Bellows Manufacturers

[Gordon Moat]

After searching through the main page, and another search through the archives here, I was hoping to put together a more useful listing post. So, what companies make bellows, either custom or replacement?

The reason I am asking is that I am building one camera, and designing another. One uses an old bellows that is not that great. On the camera I am designing, if I could get a custom bellows, then I can keep the overall camera size very compact.

Thanks for any and all postings!

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

[Glenn Thoreson]

Western Bellows
Camera Bellows (U.K.)
Flex Products

Sorry I don't have contact information for these. There are a couple more that I can't remember, too. These and others can make custom bellows, but I would be sure to provide the frames or something as a guide for the openings. There are numerous methods of mounting the bellows and you don't want one that's not correct.

[John Jarosz]

FLEXIBLE PRODUCTS INC 14504 60th St N, Clearwater FL 34620 (813) 536-3142

GORTITE A & A Mfg. Co., Inc., 2300 S. Calhoun Rd., New Berlin, WI 53151, (414) 786-1500
1994: do single qty replacements

TURNER BELLOWS 526 Child St Rochester NY 14606 (716) 235-4456

Universal Bellows Co. 25 Hanse Ave Freeport NY 11520 (516) 378-1264
1994: 6x6 bellows: $40 each +$7 shipping

Western Bellows
7454 HENBANE ST
ETIWANDA, CA 91739
(909) 980 0606

I don't know how current these are

John

[Ernest Purdum]

Camera Bellows in the U.K. has been very helpful to at leasty several LF Forum members, including me.

[IanG]

I went to Camera Bellows several years ago with a De Vere Monorail and the woman I dealt with just open a map drawer and instantly pulled out the original blue print for the right De Vere bag bellows. The new set were excellent.

This company has vastly more experience of making Camera bellows than any other - at one point they were making over 2 million sets a year for a very wide variety of camera manufacturers.

Ian

[Gordon Moat]

Awesome. Since I am at the stage of going from prototype to CAD (3D software), the mounting could be altered to nearly anything. I don't know if there might be an existing bellows out there that would fit better than a custom design, though that is another possibility. Many 4x5 cameras are built like a 5x5 layout, and much weight and size can be saved restricting to 4x5; then moving the camera to go from portrait to landscape orientation.

Thanks everyone, very helpful so far.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

[Eric Woodbury]

Get samples of the bellows material before you buy. Not all bellows are equal.

[Glenn Thoreson]

I've found a bellows that's inexpensive and easy to obtain that works great for 4X5 home builts. It's the Sinar standard bellows which, I think, I paid something like 30.00 for on the auction gizmo. You can get new ones from Hong Kong for 59.95 on there, too. They're square, so using a reversible back is no problem.

[Gordon Moat]

Rather than a square, I was searching for a rectangle. To make a square design to take a square bellows adds another inch to the camera height. This is something I ran into with many designs.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

[Kuzano]

If you are talking about a 4X5 bellows that is rectangular on the big end to meet the closer dimension of 4X5 inches... look for the earlier Graflex bellows. I found one NIB on eBay a few years ago, new-never mounted, for $25. It has the lens end sized to the Graflex front standard, which may be bigger than you hoped for, but the film end is rectangular and just clears 4X5. Great material and mounting frames on both ends. The Graflex part number is P/N 31061-G3.

It's always fascinated me how much transportability is given up to that square big end so you can rotate the back only. Do people who take the time to slow down for large format operation actually have that much of a problem with rotating the camera, at least on 4X5. The square end and rotating mechanism, whether it's revolving or replacement, adds somewhat to size and weight on the camera.

[Glenn Thoreson]

I mentioned the Sinar bellows because a reversible back seems to be the choice of most field camera users. Indeed a Speed Graphic bellows will serve your purpose well if you don't need more than about 12 inches of extension. That's stretching it. The rear frame on those is a thin aluminum which attaches via little bent over tabs. These break off if you straighten them and refold them. They mount on the Speed/Crown Graphics by squeezing them a bit until the tabs snap in place. I glue them on home builts, using Dap Alex Plus black caulking. Great stuff, that. The Anniversary models have a flat plate in front, which attaches with four screws from inside. The later Pacemaker models have a plate with a ridge that must fit into the standard, and attaches with four screws outside. A bit harder to use for homebuilts. Rear frame is the same on both. These bellows are harder to come by than the Sinars. Try ebay seller Canyonland Graphics. Good luck.

