Renewing and restoring bellows

fidget

fidget

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I've got a couple of Agfa Isolettes. One came with leather bellows which look like they could be original, the others are the ordinary versions with holes on most folded corners.
I've seen some info on making bellows, but can a replacement set be bought for reasonable cost?
For the leather bellows, can these be treated with anything to help stop them holing? (do they need it, having done so well for the last 50 years?)

Dave...
 
Thanks for this. My search came up with ways to repair and companies which will "make to measure" (and Mark Kapono who is between batches). I guess that I am looking for an option that reflects the value of the Solinar Isolette.
Dave....
 
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fidget said:
Any ideas whether treating leather bellows is worthwhile?
Click to expand...
Yes. Connolly Hide Food, applied VERY sparingly and rubbed in/wiped off VERY thoroughly. Then leave the bellows erected for a week to make sure it's all soaked in.

Point taken about the value of the camera, but the point is, the cost of making a good-quality bellows is constant regardless of what camera they go on. I had some bellows made in India once and had to replace them with Camera Bellows.

Even so, check with Camera Bellows. I don't know what they charge for small cameras like that: I've only had 4x5 and above (up to 11x14).

Cheers,

R.
 
If your Isolette has a Solinar lens, then it is either an Isolette II, III or Super Isolette. Bellows replacement on the first two are rather straight forward. On the Super Isolette, it would be best to have experienced hands to do the job.

Camera Bellows in Birmingham is your best source for bellows at this time. 25 pounds sterling plus shipping and handling. You'll need to send in you old bellows.
 
fidget said:
Thanks for this. My search came up with ways to repair and companies which will "make to measure" (and Mark Kapono who is between batches). I guess that I am looking for an option that reflects the value of the Solinar Isolette.
Dave....
Click to expand...

Go on ebay and look for a Kodak 66. It is a crappy plastic camera that usually sells for about $15. It has an awful lens and is horrible for making photos -- just half a step above a Holga. However, it has an easily harvestable and very well-made 6x6 bellows. It's pretty much the only good part of the camera. Just remove four screws, pull off that metal piece, and carefully cut through the glue with an X-acto knife.

 
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Thanks for the ideas!
The Isolette II now has had a pair of bellows "donated" from an old folder and is looking great. It's on the windowsill at the moment, with film loaded and being toasted on all sides to catch any light leaks. Later I will shoot off the remainder of the roll in brief test shots.
It's become ready at the same time as my Moskva 5, so the test shots (if they show a leak free camera) will be compared if only by coincidence that they will have been pointed at the same scenes.

For the Isolette with the leather bellows, time to rub in some leather treatment (leather balm) obtained from the local saddlery. (I got this initially to treat the camera cases). Nice stuff too and "reasuringly expensive" as the sales pitch went... Just better make sure that they ARE leather before I try.

The Isolette ticks a number of boxes in my portable bottom-of-the-rucsack MF needs for a hiking holiday and should not be OTT in addition to my Bessa R2.


Thanks..
 
fidget said:
For the Isolette with the leather bellows, time to rub in some leather treatment (leather balm) obtained from the local saddlery. (I got this initially to treat the camera cases). Nice stuff too and "reasuringly expensive" as the sales pitch went... Just better make sure that they ARE leather before I try.
Click to expand...

Unless the bellows are custom made (or made before about 1930, for a wooden camera), the bellows are almost certainly not leather, no matter how much it looks like it. You would probably be better advised to use a silicone-based vinyl protectant.
 
Well the Isolette with the replacement bellows is light tight, having been thoroughly toasted on all sides in daylight.
I got nice test images from it. The only odd thing is that at full aperture 3.5-4 one side of the negative has a soft edge. When I look at the bellows inside the camera, I can see that one side masks the film gate from the near edge of the lens. Not a problem in this camera, but one which I will look out for in future.

Nice images after a little range guesswork. It's a good MF for the rucsack, or even "MF-in-the pocket".
 
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