Zone VI bellows material and reconditioning?

[Randall Cherry]

Hello All,

I just purchased a Zone VI 8x10 camera. I believe the camera is a rebadged Wista because it has double extensions and a non-detachable bellows, and is marked "Made by Zone VI Studios, Newfane Vermont, U.S.A." The bellows exterior is black and has a "papery" feel while the interior is lined with a black fabric (in other words, I don't believe the bellows to be made of leather or vinyl).

Though the camera is a few decades old, it is in unused contion because it was bought and used as an interior decoration at a resort! Thus, the camera was set up and then positioned in a sitting room, but never actually used. The camera was used as such since new, meaning it has been set up and on a tripod for roughly 20 years and has no user marks on it.

Unfortunately, because the camera was set up for so long, the bellows has become very stiff and has practically soldified in place. Any small movement of either standard causes a "crackling" sound to come from the bellows. As such, the camera is unusable because any normal use will quickly cause pin holes (and worse) in the bellows. However, because the camera was never used as a camera (i.e. folded and unfolded, rise, sift, etc.) the bellows are intact with no light leaks and are frozen in a permanently sagged position.

I am hoping I can recondition the bellows so that they are again flexible. If I can't recondition the bellows, I will have to replace them, which won't be easy to do since they are not replaceable bellows.

Can anyone tell me what the bellows of this camera are made of? Can anyone tell me how to recondition the bellows?

Thanks!

Randall Cherry

[David Karp]

The man you want to talk to is Richard Ritter. He worked at Zone VI for many years. He repairs and reconditions large format cameras, and builds new ones. He participates on this forum. He may chime in. If not, his website is http://www.lg4mat.net.

[Kevin Crisp]

I think all Zone VI 8X10's were of the later Wisner-like design. Try some Lexol leather cleaner preservative, you can get it at an auto parts store. Use just enough to moisten it a bit. I suspect it will still be usable. They cracked and creaked on new cameras, by the way, then loosened up. I think I used Armor All on mine. Or, better yet, call Mr. Ritter and get his recommendation, he probably made it.

[John Bowen]

Yeah, contact Richard Ritter. Under normal conditions the best way to reach Richard is via the telephone. His # is posted on his website. Just keep in mind that Richard lives in RURAL Vermont and is at the end of the earth when it comes to phone/internet service, so if it takes him a while to respond, it is probably because his service is temporarily out.

[RichardRitter]

You can try Armor All but the bellows will fail sooner rather then latter. It all depends on how dried out the material became and the amount of flexing it has had to do since you got it. The other thing that could start happening is the layers of the bellows will start coming apart.

You will need a new bellows but I would use it until it become a problem.