Recessed boards? Bigger worth it? I don't mean depth either

Nick Zentena · May 16, 2007

I've got all my lenses mounted on Linhoff 96x98mm boards with an adapter to fit the larger 140x140 opening on my camera. Works great for everything. But I need a recessed board. Are recessed Linhoff boards too much of a hassle? Would I be better off with a bigger Sinar/Horsemen sized board? I'm guessing yes but with my luck I'll introduce new problems :rolleyes:

Poco · May 16, 2007

The more room you have to work within the recess, the better. I've got a 72mm with a huge front element mounted in a linhoff type recessed board and it's a PIA just seeing the shutter settings, let alone adjusting them. Go big if you can.

Nick Zentena · May 16, 2007

It's only a 67mm front filter but I guess that's bad enough. Thanks.

Logan Group · May 16, 2007

I've never used a Linhoff but I do use a Sinar with several wide angle lenses, all in recessed lens boards. The only reason I mention it is the it does make working with the lenses more difficult. Given that the lens board for a Linhoff are smaller than the Sinar I would imagine it's even harder as the clearance you would have around the lens in the recessed part of the board is even smaller. It's hard to stop down the lens and cock the shutter. I mounted a 2" flexible cable release to the shutter so I could still use any cable release I want and it gave me more clearance to work around the lens in the recessed portion of the lens board. But failing this you may have to mount a cable release on the shutter before you mount it on the board. If you do this you have to leave the cable release on the lens at all times and it will decrease the little room you have to work with around the lens in the recessed portion of the lens board. It's still worth the extra effort but a hassle none the less. I would imagine if you are using an even smaller lens board that it would be even more difficult, especially if you have a shutter size of Copal 1 rather than a Copal 0 shutter.

Hope this helps...

Len Middleton · May 16, 2007

Nick,

What lens are you looking at using and on what camera.

I have a 75/f5.6 S-A and a 90/f8 S-A both on recessed Technika boards I use on a Technika V. WIthout the recessed board the 75 would not get out of the box part of the camera (the situation with a 65mm S-A), and therefore would have limited or no movement.

My fingers are not tiny, nor are they that fat, and I have not had any problems adjusting the controls. It is fiddley and requires some attention, but with the modest amount of recess is very useable.

Do you really need a recessed board for the lens and camera you are using?

Can you get a recessed board that mounts directly into your camera or uses your existing adapeter board?

Or are you looking at incurring the expense and additional effort (and weight to carry) involved in have multiple boards and adapters?

Just some thoughts based upon my experience.

Nick Zentena · May 16, 2007

It's for the Shen Hao 5x7. The 75mm will focus if the camera is set to wide angle setup [Tilt back the front standard then make it plumb] but it's not exactly a perfect solution. A recessed board would let me move things out a bit.

The camera comes with a Linhof adapter plus my Ansco 8x10 also came with an adapter for the 96x98mm boards so all my lenses are mounted on those. But the cameras native lensboard is 140x140.

TimVermont · May 16, 2007

I have a 90 Super-Angulon in a Compur shutter on a recessed Linhof board (Factory job, so I'm sure it is "correct") and I use the stylus from my palm pilot to set the aperture and shutter speeds. Not a big problem. I suspect that a modern Copal shutter with those big tabs would be much easier to set.

Len Middleton · May 16, 2007

You may have to drop the baseboard anyways on vertical format shots to ensure the baseboard is not in the picture, so you may not gain much.

I would expect that it might be cheaper (if one can use that word in referring to anything related to Liinhof) and less trouble (weight, bulk, etc.)to bite the bullet and get a recessed Technika board, versus getting another type of board and adapter.

Like Tim. my 75 & 90 S-A's are both in Compur shutters. Had not thought how much easier it might be if they were in Copals.

My $0.02

Nick Zentena · May 16, 2007

No need for an adapter.

The choice is between an aftermarket Sinar type board. Or an aftermarket Linhoff type.

The Sinar type is a bit more money. But it's bigger and deeper.

The Linhof would take up less room in the bag.

Flotsam · May 16, 2007

I use a recessed board on my 4x5 with my 150mm if I'm outdoors and likely to be focusing at infinity but as soon as I get back to the studio I switch back to a flat board. A small, deep recessed board is a PITA to use but when you gotta use it, you gotta use it. A bag bellows would be nice but is too expensive for my usage.

Len Middleton · May 16, 2007

Nick,

Are you sayig a Sinar / Horseman type board will fit directly without an adaptor?

If that is the case, then the only other consideration beyond what you mentioned in your latest post, is what advantage might there be to you to stay with one standard board, should you acquire a different camera.

All my 4x5 lenses are on Technika type boards. For my 8x10 field camera, I have an adapter board to use the lenses that will mount on a Technika board (including my longer 4x5 lenses that cover the 8x10 format), but for the two larger ones (420mm & 600mm) that will not, they are mounted on 6x6 boards that fit directly on the camera w/o an adapter.

Len

Nick Zentena · May 16, 2007

Ya neither of my cameras are native Linhof. The Sinar board fits the Shen. I'm not sure what my Ansco would natively use. It's got a big adapter in it now from I think a 5x7 Linhof. So currently all my lenses are on smaller 96x98 boards.

If I ever get a new camera [lets ignore the studio camera I'm picking up tomorrow] it'll likely be a newer/lighter 8x10 so no worries about the 75mm being on a strange lensboard.

Nick Zentena · May 16, 2007

Flotsam said:
A bag bellows would be nice but is too expensive for my usage.

Nice thing about the Shen is things like bag bellows aren't that bad. Bad thing is the bag bellows is actually more hassle then the normal one with the flat board when focussed this closely. You still can't get any movements with the bag bellows but the bellows want to trap themselves between the lens and the film :rolleyes:

Len Middleton · May 16, 2007

Nick,

The point I was trying to make is that there are few other lensboards as popular and compact as the generic Technika / Wista / Nikon type boards, and generally you can get adapter boards for them for most cameras, shoudl you decide to change. Even when I had a 4x5 monorail, I had an adapter board for it too.

I have a 305mm and a 355mm lens mounted on Technika boards. The Technika V has enough bellows draw to use them on it (provided not too close!), and they both cover 8x10. I also have a 159mm that I use only on the 8x10, but mounted it on a Technika type board to reduce the bulk and weight (Relative to a 6x6 board). so the adapter board is handy.

I guess other considerations for you are the new studio camera and a future newer / lighter 8x10.

Good luck,

Len

Nick Zentena · Jun 1, 2007

FWIW a sinar type recessed board won't fit a Shen Hao 5x7. The throat of the camera is just a touch too small for the recessed part. Shows you never know the right question until it's too late.

Recessed boards? Bigger worth it? I don't mean depth either

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