Bag bellows ?

[Clueless]

What are the pro/con of leather/synthetic. (I assume they began as leather.) Some are quite like a pancake, some a few pleats, and then the boxy shapes that sometimes are quite large. TIA

 

[David H. Bebbington]

If you are asking which material to choose, I presume you are thinking of having some bag bellows made. I think synthetic material wins hands down on the grounds of flexibility because of the sharp bending to which bag bellows are subject - a pancake shape is best, since this means (on a monorail camera) you can bring the two standards to the point where they are virtually touching without material getting in the way. If you are having bag bellows made, it is worth considering having a size which will allow about 8" (200 mm) extension (for 4x5"), since often standard bellows will allow infinity focus with a standard lens but will be too compressed to allow much if any movements.

Regards,

David

 

[rbarker]

Leather is certainly more "traditional", but I think synthetics, if well chosen by the manufacturer, can work equally well, and actually have various advantages. (e.g. less susceptable to water damage, etc.)

The design differences are mostly a matter of how well the bag bellows supports itself. Those with some structure may function more conveniently outdoors in the wind, for example. Being as they are generally specific to the camera, the choice really amounts to what is available for the camera you use. That is, no real choice at all.