Ok. This might be a dumb question but I was perusing 8x10 camera sites and I noticed something that happens on my 2d 5x7 as well. This is a sagging bellowes. As my wife's grand mother was fond of saying "gravity will pull many things to your knees without support". Do people notice if this gets in the way of the image and is there a means of supporting the bellows so gravity is not pulling it down?
A fairly common problem with studio table-tops. Not quite so severe in the field shooting near infinity.
Calumet actually sells supports for their cameras:
http://www.calumetphoto.com/syrinx/ctl?ac.ui.pn=cat.CatTreeSearch&PAGE=Controller&keywords=bellows+support
I have been known to pack a wad of dark-cloth under there in a pinch.
More a problem with larger format cameras too. Many older 8x10s have small rings, attached by tabs, on the top of the bellows to slide a retaining rod through.
I drive an 8x20 Canham, and with a 600mm or 780mm lens, the bellows really sag. That's why I always carry a piece of 4" wide matboard which can be stood on edge under the bellows. The pleats in the bellows keep the matboard from falling over. Works great.
You have probably opened up a shipment and find yourself with some pliable foam packing that instead of putting it in the garbage pile, a piece of it can be cut into a generic wedge and it can be placed under the bellows for the purpose of supporting it. I use such a piece of foam to protect the camera from the metal support members of my backpack when it is not under the bellows doing its thing. Cheers!
Sounds like many people have created some imaginative ways to counter the effects of gravity. Has a camera company attempted a solution?
Bellows Viagra.
Some bellows have loops and cords or velcro tabs to gather the bellows toward the front standard. On my 8x10" Gowland I made them myself out of some ribbon attached with Pliobond and nylon cord.
Just use a sponge, piece of foam, mat board as someone suggested (that's a new one for me), light meter, lens bag or lens wrap, anything at all, really. No need to ever buy a commercial product here, unless you are just looking for a place to throw money away.
The problem with bellows viagra is that you would have to apply it a half hour before you shoot and then you couldn't fold your camera for about an hour after the shoot.
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