Weather and bellows

[Photojoe4]

Given the time of year and the weather we've been having here in Oregon I was wondering what all of your thoughts were on the use of these vintage folding cameras in wet/cold weather. I know that hot and dry weather can cause the bellows to shrink/crack over time, but are there any effects I should be worried about from the rain/snow? Are there any special precautions I should take to keep my bellows from getting ruined by this sort of weather? I know that some makers used leather for the exterior of their bellows and others used plastic- is one better than the other under these sort of weather conditions?

 

[oftheherd]

I'll just give you a bump and say in general, a periodic treatment with a leather conditioner is always a good idea if your bellows are leather. As to plastic (I guess you mean vinyl), I think leather conditioner might help that as well, but I will let others speak on that, who know more about it. Be sure to wipe down the camera if you are in misty or rainy weather, after you are done. A towel over your bellows and camera won't hurt either. A compendium bellows hood will help with the lens.

 

[RichL]

My leather bellows get a light going over with mink oil once a year. The artificial ones gets an equally light going over with turtle wax. My life has been spent in the breakaway country of Cascadia (No. British Columbia to the Oregon-California border) and I've had no moisture related bellows problems yet. On the rare occasions I shoot in a heavy rain I use a piece of plastic cut from a plastic bottle. It's two or three inches wide and big enough in diameter to fit around around the lens and the drop bed. This keeps the rain drops from wandering into the openings for the diaphragm control and the shutter levers.

 

[jnoir]

I manufacture and replace my own leather bellows. I follow a procedure pretty similar to that of RichL, with specific materials I can find here in Europe.

 

[graywolf]

Bellows may be made of leather, nylon, plastic, or paper. Quite obviously, they differ in how you want to treat them. I, very occasionally, use saddle soap on leather, and Son of A Gun on nylon & plastic. Paper (or, genuine imatation leather, as I have seen it labeled) I just dust with a soft brush.

The two things you want to watch out for is putting them away wet, and drying them out too quickly.

When you bring the camera in, open it and wipe the bellows off with a soft dry cloth. Then leave it open and let the bellows dry away from direct heat. Once it is dry, you can close it and put it away until next time.

 

[Out to Lunch]

Many moons ago, I posted the same question with regards to tropical conditions. Never got a decent reply...

 

[Photojoe4]

Would neatsfoot work as well for leather bellows? Also, what about the leather versus vinyl question? Would one hold up better than the other in wet/cold conditions?

 

[RichL]

Would neatsfoot work as well for leather bellows? Also, what about the leather versus vinyl question? Would one hold up better than the other in wet/cold conditions?

Neatsfoot oil should work just fine. Leather is going to hold up better than artificial materials under any conditions I can think of. If the bellows are in good condition the difference between leather and artificial material is really a non issue unless you are shooting under really extreme (below zero, typhoons etc.) conditions.

 

[Corto]

Whatever you use, make sure it wont make your bellows stick together when folded up.

 

[graywolf]

Neatsfoot oil should work just fine. Leather is going to hold up better than artificial materials under any conditions I can think of. If the bellows are in good condition the difference between leather and artificial material is really a non issue unless you are shooting under really extreme (below zero, typhoons etc.) conditions.

Actually, the Nylon bellows on Pacemaker Graphics seems to be the most durable material ever used for a camera bellows. Even after 60 years very few of them have bellows problems. Now, if they had only used the same stuff for the focal plane shutter on the Speeds!

 

[RichL]

Actually, the Nylon bellows on Pacemaker Graphics seems to be the most durable material ever used for a camera bellows. Even after 60 years very few of them have bellows problems. Now, if they had only used the same stuff for the focal plane shutter on the Speeds!

Thanks for that observation. Next time I make a bellows maybe I'll look around for some good heavy duty nylon. Perhaps some of that rip-stop nylon that fatigue jackets were (are?) made from would fill the bill.

 

[graywolf]

Thanks for that observation. Next time I make a bellows maybe I'll look around for some good heavy duty nylon. Perhaps some of that rip-stop nylon that fatigue jackets were (are?) made from would fill the bill.

I am not sure it is the Nylon, other camera makers used Nylon, but probably the coating they used.

Another fabric that may be a nice base to make bellows out of is that high thread count (400tpi) polyester. I is nearly light tight without a coating. Very thin, very light, and pretty much rot proof. I think the trade name used to be Versatech.

Some kind of black rubbery glue between the layers might be all that is needed.