Bellows design--what is possible?

[Noah A]

I've been happily shooting with my Linhof Technikardan 45S for a few months now. It's a wonderful camera. The bellows are wonderful too, but I'm constantly switching between the standard bellows and the bag bellows. This gets tedious when experimenting with different compositions or trying to get a few shots done in a very small window of good light.

I do around 90% of my work with a 115mm Grandagon and a 210 Apo-Sironar-S. The 115 focuses fine with the standard bellows but it doesn't offer much movement. Of course it works great with the bag. The 210 needs the standard bellows.

I know some cameras--the Toyo VX125 comes to mind--have bellows that are said to work well with both wide lenses and normal lenses. I've never used one but I've heard claims that you can max out the rise even with a 90mm lens, and that you can also focus a 210 with the same standard bellows. I know the canham bellows are also said to be very flexible and durable.

I'm wondering if such a bellows could be made for the TK45S (or other cameras for that matter). I'd give up some length if in return I could get more flexibility on the wide end. If I could focus the 210mm and get 60mm of front rise with the 115 that would be amazing.

I know how good the stock TK bellows are, they're amazing actually, especially the bag bellows which is easily the best I've used. And I know LF is supposed to be slow and contemplative and all that...so I don't need any lectures on why I'm trying to shoot too fast. But I know the way I shoot and if a universal bellows could be made for the TK it would be a dream for me.

So--Is it possible?

[el french]

It's pretty easy to make bag bellows. Most fabric stores carry blackout cloth that, if nothing else, will allow you to test a design for a slightly longer bag bellows.

[Richard Wasserman]

Noah,

You might contact Custom Bellows in the UK. http://www.custombellows.co.uk/index.html I believe they make Keith Canham's universal bellows, which are quite wonderful. I wonder if they can do something similar for you?

[GPS]

It's pretty easy to make bag bellows. Most fabric stores carry blackout cloth that, if nothing else, will allow you to test a design for a slightly longer bag bellows.

Exactly. Especially if you know (as the OP does) that such a bellows is possible for other cameras too. Thin leather used for leather clothes is the material to use.

[Noah A]

Richard--thanks for the suggestion. I emailed them last night and they got back to me already. They said they were tooled up for the standard TK bellows so all they could do would be to put a bag on the front of a standard bellows. It's not what I had in mind though and as they admit it will probably sag.

I wasn't originally thinking of a bag bellows, really I wanted something more like the toyo VX125 bellows or the arca field bellows--one with larger pleats and I guess a very flexible material. But maybe a bag would be the answer. Really it doesn't have to be too long--I'd be pretty happy if I could use it for my wides and then focus my 210 down to 5 meters or so.

[rdenney]

Take a look at the Sinar Wide Angle Bellows 2. I've inserted a picture from the Capture, Scan, Print website (click here for their accessories page--not an endorsement--I've never bought from them but they had a clear picture).



The extra pleat does a couple of things. One is that it takes the inside edge of the inner fold and pulls it out of the way so it won't jam between the standards. This bellows makes using a 47mm lens on a flat board effortless with a Sinar. But, pursuant to your requirements, it also unfolds enough to accommodate a 210 easily, though probably not for really close focusing. It will definitely accommodate longer lenses than their standard bag bellows, which I also have. Adding the second pleat makes all the difference at both ends.

These are made of soft leather, while the standard bag bellows are a stiffer fabric. For a person willing to sew leather, they should not be particularly difficult.

Rick "who has played the same game" Denney

[BrianShaw]

I think I understand your desire. Wouldn't something like that be ideal???? I hate changing from standard to bag bellows on my camera, even though it is rather simple thing to do.

Here's my comment, albeit not too supportive. If there were a good design for such a "hybrid bellows" that was both cost-effective to make and truly utilitarian, it would already be in common usage. I suspect the problem is harder than we may think!

[BrianShaw]

Take a look at the ...

That looks very similar to my Cambo bag bellows, which also has pleats. The Cambo came in two types (you might know that already): leather (pleather?) and cloth. I don't think the Cambo of similar design will expand to support even a normal FL lens, let alone a 210!

[Noah A]

The folks at Custom Bellows said that the frames in the TK are too small to make a bellows with larger, more flexible pleats like the Toyo VX125 bellows...in case anyone else is wondering.

Rick--a few minutes a go I came across the panfield camera, which uses a double-pleated bellows (made of neoprene!) for wide and normal lenses up to 210mm. I'd prefer leather, but it's an interesting design.

I'll have to talk to my wife about sewing machine lessons...can you even sew leather on a machine? I'm clueless.

But I really like the idea of a double-pleated bag bellows. As long as I can focus my wides with lots of movement and my 210 at around 5 meters, that would be perfect. Thanks so much for the suggestion Rick.

[Bob Salomon]

One of the major features of the TK is that it is a folding monorail camera. In order for the 45 version to do that it uses a double tapered design bellows. What you are trying to do would eliminate that feature.

A universal bellows is nothing new. Linhof has used one on the Technika 45 for over half a century. The bellows on any 45 Technika IV or later can handle 45mm and longer lenses with full movements. If that is the most important feature for you why not switch to the Master Technika 3000? Then you would have a folding camera with a good amount of bellows and movement and a single bellows.