How do third-party bellows stack up?

[jcc]

I heard a lot of positive reviews for Custom Bellows in the UK, but the 6-8 week wait is not going to cut for an upcoming trip. Does anyone have any experience with the (cheaper) bellows found on eBay? They seem okay from the ad photos. I know, you get what you pay for. But, if it's light-tight for a year or two, I'm perfectly fine with that. I need a new bellows for a Technikardan 45s. Any thoughts? Are there other alternatives?

 

[horacekenneth]

This doesn't answer your question but...

for last minute bellows repair, has anyone tried wrapping a garbage bag around it?

 

[E. von Hoegh]

I heard a lot of positive reviews for Custom Bellows in the UK, but the 6-8 week wait is not going to cut for an upcoming trip. Does anyone have any experience with the (cheaper) bellows found on eBay? They seem okay from the ad photos. I know, you get what you pay for. But, if it's light-tight for a year or two, I'm perfectly fine with that. I need a new bellows for a Technikardan 45s. Any thoughts? Are there other alternatives?

It's a crapshoot. Literally. You might get an excellent set of bellows, and you might get junk, and you might get something in-between. The only direct experience I have is installing an epay bellows on a Technika belonging to a friend; the replacement was about 14" in length, which is 2+ inches too short, yet they were so thick that the camera wouldn't close with them installed.
YMMV.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

This doesn't answer your question but...

for last minute bellows repair, has anyone tried wrapping a garbage bag around it?

I'd use the darkcloth.

 

[pgomena]

New ones are only $800, but they're the real thing.

 

[Ian Grant]

New ones are only $800, but they're the real thing.

So are the ones from Custom bellows

I'dpatch up the existing bellows and order a set from Custom bellows, they made me a bag bellows years ago and had the original drawings.

Ian

 

[rorye]

I've had good luck with Rudy on EBay. I'd rather not buy from Hong Kong but I've had great service and pricing from him.

 

[ronlamarsh]

I ahd custom bellows do a linhof tech III bellows for me it only took a month and total with shipping ended up around $250 and they even installed it to the rear frame I sent them ! I've never been so happy