[Gordon Moat]

Well, it's not really home-built, since all the parts are milled aluminium. The advantage of the square 5x5 bellows on many view cameras is that the movements only need to be built in one directional orientation; so the downside of the larger size is a benefit to designing in more movements that work with the reversing back. The reason I want something more compact is to make a better hand-held camera.

Thanks for the Graflex and Graphic cameras suggestion. The front standard I am making to take a Technika style board. I don't know if that is too much smaller than a Graphic or Graflex front, though I have room to make adjustments in the design.

I might test out a few more ideas on the milling machine, though basically most changes are now happening in CAD, through the assistance of a 3D specialist. There is still much work to be done. If I need to make adjustments for bellows attachment, then I am at that point. The other issue would be getting several bellows made, though I don't yet know if I am the only person on the planet who wants a camera the way I am designing it.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

[Kuzano]

The graflex lens board is just a touch over 3 5/8" square, and the flange on the front frame of the bellows is 4 inches square.

[ic-racer]

Another thing to consider when making a nice compact camera, as you intend, is the depth of the pleats. When I think of a specialized compact bellows, I think of the Horseman FA bellows. It is 5x5, however a 4x5 version seems like it would be perfect for your project. Of course this is a very delicate bellows.

[rknewcomb]

Quote "TURNER BELLOWS 526 Child St Rochester NY 14606 (716) 235-4456

Universal Bellows Co. 25 Hanse Ave Freeport NY 11520 (516) 378-1264
1994: 6x6 bellows: $40 each +$7 shipping

Western Bellows
7454 HENBANE ST
ETIWANDA, CA 91739
(909) 980 0606"

Hello,
1)Universal Bellows is no longer in business.
2)Turner Bellows makes a good bellows for the money - not up ot the quality of Western Bellows but still a good value if you need a larger bellows that would otherwiase be very expensive.
3) Western bellows makes a beautiful one, but he will take a very very long time to make it. Figure about 3-6 months.
4) Flex Products will make it quickly, but the one they made for me had wrinkles and is made of a very plastic material.
5) Camera Bellows in England will make it quickly and it will be beautiful.
I've used all of these companies FWIW.
Robert Newcomb

[Gordon Moat]

Almost seems like I could fit a Graflex bellows. Good suggestion about the compressed bellows size, and something that might require a different adjustment to the design.

So far I have the Polaroid 550, Fuji Quickload, and a Linhof Super Rollex re-drawn in CAD/3D to check fitting. All these are big film holders, so making these fit allows room for other film holders.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

[Kevin Crisp]

In my experience Western Bellows doesn't take "very very long" to get a project done. I recently asked him about turn around time on a 5X7 bellows and it was a couple weeks. The one he did several years ago was a few weeks.

[Gordon Moat]

I sent a message to Camera Bellows in UK, with the hope of them recommending something. I did mention the Graflex bellows, so hopefully they will have some sort of answer for me. If the cost difference is close between ready-made and custom, then I might just go custom.

I am surprised there are not more companies doing this. Do the manufacturers simply make these on their own most of the time, or are there companies doing this that are not selling direct to the public?

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

[IanG]

Camera Bellows are the OEM supplier for a lot of LF camera manufacturers, virtually all Europe and quite a few others as well.

So when you order a replacement from them it's identical to the original :D

I should add I wrote a long essay about the company & it's products while at University studying Industrial Archaeology . . . . .

Ian

[Robert Fisher]

Ian, I just ordered new bellows (red) for a 810 Norma from Veronica at Camera Bellows. Seems like a very professional type company. I was actually surprised at the great price (even with our worthless American dollar).

[cgalli]

Anybody know of a US supplier for replacement bellows for a Horseman 45LA?

[Gordon Moat]

Anyone have a Technika bellows they can measure for me? If there is something smaller in 4x5 that can use a Technika lensboard, then that would be fine too. Thanks in advance.

I am getting to the stage when knowing bellows dimensions could fundamentally alter some aspect of the design. Ideally I would be able to compress the bellows down to 24mm or smaller, but I don't know if that is practical. Basically, this is a folding camera with movements.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)