New Bellows by Mark K. Kapono of Replacement Camera Bellows

**Rafael Garcia** · 2-Mar-2007, 20:08

Asanuma King No. 1 with 210/370mm Schneider-Kreuznach Symmar convertible lens, f5.6/12 on a Linhoff shutter.

My new bellows arrived this Monday. Mark K. Kapono of Replacement Camera Bellows in Hilo, Hawaii made them in less than a week, for a very reasonable price. His website is http://www2.hawaii.edu/~mkapono/bellows.htm . The bellows are of excellent quality and fit. Dealing with Mark was a pleasure, with frequent communication which showed me he was doing a careful job. I recommend him highly. The camera is now transformed into a capable tool, handling both 4x5 and 5x7 formats on a frame that's 8"x8"x3 1/4" when folded.

Total cost of camera, including bellows, backs, new Satin Snow glass for both backs but not including the lenses was approximately $300.00 (also excluding my own time and various postages - this I consider the cost of the hobby of restoring old things).

I have posted this message in other forums. The post is not meant as a commercial endorsement, just a recommendation of someone who did a great job on my camera; information that may be valuable to others like myself.

**Turner Reich** · 3-Mar-2007, 04:41

Nice bellows, does he have a back log like the Satin Snow gg's? He probably will when everyone reads this!

**Rafael Garcia** · 3-Mar-2007, 06:00

Originally Posted by Turner Reich

Nice bellows, does he have a back log like the Satin Snow gg's? He probably will when everyone reads this!

No kiddin'! It was 5 months for Dave to make my glass, but it was worth the wait.

Mark turned the work around immediately. In his written quote (with which he sent a sample of the material) he told me it would take 5 days to manufacture the bellows. He explained in his letter with the finished bellows that it had taken him an additional day because of wanting to allow the glue additional time to cure because of the current weather in Hilo. They were back on the camera a week and a half after they were removed!