Dropped a Yashica Mat 124G and learned why bellows are not toys

Last Tuesday I was working on a Yashica Mat 124G and my hand slipped. The bellows tore right along the fold near the front standard. I spent 3 hours trying to patch it with liquid electrical tape before giving up and ordering a replacement from a seller in Ohio. Anyone here ever tried to repair bellows with anything that actually holds?

2 comments

2 Comments

ellis.rose1mo ago

I mean 3 hours of patching a bellows tear with liquid electrical tape sounds excessive for a Yashica Mat that probably cost you $200. Those bellows arent made of anything special, just thin leather or synthetic material that was never meant to take a hit. Ive seen people use gaffer tape on pinhole cameras and it works fine enough for a backup body. The real question is why you didnt just order the replacement right away instead of messing around with tape that never bonds right to that folded crease. But hey, if you wanted a project camera you got one now.

finleyl551mo ago

Hold up, bellows are usually made from a layered cloth or paper, not synthetic or thin leather. I mean, the Yashica Mat uses a rubberized fabric that's got a cloth core, so it's actually pretty different from just thin leather. Liquid electrical tape can bond okay if you rough up the surface a bit first, but I've had better luck with a little black RTV silicone for those crease tears. Idk, maybe it's just me but the replacement bellows are a pain to swap out on those cameras, so I can see why someone might try a patch first before going through that hassle.