't want to use a bag bellows you meant you didn't want to use a bag bellows, of the cameras I've owned (several Technikas, several Ebonys without the universal bellows, a Tachihara, a Deardorff, an Agfa Ansco) the one that had the most flexible normal bellows was the Tachihara. I tested a 65mm lens with it and the lens was very usable (didn't buy the lens for other reasons) and I regularly used a 90mm F5.6 Super Angulon with it. I don't remember feeling that movements were overly limited. However, there is also a Canham 4x5, I foget the model, that supposedly has an extremely flexible normal bellows. Perhaps a Canham owner can tell you more.

[Stephen Sample]

Thanks for your replies. Yes, I really don't want to use a bag bellows. I recently carried my Wista 45 all over Peru in August and have found that actually taking photos out in the field with no car nearby is a lot of work! If I can find a camera that gives better movements without one more item to carry and change, then I want to buy it. And, yes a new camera would also be nice. I'll be checking out all of the camera you all suggested. Thanks, Steve

[Ed Richards]

The Technika IV/V (never seen a master) is pretty limited with a 90 - not because of the bellows, but because the lens board sits right between the struts and it bumps against the top of the camera on rise.

[Ole Tjugen]

I've tried both bag bellows and regular bellows with a Carbon Infinity and a 90mm f:8 Super-Angulon, and found the regular bellows easier to use. Same with a 65mm, but that lens gives no movements anyway so compressed bellows is not a problem but an aid in centering the lens!

[Kirk Gittings]

I agree with you Stephen. I hate bag bellows too. It seems that Ebony has best solved that problem with the design of their "universal" bellows. I wonder if there are any after market bellows manufactures who could make such bellows for other camers?