CultureAugust 16, 2026
bellows
BEL-ohz
Definition
The flexible, accordion-folded part of a folding camera that connects the lens to the camera body, allowing the lens to move while keeping the inside light-tight.
Etymology
Derived from the Middle English 'belwe', meaning a bag or skin, the word originally referred to the tool used for blowing air into a fire. It eventually evolved to describe any object with a similar expanding and contracting accordion-like structure.
In the news
The article describes the Plaubel Makina as a folding press camera that features a scissor-strut bellows construction, which allows it to collapse into a compact shape.
Film photographers are still obsessed with the Plaubel Makina 67 – this medium-format camera is worth far more today than when it was new
Read the full article ↗Digital Camera World