linhof 4x5 bellows compatibility?

[stawastawa]

greetings all,

I am wanting to check/compile information on the compatibility of bellows across the linhof line of 4x5 history.

kardan, technika, GT etc

I Have a Kardan Color 45s
The bellows are square, (not tapered)
They are riveted to two plastic frames which are approximately 162mm square.
They can be inserted on front or back of either standard on the kardan color 45s as they are held in place the same way the lens boards and backs are.
(two flanges at the bottom and a sprung latch at the top)


(i'll try and add a photo sometime)
~n

[Bob Salomon]

They are the same bellows that is used on the current Kardan cameras, in fact the 45s also uses the same back accessories, lens boards, compendiums as the current Kardans. It does not accept any current Kardan accessory that attaches directly to the rail.

[stawastawa]

great information! and what i had surmised, though I had not thought about rail compatability.

how about between certain technika lines and the GT line?

[Bob Salomon]

great information! and what i had surmised, though I had not thought about rail compatability.

how about between certain technika lines and the GT line?

The GT, GTL, TE, TL, etc are all Kardan cameras and all use the same bellows. The Technika, Techno, TK, M679 all take different bellows systems and the Technika does not have an interchangeable bellows.

[stawastawa]

Thank you for the expanded reply.

I thought I saw a picture of a technika which had the same latch to hold the bellows in place at the back, but I cant find it now. Many technika's seem to use a similar latch to hold the lens board, so must have just been that.

[Bob Salomon]

Thank you for the expanded reply.

I thought I saw a picture of a technika which had the same latch to hold the bellows in place at the back, but I cant find it now. Many technika's seem to use a similar latch to hold the lens board, so must have just been that.

Technikas have never had an interchangeable bellows. Also a Technika bellows is tapered from front to back while a Kardan bellows is the same size front to back. A M679 bellows is also not tapered and neither is the Techno bellows. The 45 TK is tapered front to back and a TK 23 bellows is not tapered.

[B.S.Kumar]

Thank you for the expanded reply.

I thought I saw a picture of a technika which had the same latch to hold the bellows in place at the back, but I cant find it now. Many technika's seem to use a similar latch to hold the lens board, so must have just been that.

That might have been a Wista, which has interchangeable bellows.

Kumar