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SolsticePhoto
20-Mar-2011, 05:52
I needed three lens boards for my shen hao 4x5 and found the best price at badger graphics -- the place I originally purchased my camera. They arrive on Friday and all three are offset drilled. Is this usual ? I am not sure that I am unhappy with them and they seem to work fine with all my moments.

Two questions. Why do folks make offset boards and what else am I not considering -- will I eventually regret using them ?

Tony Evans
20-Mar-2011, 06:31
Thank you for pointing this out. I also have 2 lens boards currently in the mail from Badger for my Shen Hao. The lens board that came with my 45IIA was not offset. I do not expect the new ones to be any different.

SolsticePhoto
20-Mar-2011, 06:38
neither did I. However they do seem to work well with the larger shutters as I have a bit more room for the controls on the top of the board. Just wondering if that is the reason folks make offset boards.

Louis Pacilla
20-Mar-2011, 07:42
I'm not 100% sure sure of this but will take a stab.

I believe that dependent on camera make. Some have a zeroing out of front standard that needs the lower hole Linhof style board. Some camera makers zero out w/ a center hole linhof style board.

Basically if you want maximum front rise or fall for a particular camera. You should have the proper board (middle or lower). This is however not a must.

If you look at the front standard on the Chamonix it has zero marks for either the
lower or middle hole board for proper centering .

I have no expertise on this but this is what I have surmised.

Jeff Keller
20-Mar-2011, 09:28
I don't own a Technika 4x5 but folding cameras often use a dropped bed to achieve drop. Perhaps the lens has to be mounted lower on the board to be centered when the camera is folded up? With a recessed board, there needs to be room for the shutter controls, which aren't positioned all around the lens.

Jeff Keller

Brian Ellis
20-Mar-2011, 10:56
Linhof boards are offset in order for the center of the lens to be centered on the film based on the way Linhof cameras (or at least the Technikas, not sure about other models because I've never used them) are designed. AFAIK most other cameras aren't designed like that so when a Linhof board or Linhof-style board with an offset center is used with non-Linhof cameras the center of the lens will be a few milimeters off from the center of the film, which isn't enough to worry about IMHO.

Jack Dahlgren
20-Mar-2011, 13:27
AFAIK most other cameras aren't designed like that so when a Linhof board or Linhof-style board with an offset center is used with non-Linhof cameras the center of the lens will be a few milimeters off from the center of the film, which isn't enough to worry about IMHO.

Ebony's are designed to use the Linhof offset boards.

SolsticePhoto
20-Mar-2011, 13:58
although they are linhoff style lense boards the ones I purchased are made by shen hao. More curious is that Badger does not offer different styles, as in offset or not. They simply offer the lens board drilled for different shutter sizes......

Drew Wiley
20-Mar-2011, 14:06
I have an Ebony and prefer the centered boards or I'll sacrifice some rise when the
camera bed is leveled. I also use the same lenses with an adapter board onto my
Phillips and Sinar cameras, so wouldn't want an offset. If I go generic I prefer Bromwell's Technika-style boards. I got one of the generic boards from Badger and it is so crudely made that it is unusable on any of my cameras. I'll have to send it
back.

GPS
20-Mar-2011, 14:20
Linhof boards are offset in order for the center of the lens to be centered on the film based on the way Linhof cameras (or at least the Technikas, not sure about other models because I've never used them) are designed. AFAIK most other cameras aren't designed like that so when a Linhof board or Linhof-style board with an offset center is used with non-Linhof cameras the center of the lens will be a few milimeters off from the center of the film, which isn't enough to worry about IMHO.

Forget a few millimetres - the offset is more than a cm (out of my head, too lazy to go to measure it), maybe 14mm or so. And yes, it was for constructional reasons to have them so. For cameras with substantial rise it doesn't make any particular problems, other types could have troubles with it.

Jack Dahlgren
20-Mar-2011, 15:48
Forget a few millimetres - the offset is more than a cm (out of my head, too lazy to go to measure it), maybe 14mm or so. And yes, it was for constructional reasons to have them so. For cameras with substantial rise it doesn't make any particular problems, other types could have troubles with it.

The Linhof offset is approximately 8mm.

Bob Salomon
21-Mar-2011, 06:27
The Linhof offset is approximately 8mm.

Wista places the hole the same way.