Bellow Maker in US

[Matthew Lea]

I am referbing a Deardorff 4x5 Special and am interested in replacing the bellows. I am visited camerabellows.com, but I was wondering if there are U.S. bellow makers.

Thanks

[John C Murphy]

If you call the guys at Lens and Repro they will give you the number for Western Bellows.

[Bob Fowler]

You can contact Jim Ormond at;

Westernbellows@aol.com

[Walter Foscari]

I recently saw an ad in the photo.net classified for custom made bellows.

[Ernest Purdum]

There are several bellows makers in the U.S., but Camera Bellows has many satisfied customers, including myself.

[Brian Ellis]

Flexible Products in Largo, Florida (a few miles from Tampa) makes bellows (their claim to fame was that they made bellows for Clyde Butcher). Their work has gotten mixed reviews. They made a bellows for me but used a material that was took thick to allow the camera to fold up. They were very nice, offered to make another at no charge using thinner material. However, I sold the camera before having them do that so I don't know how it would have worked out. I was kind of surprised they didn't know the proper material to begin with but it was a Technikardan, which has a 20 or so inch bellows that needs to compress to about an inch, so maybe they just weren't used to something with that tight a tolerance.

[Jan Pietrzak]

Matthew,

Talk to Jim at Western Bellows, he just finished a set of bellows for me for my Kodak Masterview 8x10 not cheap but the cameras good for another 30/40 years. I hope film lasts that long and so do I. He is a great guy, and oh plan time to talk to him on the phone. While my camera was at WB 3 more Kodaks came in 2 from NY and one from OH for rebellowing, I was told that I can't tell you who they came from but I think you can figure it out. The work is great and the material is better than new. As a matter of fact when I went to pick up the camera he was just finishing it up It is nice to see someone work at their craft. We had a chance to talk while he worked.

Jan Pietrzak

[Gem Singer]

Hi Matthew,

Check out Turner Bellows, in Rochester, NY. (www.turnerbellows.com). They made a replacement bellows for my Omega D2 enlarger. Good service. Reasonable price. Fine workmanship.

[Kevin Crisp]

Western Bellows did a great job replacing the bellows on my DD special, you can't go wrong with them. They were an OEM supplier.

[David G. Gagnon]

Western Bellows did a great job on the bellows for my 'Dorff 8x10. I highly recommend them.

DG

[Kirk Keyes]

I also recommend Western Bellows. I had him make me one for Technika IV. I because of a change of plans, I needed it quicker than I originally thought, and he rushed it back to me before I had even sent him the extra funds to cover the overnight shipping. I'm very pleased with it and the service.

[Dave Moeller]

Can any of you reveal the price you paid for an 8x10 bellows? I'm very much considering making my own for an old Korona Pictorial View, but if the price is right I might consider looking into some of the suppliers mentioned here.

Thanks in advance.

[Kirk Keyes]

Well, it's not 8x10, but my 4x5 Technika bellows was around 175 or so (it was two years ago...). I could be off by a couple of tens of dollars, but not much.

[Ernest Purdum]

Dave, You can get a quote from Camera Bellows just by filling in a form on their website. This would take into account all the factors that might throw the price of your bellows substantially off from what someone else has paid earlier.

[Dave Moeller]

Ernest-

You're right...and I went ahead and did that. I think I'll be making my own bellows in the near future.

Thanks, Dave