leica "Bellows II" locking knob not locking bellows

[inglis]

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A Leica M Bellows II arrived and I have a question about the locking knob on the left of the bellows, situated by the front focusing knob. 

 

Turning the front focusing knob extends or retracts the lens and the bellows.

 

Turning the locking knob does not lock the bellows in place. So the bellows can shift, especially when pointing the lens down.

 

Does anyone know how I might fix the locking knob so that it locks, or am I missing something?

[david strachan]

I haven't got mine here..but you might try tightening the screw holding the locking lever

...all best

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[UliWer]

At the knob (I thinkt to remember, but not sure since I am away from my bellows as well) there is a lever, press it and it will be fixed.

[pop]

Mine has on the right hand side a knurled knob to move the bellows with camera forward and backward. At the base of this knob there's a lever which locks and unlocks this action. On the left hand side there's a larger knurled knob which moves the lens mount forward and backward. Turn the smaller knurled knob on the left hand side to lock and unlock the movement of the lens mount. At the base of the camera mount there's a lever which holds the camera either in the portrait or in the landscape orientation.

 

Oh, and please remember not to mount the bellows directly to an M body. The bellows will completely obscure the lens release button on the camera. You won't be able to detach the bellows from the body without dismembering the bellows.

[jc_braconi]

Do you see the lever ?

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[pop]

... the wing shaped thing at the base of the knob:

 

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[Michael Hiles]

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The lever has no effect on the left knob.

[pop]

The lever has no effect on the left knob.

No; it locks the bellows into place. The larger left knob moves the lens mount, i.e. the front part of the bellows. The smaller left knob locks the lens mount with respect to the bellows.

[david strachan]

Tighten that screw if the lock is not tight enough ...

[pop]

Anyway, it's not useful to think of the left knob as the focusing knob.

 

You adjust the length of the bellows extension using the larger left knob in order to set a specific magnification factor. You then use the smaller left knob to lock the lens carrier into place on the bellows. For many people setting the magnification is the first step.

 

Using the right knob, you then move the bellows with camera and locked lens forward and backward to move the point of focus to the desired distance of the object to be photographed.The aperture is fully open during this time. When the proper focus is achieved, you lock the bellows in place with the lever at the base of the right knob. The placement and shape of the lever makes it easy to find and use without looking.

 

Only then do you close the diaphragm to the desired value and release the shutter.

[inglis]

The knob that is having issues is on the other side from the photo above, the left side.

 

It is the smaller left knob on the left of a larger knob.

 

The smaller knob does turn, but when turned all the way to the right, it does not lock down the extension of the bellows.

 

I suspect that it should lock the bellows and keep them from extending. 

 

But like this the bellows will not remain at full extension, but retracts.

 

Does anyone have an idea of how it could be fixed?

 

If not I will send it back and look for another.

[pop]

The small knob on the left hand side should indeed prevent the bellows from extending and retracting and thus lock the lens into place.

 

I presume that Leica or any competent mechanic could fix it ; however, given the price those things fetch, I don't think that this would be economically wise. I would send the thing back.

[UliWer]

There is no problem but just a "Kompendium" (a "matte box") which has to be fixed.

 

The big knob at the right side (from the camera's direction) moves the bellows (with Viso+camera) on it's base; the lever fixes it.

 

The larger knob on the left extends or reduces the bellows' length for magnification.

 

The little knob on the left fixes the "Kompendium" - the special and very effective hood ("matte box") for lenses on the bellows to prevent flare:

 

 

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You see the bellows with the head of the 1:2.8/90mm Elmarit and the matte box fixed by the knob.

 

Edit: I learned that the word "Kompendium" for a camera hood does not translate to "compendium" in English - it is a "matte box".

Edited April 10, 2017 by UliWer

[fotoism]

.....  The little knob on the left fixes the "Kompendium" - the special and very effective hood ("matte box") for lenses on the bellows to prevent flare:  ....

 

 

This is correct.  Loosen the little knob and the front of the compendium can slide forward or back along two rails to get the desire extension. Tighten the little knob the two rails will stay put. The little knob has nothing to do with the main bellows itself. If the main bellows drifts when tilted it needs to be looked at.

[UliWer]

I tried to move the bellows' extension by pulling the lens: yes you can, but you have to pull strongly - it would make your tripod stumble before you extended the bellows. I cannot imagine the bellows with lens and matte box (they are all lightweight) to move on their own even if you put them in a vertical position - the friction is too strong. So there is no necessity to fix the left knob for the bellow's extension. 

[luigi bertolotti]

Indeed, Bellows II has not a facility to lock the bellows' extension (a specific knob appeared only in the last version of the Bellows for Leica reflex, the R BR 2) : personally, I have never had problem even with bellows inclined and rather "heavy" lensheads like Summicron 90 mounted onto : for curiosity, I have just tried to put my Bellows II vertical and with the (probably) heaviest lens I can mount on it (Summarex 85... an oddity for bellows...) : it stands firm on the extension set : no sign of self-extending due to front weight... as Uliwer says, you must pull strongly to extend it acting on the front and not by knob : a no-issue.

Edited April 10, 2017 by luigi bertolotti

[fotoism]

Agreed. My own experience with my four Bellows II is that none of them shift and I never had the need to lock them. The OP did, however, mention "Turning the locking knob does not lock the bellows in place. So the bellows can shift, especially when pointing the lens down." I am not sure if this is actually happening or if he/she is just worried it will happen.

Edited April 10, 2017 by fotoism

[inglis]

Thanks everyone.

 

Then, what I thought was a locking knob on the left is not a locking knob for the bellows extension but for the Kompendium/Matte Box. Thank you!!

 

The Bellows II I acquired looks pristine, but if I angle it up short of half way (so less than 45 degrees), or down almost to vertical (90 degrees), the weight of an Elmar 135mm f4 moves the bellows.  Is this to be expected? That provides limitations, for example on a camera stand.

 

Also Luigi, what sort of adapter do you use for the Summarex? My Summarex does not fit on my 16590n adapter. There must be another that is not so deep.

Edited April 11, 2017 by inglis

[Michael Hiles]

Your lensboard mechanism sounds very loose. My 135mm Tele-elmar doesn't move at any angle, and even my 125mm Hektor (which is quite heavy) is solid.

 

Without dismantling anything I can't see any adjustment screws etc. 

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[UliWer]

The number of the adapter for attaching M-mount lenses to the bellows is 16596. For a Summarex you need a screw-to-M-mount adapter as well. It works but as Luigi already said this is no ideal setting for the bellows. Attaching the lens heads of 65, 90 125 or 135 mm is the best way to use it.

 

If the bellows' extension moves -after you haye fixed the bellows itself on its base by the lever on the right side - someting must be wrong with the rack rail of your bellows, or with the big knob on the left side which drives it. Usually there is enough friction that it will not be moved accidentially.

Edited April 11, 2017 by UliWer