Bag Bellows Question

removed-user-1

• Jun 23, 2010

• #1

I want to do landscape work with 4x5. The longest lens I'd probably use is 135mm, and I'd like to go pretty wide, 90mm or wider (that depends on what lens I can afford of course). I've never used a bag bellows but I think I'd like the compact size and the movements. My question is what is generally the range of lenses that one can use on a typical 4x5 monorail with a bag bellows?

 

Ian Grant

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• Jun 23, 2010

• #2

With bag bellows you'll be fine down to a 47mm, and probably ok with a 135mm or possibly 150mm but maybe not able to close focus.

I'd question why you'd need bag bellows, many cameras will accept a 65mm with standard bellows, and the coverage is tighter with these lenses and the actual amount of movement needed is far less compared to longer lenses anyway. But of course a lot depends on the specific camera itself.

Ian

 

Jesper

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• Jun 23, 2010

• #3

That depends on the bellows. One of my bag bellows extend 150mm and another almost 200mm.
What lens you prefer to use with bag bellows depends on the bellows and distance, but if you are doing landscapes it is not close up work so I would say up to f=150mm (with the 200mm bellows)
Lanscapes with a 135 should be ok even with 150mm bellows.

 

OP

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removed-user-1

• Jun 23, 2010

• #4

I don't have the camera yet ... but I found a Cambo with bag bellows for under $100 and I am thinking about grabbing it.

 

Jesper

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• Jun 23, 2010

• #5

Cambo bag bellows are fairly long so don't worry.
You might have some problems with very short lenses though.

 

davekarp

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• Jun 23, 2010

• #6

I used to have a Cambo and used the bag bellows with a 210mm lens with no problem.

 

George Collier

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• Jun 24, 2010

• #7

I have a bag bellows for my Cambo, and I use it all the time, including with the 210. As Ian says, the only time I need the long one is for closer up shots. The real reason for having it, IMHO, is to increase the movement range in the camera standards with short lenses. The reason I got it was that the original leather stock bellows would not allow extreme movements with the 90 lens.
Also, with the bag bellows, you have to be careful that it doesn't sag into the image path when shooting, which the leather one generally won't do.