Center-hole or Off-center hole Lens board?

[rustyair]

Hi,

I just bought a Schneider Symmar-S 210mm and about to buy a Copal #1 lens board from ebay and I found out there are two types of lens boards. Center-hole and Off-center hole. Which one should I get for my Shen Hao 4x5 camera? Thanks!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Linhof-Wista-Lens-Board-For-Copal-0-1-3-96x99mm-/280653174754?pt=US_Lens_Boards&hash=item41583b97e2#ht_2162wt_1034

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Linhof-Wista-Off-Center-Lens-Board-Copal-0-or-1-/280695758531?pt=US_Lens_Boards&hash=item415ac55ec3#ht_2645wt_1034

[vinny]

the shenhao I had came with an off center board. you can use either but one or the other positions the lens centered when the front standard is at the zero mark. If you feel you'll need more fall than rise, get the off-center board.

[Doremus Scudder]

Rusty,

Another consideration that I would consider most important: If you can mount your lens board turned 180°, then you can use the off-center hole to gain a bit more rise. This is something I do regularly with Technika off-center boards on my Woodman.

However, if you do get an off-center board, and it is not mountable upside-down, then you will not get as much rise from it as a board with a center-drilled hole (you would get more fall though).

Since rise is much more important than fall as a movement, I would choose the board based on which one would give me the most rise. That means you have to find out if a Technika board can be mounted upside-down on the Shen Hao. If so, get the off-center board, if not, get the center-drilled hole.

If you have a board already, then try to mount it bottom-side-up and see. If not, wait for more responses here. Certainly someone with a Shen Hao can be persuaded to try and mount a board upside-down and see for you.

Best,

Doremus

[Vaughn]

If one tends to always use a little front rise with short lenses, then I can see an off-center hole (off-center in the upwards direction, of course) being of some use. A little less bellows crunching.