Good source for Wista/Linhof/Technika lens boards?

Jeff Bannow · Sep 11, 2008

I am looking for a cheap source for lens boards of the Wista/Linhof/Technika style. I will be using this on a Chamonix 4x5 camera.

The boards I am finding on the Bay are all offset drilled, and I need center drilled. The board I ordered from MPEX had a ring protruding from the back that won't fit into the Chamonix. Aarrgghh!

Anyone have a good source for cheap Copal #0 boards? This is getting frustrating.

Keith Pitman · Sep 11, 2008

Try this seller on Ebay: jinfinance

Good service and good product.

In addition, no need to be frustrated, lots of sellers on Ebay sell these; just look around.

Jeff Bannow · Sep 11, 2008

kapitman said:
Try this seller on Ebay: jinfinance
Good service and good product.
In addition, no need to be frustrated, lots of sellers on Ebay sell these; just look around.

I have checked jinfinance and his boards are offset, not center drilled. I will send him a message and see if he can provide center drilled instead.

Any other sources out there?

Ian Grant · Sep 11, 2008

The ring on the back is quite standard, it's on my Wista, Technika and Toyo boards a well as a couple of Generics I own. They are also all offset towards the base. About $15-$25 is the going rate for these boards second-hand.

Sorry can't help more than that.

Ian

Shadow Images · Sep 11, 2008

I can look and see what I have left at home. They may be offset with a ring too. I had plan to sell all mine since I make my own boards.

BradS · Sep 11, 2008

Badger Graphic sell generic Linhof/Tech style boards for only $30 (last time I checked). They are available pre-drilled with either offset or centered holes in the usual sizes.

http://www.badgergraphic.com

David A. Goldfarb · Sep 11, 2008

They all should have the ring on the back, if they're really Linhof/Wista compatible boards, and they should fit your Chamonix. I went out shooting with "highpeak" and a few other people a while back and he tried out my 75mm Grandagon-N, which is on a Linhof recessed board, and it fit his Chamonix with no problem.

Lee L · Sep 11, 2008

Jeff,

I have some Technika/Wista/Toyo boards, with and without lenses mounted. So does John Powers. If you don't get it solved by next week's NEOH get together we can take a look there.

KEH has a large selection of used Technika boards.

Lee

Jeff Bannow · Sep 11, 2008

Thanks for the responses everyone. I think the ring might just be too wide on the generic board I got. I will have the camera and boards with me in Ohio and we can figure out where I went wrong. For the time being, I mounted the lens backwards on the board and it seems to work sort of.

It looks like jinfinance can drill me a center holed board, as well as Badger Graphic.

Ian Grant · Sep 12, 2008

Strangely I've noticed a few lenses sold on Ebay recently mounted on reversed Linhof style boards and wondered why. Maybe this is a problem of tolerances of Chamonix cameras sometimes causing incompatibility with the boards.

Just checking my boards they are all remarkably close in tolerance, Linhof, Wista, Toyo and Generic.

Ian

BradS · Sep 12, 2008

Ian Grant said:
Strangely I've noticed a few lenses sold on Ebay recently mounted on reversed Linhof style boards and wondered why. Maybe this is a problem of tolerances of Chamonix cameras sometimes causing incompatibility with the boards.

Just checking my boards they are all remarkably close in tolerance, Linhof, Wista, Toyo and Generic.

Ian

I've seen this too recently. An ebay listing showing a lens mounted backwards in a Linhof tech style board...I just laughed, and thought what an idiot!

I wonder if Chamonix screwed up their front standard design? or if it is a manufacturing quality issue?

wildbill · Sep 12, 2008

I make my own linhof sized boards for my shen hao and for the adapter boar on my Wehman. There's no ring on the back of mine. All my boards work on my cameras and my friends Wista. They don't all fit on the Chamonix 4x5 i tried out. The tolerances are too tight, not that there's anything wrong with that.

vinny

Barry S · Sep 12, 2008

I have a variety of Technika style boards for my Chamonix--Shen Hao (Badger generic), Wista, Ebony, and some no-name boards. They all fit just fine on my Chamonix. The tolerances are close and the fit is perfect, so I'd suspect that the board in question is out of spec.

Ian Grant · Sep 12, 2008

Barry I suspect that it's the cameras at fault because the boards are easy to make to very fine tolerances. Like Brad when I first saw lenses fitted backwards I also thought what an idiot, but looking at other items being sold it was apparent the seller was quite knowledgeable.

I've also made some of my Linhof/Wista fit plain boards it's very easy and simple, but I prefer the real thing and they are now very cheap.

Ian

Barry S · Sep 13, 2008

I guess that's one possibility, but I don't understand the connection between Chamonix and the reverse mounted lens. Was it being sold with a Chamonix camera? I suspected the board because the two Chamonix cameras I've owned were very precisely built. Most Technika style boards go on cameras other than actual Linhof Technikas, so if the rear ring was off on a board, it probably wouldn't matter on most cameras. Chamonix may be a victim of their own tight tolerances not allowing for some "slop" in generic boards. It's also possible they messed up on drilling some front frames, but it still strikes me as less likely.

Good source for Wista/Linhof/Technika lens boards?

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