Sticky saggy bellows are killing my buzz.

[Bob Gentile]

"... Strangely enough the light leaks are not where the material has peeled, but in the corners..."

That's to be expected.

"... Do I even want to know how much replacement bellows for this cost...?"

In the U.S., two sources come to mind: Western Bellows (Etiwanda, CA Tel. 909-980-0606) and Turner Bellows. Either should be able to give you ballpark estimate.

But... as Ash said, "light tight means light tight."

[MIke Sherck]

Leaks in the corners are expected: that's where all the wear is, with the bellows being folded and unfolded all the time. The corners get the most exercise and wear out quickest.

If the seller said the bellows were light-tight and they aren't then they should either take the camera back and refund your money or buy you a new bellows. Western Bellows will probably want in the $150-$200 range for a new bellows for this; Camera Bellows in the UK may actually be a bit less, including shipping, and provide what is by all reports a great product.

If you can't come to terms with the seller, all is not lost. The simplest and quickest way of temporarily fixing bellows with pinholes is tape -- electrician's tape, duct tape, something like that. While not a permanent fix, you'd be surprised how long it can last (your mileage may vary.) But if it looks as bad as you indicate, a new bellows is definately warranted.

Mike

[rivermandan]

Okay, so here is the deal. The seller ended the auction early and charged me $465US shipped for the camera, out of sympathy for what I was shooting on (my old crown). tachiharas have been going for close to $500 for beaten up versions, so it was pretty nice of him to do that. I sincerely doubt he knew of the light leaks despite the fact that you can see them in clear daylight, so I don't know how to go about asking him this.

Do you guys think requesting him to pay for a bellows repair kit would be acceptable? I really don't want to send the camera back, take a $100 hit on shipping/duties, just to go camera shopping again.

[Rob_5419]

Yes

[Jim Jones]

I tend to fix minor problems myself, and would scrub a thin application of black artist's acrylic paint into the inside corners of the bellows with an old soft toothbrush. This might not work if the interior is plastic. Others have found other materials that work well at fixing pinholes.

[Wilbur Wong]

Since one of the concerns seems to be light leaks, I think a new bellows may well be in order. In regard to the "sticking" problem, I would guess that the bellows either are of synthetic material or have a synthetic finish. Nearly any hydrocarbon based plastic or whatever short of super stabilizers, continue to out-gas or out exude something for probably decades. If what is exuded is not fully polymerized, the results may be a sticky film.

If that were the case, the only hope may be trying to seal the surfaces which are sticking together. However if the polymers are breaking down due to age, that might possibly be a losing battle. . . .

[Brian Ellis]

I carried around an empty 4x5 film box and used it to prop up the sagging bellows on a Deardorff 8x10.

Corners are where pin holes usually live so the fact that your light leaks are there rather than where the covering is peeling off isn't surprising. You might be able to get by with the existing bellows for a while if you drape your dark cloth over the bellows or if you patch the pin holes but IMHO you really should replace the bellows. Once pin holes start they don't usually stop so you'll have to be doing the flashlight test all the time or run the risk of ruining some negatives. If your camera is a 4x5 a ball park estimate of a new bellows from either of the two places mentioned above is $200, $300 if it's an 8x10.

If your seller said the bellows were free of leaks and they aren't you might consider returning the camera or at least get the seller to bear a part of the cost of new bellows. If your camera is a 4x5 Tachihara the new bellows is going to cost roughly half again what you probably paid for the camera.

[David A. Goldfarb]

A couple of solutions for bellows sag--

Put something under the bellows like a sponge or something of appropriate size that you already have in your camera bag, like a lens case, light meter case, etc.

I like having tabs that gather the bellows toward the front standard. On some cameras there are tabs with metal rings at 1/3 and 2/3 the bellows length, and they latch onto a catch on the front standard. On one of my cameras, I added tabs at about half the bellows length and cords with three loops in them to latch onto the knobs on the front standard. With a tapered bellows, this lets you use mostly the wide end of the bellows with short lenses, reducing the potential for bellows flare as well as sagging that could cause the bellows to impinge on the image area.

[Brian Ellis]

"tachiharas have been going for close to $500 for beaten up versions, so it was pretty nice of him to do that."

A brand new Tachihara costs $595. I bought a like-new, absolute mint Tachihara on ebay for $500 a couple months ago. I think you're being too generous with your seller here, especially if the pin holes are obvious. FWIW, when I've been interested in used cameras on ebay and the seller says the bellows are light tight I ask if the seller has performed the flashlight-in-a-dark-room test. If they haven't I ask them to do it. If they won't I don't bid on the camera. IMHO a new bellows will add way to much to the cost of a camera to just bid and hope they're o.k.

[rivermandan]

Wilbur Wong wins the prize; the synthetic material itself is simply giving up on life. I don't think patching these up is worth the trouble, as most of you have already pointed out



Emails have been sent for quotes on bellows to camerabellows.com, one guy in hawaii, and one localish (toronto) custom bellow manufacturer. I don't know if any of them will be able to make bellows that will squish up as tight as these bellows; they have a draw of almost 400mm yet fold up shorter then 20mm.

I am eyeing a wista bellows on ebay that is $59.99US. the only problem is that the large end of the bellows is about 1cm too small, which will most likely cut into the film frame.

I don't even really know why I am telling you guys this, sorry for the rant. Do you guys know of any other sources for cheap bellows? I hate the word "cheap" just as much as the next guy, but I don't think the seller would be okay with me requesting him to pay for a $200 set of bellows.