Advice bellows for WistDX

[Gerard de Vrueh]

Hello,

and first of all al happy 2012 to all of you.

I have recently bought a secondhand WistaDX in nice condition with a Rodenstock sirnonar N 150 mm lens for 650 euro. Everything works great. It is in good overall state except for the bellows. Is is a simple bellow that you have to glue into the camera.

I can buy this kind of bellow for about 50 euro on ebay from 3 differend sellers. For instance http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wista-4x5-Be...item33705c0414

I also have had contact with Mr. Matsuse from Wista in Japan. He also told me (serial number) the camera i have was made in 1989. It is now 26 years old and made of rosewood.
He/Wista can deliver me a bellow for almost 300 !! euro

The difference in price is a factor 6. The choice maybe obvious....

Does any of you have experience with bellows supplied via ebay? The material for the bellow supplied via abay is ethylene (somekind of plastic i assume)? The material from the wista bellow is som kind of black cloth finished with some black material (thin leather?).

I think my wife will not be pleased with me buying a bellow for 300 when i can get it for 50....But what is wisdom? maybe the quality of the wista bellow is much better?

Anyway i would like to hear your opinion on this.

Greetings Gerard

[Simon Benton]

I used one of the 50 euro bellows on my Wista and in my experience they worked just fine.

[mickster]

I've no experience of ebay bellows, but another option is to use Custom Bellows in the UK. They'll make a custom set for your Wista. I've had a new bellows for my Wista 45SP from them & they were well made and of great quality. I think these will cost approx GBP100 - contact them for a quote.

http://www.custombellows.co.uk/

HTH

[fasol]

You can try Chamonix bellows (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chamonix-uni...tem563e70a821).
It is more flexible and quite suitable for Wista metal field cameras, but I suppose wood is also invited.

[Gerard de Vrueh]

You can try Chamonix bellows (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chamonix-uni...tem563e70a821).
It is more flexible and quite suitable for Wista metal field cameras, but I suppose wood is also invited.

Thanks for the advice. i do not thinkl this bellows is usable. The bellows is aready attached to a piece of material by wich the bellow is attached to the camera.

With wista the bellow is directly glued to the wood of the camera.

I also see the size is different.

Or do you mean i can have a bellow made by Charmonix?

Greeting Gerard

[Brian Ellis]

I'd make very sure that a Chamonix bellows will work with your Wista camera before going that route. Maybe it will, I have no experience trying it. But I'd proceed with caution because your Wista has a 12 inch extension and the Chamonix has about a 15 inch IIRC. If the Chamonix bellows is longer than the Wista you may have trouble compressing the bellows enough to use shorter lenses, at least with any movements, on your Wista.

FWIW, the "universal" in the Chamonix bellows to which a link is provided above doesn't mean it will fit all cameras. It means it's a combination of a bag bellows in the front and a normal bellows in the rear, which is supposed to facilitate use of wide angle lenses.

[Pete Watkins]

Try www.custombellows.co.uk That is Custom Bellows, Birmingham England. Nice people, great product. When I was last there they were very critical of Wista's quality as far as their bellows are concerned so they should be abel to quote you a price and send you the finished product without seeing your camera.
Pete.

[John Koehrer]

I bought a bellows from one of the Chinese vendors. It came complete with pinholes and was a tad(3") short.
Unfortunately I don't remember the vendors name.
We all know the bay can be hit or miss.

[Gerard de Vrueh]

Thanks poeple for all the advice.

I have send an email to custombellows for a price. But i'll probably take my chance on that ebay bellows. It is to cheap not to give it a chance. And to pay almost 300 for a wista bellows for a wista that i bought for 650 euro with rodenstock sironarN 150 mm on a perfect looking/working copal 0 .....if i have to pay VAT on import (when i'm not lucky) then the bellows will kost more than 50 % of the hole camera.

About the wista bellows, If it is the same as the on currently on my wista it wil be a cloth bellows covered with a thin leather like layar. Looks nice, very supple but also looks and feels very fragile.

I'll let you know ho things work out.

Gerard

[Gerard de Vrueh]

Hello Folks,

Small update on the situation. I have received a quote from Custombellows in the UK. The price would be 95 euro exclusie VAT (19%) and post and pakkage. At the rate for the GBPound that would still ad up to 150 euro! And i do have to send them my currend bellow as an example. It would take 6-8 weeks

So i have decided to take the chance on that 53 euro bellows from ebay. I have ordered and payed thought paypal. I do expect this bellow to be less supple but that will only propose a problem with extreme close ups or tilt/shift situations. For me making portraits/ landscapes i do not expect this to be a probleme.

Ill let you know when i receive the bellows and what quality it is an make a few photo's when glueing it into the camera.

Any advice what kind of gleu to use? I think a contact glue that you put on both siders, let dry for 10 minutes and put together (vulcanize) will do the job? (bizon kit/tex glue in the netherlands).

Like to hear from you all!
Gerard