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Bellows support rod?

 
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 8:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Okay, here's a quality 'dumb' question

The larger cameras are often supplied with rings on top of the bellows. I have read that these rings were used to hold a rod, through the rings to support the bellows when using long lenses. And it works very well as I'm doing that on my 8x10 which has a saggy bellows

My question is: Was there any such thing as a factory rod? If they supplied the rings, sold you the camera, wouldn't they have also sold the support rod? Has anyone ever seen an original rod? Even in a catalog?

And, what did the photographers use? Or just anything that fit through the rings?

Or, were these rings for something else? I know there's a hook on the top of the front standard which holds at least one of the rings that helps hold up the bellows. But that idea doesn't work well for all bellows lengths...

Just more "curiosity outflowing"
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glennfromwy



Joined: 29 Nov 2001
Posts: 903
Location: S.W. Wyoming

PostPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have seen these support rods on the dreaded auction site but don't remember which camera(s) they were for. Didn't pay much attention, as I don't have anything that uses them.

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"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"
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Rangemaster



Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 412
Location: Montana, Glacier National Park

PostPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 8:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I actually have an original bellows support rod, the one I have is for an old english made bellows camera from the late 1800's, the only reason I know what it is, is because it is stamped on one end with the camera companies name, it is approx 3/8" in diameter, with notches for the areas the rings go, the one I have is about 40" long and stained the same dark color as some of their cameras were, kind of a burgandy color.

Dave
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 10:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah-ha! So they did exist! And it must be a rare find. Who would save an old stick? Or even know what it's for? And I would bet most of them would have been mistaken for blackpowder ramrods! 3/8 and 40" is about right... Is the onoe you have a single piece? If so it would be no wonder why they got lost. Who would carry them around? Good for studio work though I suppose?

As far as being sold on ebay, are we talking about the same thing? It's possible and maybe I just never noticed? But if anyone sees a 40", 3/8 stick with the Graflex, Folmer or Century name on it, let me know!!!

It's a nice piece of photo history though. Don't lose it!
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Rangemaster



Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 412
Location: Montana, Glacier National Park

PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2004 12:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rich,

You will die when you here where I found it!.....

In a bin at the archery shop with a bunch of old wooden arrows from the 40's, I collect old archery equipment, especially Fred Bear stuff as I used to shot archery for job and got into the collection side of it.

Apparently this batch of stuff came from an old time photographer who passed away...

I found it very odd to see this extra long arrow with not fletching in the bin, until I saw the name stamped into to it..

I have spent a good amount of time trying to track down who the photographer was as there were a couple that hunted with Fred Bear and also took pictures of his stuff for his early catalogs, I have not been able to gather much information though, tough to come by.

Any way to really break your heart, I got two dozen orriginal arrows fletched with real barred turkey feathers and an old bellows support rod for the grand total of $20.00.

Dave
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45PSS



Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.

PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2004 2:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote



[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2005-12-26 20:14 ]
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2004 2:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well I'm just using a 1/4" dowel I got at the 'wood store' the other day. Works fine, especially cut into 3-12" sections. Makes it a little more portable. Just about anything could go under the bellows, but not my dark cloth. That gets draped over the whole camera, just in case!

Dave... Where do you live? (kidding)

I think I'm jealous about 3 times over. Archery is also one of my (too) many hobbies. My favorite bow is a Bear 'Grizzly'. And I have the stick bow Bear (the company, not the man) made but never really sold or advertised. I think it was 3 Rivers that got them.

When I wanted to make the bellows rod, I almost used an arrow shaft but I couldn't decide what spine weight would be right And now I'm wondering what kind of arrows walnut dowels would make?

Okay... Sorry... My archery hobby has suffered as of late and it's hard when someone sparks the interest again...
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Rangemaster



Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 412
Location: Montana, Glacier National Park

PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2004 3:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rich, you will notice my handle, that was given to me when I used to run my archery web site which was the 2nd oldest on the net, we used to take about 1.5 million visitors a month, I unfortunatly got really burned out on that after doing it for several years...

My prized bow is one of the prototypes that Fred Bear made when he was inventing his Grizzly 52" bow, this one has serial number 3 and after talking to the museum in FL, I found out there were only 5 of this particular one made, found it at a pawn shop in AZ while down there are a 3-D shoot.

I still play with the archery stuff, but my passion has been the photography stuff for the last few years...

Dave
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2004 2:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow! That really strikes the 'collector' in me. I sure hope that one will be saved for posterity. I would have trouble with such an item though. Could it be used and possibly broken or should it be put away to be saved??? That's why I try to stay away from rare things. Unique is good, old is good, but rare....

I'm still upset that my newer Grizzly is not the same color and design as my wifes old one. But it's still a fantastic bow...

And to twist this whole thing almost back onto a photo topic

I have seen over the years a lot of shooters (bow, gun) turn to shooting cameras. Maybe due to age, experience or whatever. Maybe just all those years of shooting something out gets balanced by pulling something back in with a camera?

And hopefully I'm not too old as now I want to get a half dozen straw bales and get out the bow again...
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2004 3:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The other use for those bellows rings!

I was just sitting here doing some minor touch-up work on the 8x10 on the rear with the back off. Last night I had mounted my 159mm lens. This is a fairly short lens for 8x10 so the bellows is pretty compressed and doesn't sag. Of course I took it for granted that it would need no support of any kind...

I then noticed something odd. The central fold of the bellows, not being stretched forward with a longer lens, were sitting very far back in the 'box' This is no problem on the sides for lanscape shooting. But the top and bottom are deffinitely in the light path!

I never noticed on my other camera because I rarely shoot vetical. Thank goodness I noticed now...

The fix is simple. Take the center ring and slip it over the hook on the front standard. It pulles the bellows just forward enough to pull the central folds out of the light path... I wonder if that was in the instruction manual?


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45PSS



Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.

PostPosted: Sat Jun 05, 2004 2:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote



[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2005-12-26 20:15 ]
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Sat Jun 05, 2004 5:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

And thats what I thought the rings were there for.
(said it different the first time)
Charles


Well... duh... If I had paid attention, I would not have been so suprised at my discovery...

So now I have to read _every_ word?

Yep, you're right and I guess it just proves that we do sometimes have to discover things for ourselves. It just didn't sink in when I read your first post...
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45PSS



Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.

PostPosted: Sat Jun 05, 2004 6:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote



[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2005-12-26 20:16 ]
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