Replacement bellows for Wista ID camera

[PeterSpencer]

Not so long ago I posted a picture of Wista 5x4 ID (stereo) camera (https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/t...w-film-related-toy-thread.239121/post-9064231).



The bellows were in pretty bad shape so yesyerday I hada shot at repairing the leaking corners. What I found is that the bellows were too brittle to effect any sort of repair and they literally started falling to bits.

So I dismantled the camera, it's a very simple thing, and took off the bellows which were glued at the front and rear.

Here is the camera with thre front panel off.



And here the bellows, completely done for.



So this morning I attempted to go onto the custom bellows web site only to find that it doesn't work! I was slightly worried at this point so I called them and, thank goodness, it's only a website problem. I just got to parcel up the old bellows to get a quote then I can finally use the camera.

By the way, I could do with two identical lens hoods for the camera. The lenses are 38mm outside diameter and, presumably 36mm filter thread. Anybody come across a possible source?

 

[Asha]

For the lens hoods……. Perhaps someone ( @stevelmx5 ) with suitable equipment and skills could 3D print you a couple

 

[Nod]

SRB Photographic would be where I would start looking for a hood or failing that, a step up ring so a larger hood could be fitted.

 

[PeterSpencer]

Old, damaged bellows are now in the post to Custom Bellows for a quote.

Nod, I'll see if SRB are able to help.

 

[ChrisR]

Simon Forster is your man for custom lens hoods. He's made a couple of lens caps for me, one to my measurements (made with a caliper). Very reasonable too. I'm sure he could do you a lens hood. I think he's also the guy who makes the parts for @stevelmx5 's sexy Cube pinhole camera.

 

[stevelmx5]

Simon Forster is your man for custom lens hoods. He's made a couple of lens caps for me, one to my measurements (made with a caliper). Very reasonable too. I'm sure he could do you a lens hood. I think he's also the guy who makes the parts for @stevelmx5 's sexy Cube pinhole camera.

Yeah, give Simon a kick, that sounds like his forte. As well as printing my Cubes, Simon also prints a lot of my other volume parts too.

 

[PeterSpencer]

Thanks, 've bought caps from my Mamiyaflex lenses from him but I didn't know that he does bespoke work. I'll contact him

 

[PeterSpencer]

Got a set of bellows for the Wista from Custom Bellows, perfect.

I had to glue the bellows to the front and rear standards using Evostik, as advised. It's a very hairy procedure but I think I have done a reasonable job.

Here we go with the camera disassembled (new bellows on the right, front standard top right)...



So, using contact adhesive you have to be very careful to get things lined up, which I almost did. The new bellows are very flexible, as would be expected as they don't have frames, and quite hard to get square to the standards. I stuck the bellows to the plastic front standard first, then mounted the front standard and affixed the rear of the bellows to the camera body, there isn't a distinct rear standard, just a large camera body.

Unfortunately, although the front and rear of the body are parallel, I got a bit of misalignment when I bonded the parts together, a slight linear error. Less than perfect but, I hope, perfectly functional. Here you can see a lack of parallelism between the bellows folds and the camera back and front. Using contact adhesive you really only get one chance to line things up.



Not so evident from this angle.



So, now I think I have working camera to take pictures with this week.



Still working on an idea for a focussing hood. I bought some more aluminium stock to create the back's left hinge.

 

[Asha]

The slight parallel error is nothing to worry about.

I have two LF outfits that are out slightly with their bellows, one considerably more than what is evident on your camera, and I’ve never experienced issues with exposures.

Tbh I wish I had such skills as yours in refurbishing cameras.

Well done!

 

[PeterSpencer]

Thanks Asha. The front and rear standard are parallel because they are linked by a rack and pinion mechanism on both sides. It's just that the bellows are a bit out of horizontal alignment. As you point out, this won't have any effect on results it just looks untidy.

One of the things about LF cameras is that they are mechanically strightforward otherwise I wouldn't risk interfering. I don't willingly touch any apparatus more complex than this. The only tools I needed for the Wista were a small cross head screwdriver and a scalpel to cut the bellows of the standards. Fitting the new bellows only involved putting contact adhesive on the standards and bellows and pressing the bellows in place. In fact, sticking the bellows on was the hardest thing because you basically only get on chance with contact adhesive.