They make the OEM bellows for all European manufacturers and most US as well, so there's business out there for them still.
Ian
They make the OEM bellows for all European manufacturers and most US as well, so there's business out there for them still.
Ian
The British Journal Photographic Almanac 1955 ( the adverts are worth the price, £6-50) "Camera Bellows" makers to the trade. Finest Mass Production Plant In Europe.Formerly H. Glanville, 287A, Balsall Heath Road, Birmingham, 12. No prices, that would have been really interesting!
Pete.
All it takes is a few craftsmen that know the materials sources and have an interest in sequestering the need in this nich market. Companies come and companies go - nothing new there. Camera Bellows made a good product and it was completely their own making that facilitated these current events.
If Camera Bellows does not run with this ball someone else likely will or there will be a market for seminars or kits to make your own bellows. No big deal.
Life goes on....
Seminar or kits to make your own bellows - just wishful thinking light years away from the reality. Who would do these seminars? Where? Near you? Who would pay them for it?..etc. Kits? Who would do them? If bellows making is not profitable, making bellows kits is? I made many of my bellows myself and I was happy to pay 70£ for made bellows just to have more time for other things.Originally Posted by Michael Kadillak
The truth is that without the correct tooling it's a time consuming pita if you know how to make them or not. And I still make them on my own for parts that are too specialized! Nothing could beat CB for the ease of making them. Just a few clicks on your keyboard and there they were, in your next package...
".. it was completely their own making that facilitated these current events". Oh! Can you enlighten us more about it?
Nevertheless, I'm confident that CB could bounce back as the restructuring should be made easier just by the separation from Lee Filters...
I'm rather puzzled that you blame Camera Bellows themselves for the massive downturn inn the Analog market place, fewer Digial cameras/backs use bellows. Is that their fault ?
Let's see what happens, it's not the people making bellows at Camera Bellows that should be blamed, perhaps the company that owns them should be receiving your venom which needs pointing in the correct direction.
There is a market for Camear Bellows.or rather what rises from the ashes, taking a business out of a larger group is not easy. They need support not your bvitriol.
Ian
I'm with Ian, WTF Michael? Do you know something we don't? I've done a couple thousand dollars of business with CB in the last couple years and have been in direct communication with them a couple times in the last week.
Keith Lowe of CB accepted my offer to post info.
In spite of CB being closed down by their parent company (PANAVISION) He and Tony will be trying to get back up and running in a couple months. They were in the black, just not making enough for the guys in suits how many layers up the food chain.
TS
Whoa guys. Relax a bit. I have ordered more than my share of bellows from them and was pleased to do so as they were a great company.
But need I remind you all that this is not personal - it is BUSINESS and it is completely out of our hands from beginning to the end. All of the hope and expectations in the world are not going to fill this niche market unless everything lines up perfectly and a new entity arises from the debris to fill this void. None of us are privy to the details so we are completely in the dark in this regard. As a businessman I have seen some really goofy decisions caused by greed and corporate wranglings and voids left in lucrative markets because of a whole host of things that defy logic.
I hope that somehow a new entity including some of the existing expertise comes forward to make bellows with the same quality and price point that we have become familiar with but only time will tell if this will in fact happen.
I am very confident that sufficient market demand for bellows will be met by naturally entrepreneurial people that clearly see the opportunity. One would want to believe that it should be the folks from Camera Bellows, but we shall see if they can get a business plan together with company financing (which is the Achilles heel currently) and make it work. Let's give this subject a few months and see what happens.
Well said Michael, I just wanted people to know that an effort will be made to "rise again"
If I hadn't been so pleasantly surprised with the quality of product and service every time I wouldn't care so much. We've all had good and bad business dealings with people
we either like or don't like, and there's just nothing not to like about the CB folks, I'd love to be able to keep working with them.
Cheers,
TS
Oh man, you could be a politician! Just to remind you of the nonsense you say - your confidence is not going to fill this niche market but the sufficient market demand will be met...
Wow, one must wonder over this logic too, indeed.
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