Recessed lens board

IanCC · Dec 5, 2023

I recently bought a Schneider Kreuznach 150mm lens. It came mounted on recessed lens board. The depth of the recess is 11mm.
I was going to change it to a flat board, but it also has slider cable fitting which is for changing the aperture, so changing it over is not going to be as straightforward as I thought.
Can anybody tell me:
1) What effect does the recess have on infinity focusing and shutter speed and aperture to use, (is an adjustment factor needed?)
2) How easy/difficult or even necessary is it to change it to a flat board, bearing in mind the slider attachment for aperture control.
Thanks for reading

AnselMortensen · Dec 5, 2023

You will need 11mm more bellows extension for infinity focus.
No bellows extension exposure adjustment necessary

koraks · Dec 5, 2023

IanCC said:
I was going to change it to a flat board

If it ain't broken, don't fix it!

Doremus Scudder · Dec 5, 2023

You don't mention the format of your camera. If it's 5x7, then that recessed board might just come in handy when using extreme movements so that you can get to the edge of the image circle without crimping the bellows. That's probably why the photographer who owned the lens before you mounted it in a recessed board.

On 4x5, recessed boards are usually found on lenses 90mm and shorter for the same reason. However, there's no reason you can't use the lens as mounted. The only thing the extra 11mm of bellows draw will do is keep you from focusing quite as close for extreme macro work; you may not be able to get 1:1 if your camera only has a 300mm bellows. If you don't do any such extreme close up work with the 150mm, then no worries.

Best,

Doremus

IanCC · Dec 5, 2023

Thanks for input, my camera is the Sinar Norma, 4x5, I have an intermediate standard with a second set of bellows so can (at a stretch!)if necessary do some macro work.
Ian

xkaes · Dec 5, 2023

Recessed boards are fairly valuable. If you don't need it, sell it, get a flat board, and pocket the change.

Kilgallb · Dec 11, 2023

xkaes said:
Recessed boards are fairly valuable. If you don't need it, sell it, get a flat board, and pocket the change.

But you will regret it when you buy a 90mm lens.

abruzzi · Dec 12, 2023

90s don't need a recessed board on on a Norma. In fact it can focus a 75mm and proably even a bit wider to infinity on a flat board as long as you have the bag bellows. Sinar cameras are pretty well designed for wide lenses.

xkaes · Dec 12, 2023

Eugen Mezei said:
Less.

If you happen to put the lens board on backwards!

IanCC · Dec 13, 2023

Hello Eugen, that is interesting putting the lens board reversed. I can try that with my 65mm lens, might be interesting

IanCC · Dec 13, 2023

Forgot to say, with 150mm lens the shutter would not fit, unless I changed the shutter over too, can’t hurt to try

IanCC · Dec 13, 2023

So, having read through all the replies again, and to summarise the purpose of the recessed board is practical, (the ability to have some control on bellows movement), is that correct or is there something else?

guangong · Dec 13, 2023

One advertisement claim by Wista was that no recessed board was needed for short lenses.

abruzzi · Dec 13, 2023

IanCC said:
So, having read through all the replies again, and to summarise the purpose of the recessed board is practical, (the ability to have some control on bellows movement), is that correct or is there something else?

in addition to over-compressing the bellows (something that can also be solved by using a "bag" bellows), at some point the two standards interfere and physicaly can't be pushed any closer, so if you want wider and infinity focus, you need a recessed lens board. Similarly, the focusing rail on an older Linhof Technika doesn't get any closer than about 90mm. Closer than that and it would get off the focusing rail and onto the standard's storage rail that does not allow easy focusing.

One other reason I've experienced is to allow a wider lens to use the same infinity stop as a longer lens. I have a Horseman VHR 6x9 view camera. The 65mm lens uses the same infinity stop as the 75mm lens because it came on a lens baord that was recessed enough.

MattKing · Dec 13, 2023

Do recessed boards allow some cameras to be folded with lens mounted with more lenses?

abruzzi · Dec 13, 2023

if the lens has a prominant front element and a small rear element then...maybe?

xkaes · Dec 13, 2023

Eugen Mezei said:
A recessed board is meant to give you more bellows extension

A recessed board is meant to get your too-short focal length lens(es) closer to the film -- so that it will focus to infinity. And if used with longer lenses -- for some odd reason -- you need to add extra extension than normal to focus to infinity.

Craig · Dec 15, 2023

xkaes said:
A recessed board is meant to get your too-short focal length lens(es) closer to the film -- so that it will focus to infinity.

Yes, I have used a 90mm lens on an 8x10 to make a "panoramic" 2.5x10" camera and the recessed lens board was necessary to get infinity focus. Much cheaper than a Fuji GX617!

xkaes · Dec 16, 2023

Sorry. I misunderstood -- and perhaps others did as well. I thought you were saying that a recessed board gives you more bellows extension, when in fact you were saying that it allows you to provide more bellows extension for short lenses.

Recessed lens board

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Recessed lens board

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