Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Is this bellows sag? Trying to identify cause of unexposed portion of image

  1. #1

    Join Date
    May 2020
    Posts
    18

    Question Is this bellows sag? Trying to identify cause of unexposed portion of image

    Hello All,

    Hoping I can get some ideas as to what might be going wrong with some of my images.

    I'm see that some of my images have an area in the bottom left of the image that appears to be unexposed.

    I'm thinking potentially it is bellow sag? But would love to get thoughts on if what I'm seeing could be explained by bellows sag. Or if you have some other thoughts / ideas on the potential cause.

    thanks

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	073.jpeg 
Views:	76 
Size:	189.3 KB 
ID:	220922Click image for larger version. 

Name:	097.jpeg 
Views:	61 
Size:	163.0 KB 
ID:	220923
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/156n...ew?usp=sharing
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yTf...ew?usp=sharing

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Almelo, The Netherlands
    Posts
    19

    Re: Is this bellows sag? Trying to identify cause of unexposed portion of image

    Good day,

    When I see this I also think it is the sagging of the bellows for the following reasons:
    -The shadow has quite a bit of definition without being really sharp, so the distance from the 'shadow source' to your film is not very small (dark slide) or large (lens). Photo 1 seems closer than photo 2 when I look at the sharpness of the shadow.
    -The shadow is at the bottom of your photo, so at the top in your camera.
    -The texture you see in the shade looks a bit like fabric rather than smooth like a dark slide.

    Fortunately you can test it without wasting film because you can easily see it on the ground glass. Good luck playing detective!

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    833

    Re: Is this bellows sag? Trying to identify cause of unexposed portion of image

    Looks like you loaded your holder into the camera from the top. The images projected on the film plane would be upside down. The bellows also sagged down from above and "dodged" the lower part of the frame. I don't have an extra long bellows on my Toyo 810M camera (I had Western Bellows make a "lifetime" replacement of the factory Toyo). Still, when I use the 450mm lens, I have to prop up the bellows from below to prevent this. Now I fit my personal cameras with Dynatect replacement bellows. They are the best in my opinion, but they are very thin and also need such support.

  4. #4
    Vaughn's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Humboldt County, CA
    Posts
    9,211

    Re: Is this bellows sag? Trying to identify cause of unexposed portion of image

    This is one of the reasons I like clipped corners on the GG (in addition to checking lens coverage)...this is very easy to see. You can do the same looking thru the front of the lens and checking that the light path to the GG is not blocked by the bellows.
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    West Coast
    Posts
    2,132

    Re: Is this bellows sag? Trying to identify cause of unexposed portion of image

    Quote Originally Posted by Swami View Post
    Hello All,

    Hoping I can get some ideas as to what might be going wrong with some of my images.

    I'm see that some of my images have an area in the bottom left of the image that appears to be unexposed.

    I'm thinking potentially it is bellow sag? But would love to get thoughts on if what I'm seeing could be explained by bellows sag. Or if you have some other thoughts / ideas on the potential cause.

    thanks
    You don't mention what format (4x5? 8x10?) these images are. I'm guessing 8x10, and bellows sag is more of an issue with larger cameras. My Intrepid 8x10 often suffers from bellows sag that can intrude on the image area, so I am inclined (after checking visually) to slip a wadded-up handkerchief under the bellows to prop it up just a bit. I'm betting this is an Intrepid camera, and yes - that looks like bellows sag.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    May 2020
    Posts
    18

    Re: Is this bellows sag? Trying to identify cause of unexposed portion of image

    Thanks everyone for the responses.

    I did have a chance today to play around a bit with my camera (@paulbarden it is an 8x10 but not intrepid) and confirmed it was an issue of bellows sag. It was bellows sag driven by a healthy amount of front rise.

    I was surprised with how much the bellows sag didn’t jump out at me when viewing the image on the ground glass. Knowing what to look for will certainly make it easier to identify in the future.

    Vaughn you are absolutely right that the clipped corners make it pretty easy to see bellow sag. My corners were already clipped but it was not something that I regularly checked. It will be some that I check going forward.

    Thanks again for the input!

Similar Threads

  1. Can anyone here please help me identify this wooden bellows camera please?
    By aswift in forum Cameras & Camera Accessories
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 25-Jan-2020, 15:58
  2. Identify Camera for Mystery Bag Bellows
    By neil poulsen in forum Cameras & Camera Accessories
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 12-Jan-2015, 10:24
  3. inside bellows covers portion of rear element
    By Jim Peterson in forum Cameras & Camera Accessories
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 20-Nov-2011, 18:22
  4. How to remove only a portion of messages
    By EuGene Smith in forum Feedback
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 13-Apr-2008, 17:35
  5. jobo 3005 and un-fixed portion
    By Jordan in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 30-Jul-2007, 22:08

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •