Looks great!
Bag bellows are a mostly must to get the most out of a wide angle lens on a view camera. What is often not appreciated, a good bag bellows will work good with a normal focal length lens and can go some ways to reduce internal light reflections inside the bellows due to a larger image circle as the bellows tends to expand outward allowing the lens image circle to be captured by the extended bellows area.
Bernice
On my Ebony 4X5 I have one of those bellow which is typically pleat-tapered part of the length, and partially bag too. It works well all the way from 90 to 360 mm lenses. My Sinar monorails have all kinds of bellows options of course; but I normally just stick with the Norma-style 4X5 tapered bellows, which is superb all the way from 90 clear out to 450. Their later box bellows would be nowhere as versatile. They made two styles of bag bellows, one more extreme than the other. You know all this of course, Bernice, probably better than me; but I'm just putting it out there in terms of general information. CF's I've commented on before, and have never even used anything as short as a 75, so will keep my mouth shut about that.
Compared to the accordion bellows, it's night and day, especially since I know, as discussed earlier in this thread, that I need rise for how I'm going to use the lens.Originally Posted by Bernice Loui
This post is for anyone in the future who wants to get an Arca-Swiss 20cm leather bag bellows for 171 cameras.
Before I came across one second-hand a few days ago, I looked at alternatives.
Another forum member has confirmed with Arca-Swiss that it will make this bellows to order. It isn't cheap, but the price is in line with what this bellows cost before Arca-Swiss moved to 141 lens boards. He has ordered one, with 4-5 weeks delivery. If you are told by an Arca-Swiss national rep, as I was, that the bellows is simply unavailable, I would suggest that you phone Arca-Swiss directly in Besançon, France. Had I not fortuitously come across one second-hand earlier this week, this is the route that I would have gone.
There is a Hong Kong company, operating under two eBay accounts, that makes and sells bag bellows including one that it says will fit an Arca-Swiss 171 camera. There is a three page thread about this company. My posts about my exchange with this company start from the following link to post #104. Read to post #111: Bellows from ecbuyonline2008??? The bottom line is that the frames shown in their photos will not fit Arca-Swiss 171 standards, and they have not responded to my question about this.
Custom Bellows in the U.K. appears to be well-regarded, but it is only an option if you already have 171 bellows frames. They don't make the frames and you have to supply them. They quoted me £98 ex-VAT, but that doesn't include shipping, including shipping them frames.
Last edited by r.e.; 4-Sep-2021 at 04:06.
The adapter ring arrived this afternoon so I'll be able to check for vignetting, and post photos, on the weekend.
Wanting to make sure I have the process down right, I did a search and found several threads on the subject. This thread, started by forum founder QT Luong 21 years ago, was brief and to the point: Checking for vignetting. Aperture?
Suggestion, Rodenstock has a recommended rise-fall, shift of 25mm/29mm for the 75mm f4.5 Grandagon on 4x5. Mark with tape or similar easy to remove, non damaging indicator on the camera's front & rear standards to aid in limiting exceeding image circle issues on the film image. One thing to check lens aperture at GG cut corners, secondary check is a good thing as assurance.
Bernice
Thanks Bernice, that's a very good idea.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks