Newbie Question - Fixing Lenses to lens boards

[Shangheye]

I am a complete illiterate when it comes to LF. I have yet to buy my system, but am likely to do so as a separate investment in the lens and the body. If I do that and do not buy them already combined, or with the lens on a lens board already, do I need any special tools to fix the lens on the board, or can this be done by hand? I have heard people referring to wrenches before when writing about fitting lenses. I expect the lens to come with a Copal #0 shutter.

I would appreciate your advice on this.

Many thaks.

Rgds

Kal

 

[Monophoto]

Kai -

Normally, you don't need any tools at all to attach a lens to a lens board. You unscrew the rear element of the lens, and then unscrew the retaining ring from the front element. Insert the front element into the hole in the lens board (from the front), and screw the retaining ring onto the back, making sure that the lens is aligned the way that you want. Tighten as much as you can with your fingers only. Then, carefully screw the rear element into the front element - carefully because the threads are fine, and you really don't want to have to deal with cross threading.

You really don't need a "spanner", although I agree that it would be nice to have one - it's on my list, but there is a bunch of other things that I would rather have first.

 

[Shangheye]

Thanks Louie! BY the way, do I need to regularly check the lens for tightness or are they reasonably OK hand tight over a period of time? I love this site! ;-)K

 

[JBrunner]

I have this one:

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_prod.php?cat_id=&pid=2953

I mounted several lenses before I had it, but I have been glad over the purchase. It actually comes in handier for unmounting lenses, especially great second hand ones in the wrong board, and have been in that board since before I was born. For mounting lenses I go hand tight, and then use the spanner to give it a little tweek more. Snug is what I would call it.

Reagarding tightness, like most things to do with cameras, overtight is not desirable, but I like my lens a little more than hand tight. Car vibration is the most common loosey causer. A lens will become loose and wobbly well before the ring will come off, even then, most lenses won't fall out of the board, but i'd rather avoid that.

 

[Monophoto]

I check mine occasionally, but it doesn't have to be an obsession. They seem to stay reasonably tight.

By the way, there are time when it is really convenient for lenses to only be finger-tight on the board - because that allows you to rotate them slightly in order to get access to controls.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Um, Louie, once the lens is oriented correctly on the board it is best locked down tight. Its a long story, but I have some thin boards that the normal retaining ring with centering ridge can't quite hold on and find lens rotation very obnoxious.

Cheers,

Dan

 

[Justin Cormack]

There is a small screw that is supposed to stop the lens from rotating. You may have to file out a small hole for it, as lensboards sometimes just have circular holes. Apparently some people discard the screw and ignore this. With that hand tight might be ok, but a spanner is helpful to get it tight.

 

[John Koehrer]

There is a small screw that is supposed to stop the lens from rotating. You may have to file out a small hole for it, as lensboards sometimes just have circular holes. Apparently some people discard the screw and ignore this. With that hand tight might be ok, but a spanner is helpful to get it tight.

Not every shutter has this though. If you get a shutter and it's not there, don't sweat it.

 

[Neanderman]

You really don't need a "spanner", although I agree that it would be nice to have one

Spanners are most useful when you're mounting a lens with a 'jam nut' on a board that is thicker than the length of the shutter mounting thread. This requires the back of the lens board be countersunk so the nut can get a good bite on the shutter mount thread. And usually the countersink size is too small to get a good grip on the nut as you tighten it.

If you use flanges, which mount to the front of the board, you'll never need a spanner.

Ed