arca swiss flat / recessed lens boards

[David Roossien]

Can anyone tell me if there is a reason to prefer the 13mm recessed 171mm lens board over a flat board (a brand new one: www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=2562&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation)
for stability reasons?

I have never seen one of their flat boards, but I noticed that the beveled part of the 13mm recessed boards seem to fit into the beveled part of the standard and provides some extra tightness. Will the flat boards fit just as tightly?

I only ask because I'm planning to use a long, copal 3 lens and might someday like to have the extra 1.3 cm.

Thanks!

Dave

[Richard Schlesinger]

I have a flat board and am quite happy with it. I have never understood exactly why the flat ones were not standard - giving away 13mm of bellows draw plus hiding the cable release in a mildly inaccessable recess seems to me a waste!

[Frank Petronio]

To keep the optical center over the Orbix

[David Roossien]

Would you still be happy with the flat board if you had a Nikkor 800mm Tele mounted in it? Comparing the 2 boards, does the flat one wiggle more than a recessed when inserted into the standard?

Thanks!

[Pete Roody]

The flat board doesn't "wiggle."

[Scott Rosenberg]

neither 'wiggle'. if you're more apt to shoot shorter lenses, get the recessed board. it will give you more freedom to move. if you use more long lenses, get the flat board - it will buy you a little bellows.

[David Roossien]

Thanks for your opinions! I will give the flat board a try, even though it is likely not in stock and is a special order...

[evan clarke]

Hi,
Flat boards are the standard and much more commonly available then the recessed. The guy to talk to about Arca is Rod Klukas at Photomark. He usually has more Arca stuff than anybody...Evan Clarke

[David Miller]

If you are using a long lens, then get the flat board. The recessed boards are intended primarily for wide-angle lenses.

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Evan - Flat boards are the standard and much more commonly available then the recessed.

While that is true for the older ARCA-SWISS cameras, and just about every other brand of camera I can think of, for the F-Line and M-Line series in the 171mm size, the 13mm recessed panel is the "standard board". The reason, as Frank said, is to center the optical axis of the lens when applying tilts and swings. A flat board, places the lens further forward - in which case an "axis" tilt isn't really a true axis tilt. Of course, unless your camera is an M-Line or an F-Line with Orbix, it doesn't really matter as you only have base tilts anyway. Most dealers seem to stock the 13mm recessed "standard" boards, but few have the flat boards in stock (ARCA is the only brand I know of where the "recessed" boards cost less than the flat boards). The current 171mm - 110mm ARCA and 171mm - Linhof adapter boards also share this 13mm recessed "feature". As I have the smaller 110mm front standard on my 4x5 and 4x10, I generally prefer to use these boards with the 171mm - 110mm adapter when using the bigger front standard.

David - If you are using a long lens, then get the flat board. The recessed boards are intended primarily for wide-angle lenses.

In this specific case, the 13mm recessed boards are intended to be used with all lenses, from wide to long - if you want the axis tilts centered. For ultrawide lenses, ARCA makes a 26mm recessed board. I do agree, that for really long lenses, it makes sense to use the flat board - if you need that extra 13mm of extension. I just recently got an 800mm Nikkor T-ED, and as it needs less than 21" of extension to focus at infinity, I plan to use it on a flat 110mm ARCA board and the 171mm - 110mm adapter. This will also let me use this same lens as a REALLY long lens on my 4x10 camera without swapping boards back and forth. I'll save the flat board for my long non-telephoto lenses that require more extension.

grump - hiding the cable release in a mildly inaccessable recess seems to me a waste

The 171mm ARCA boards are so HUGE that this isn't really an issue. They will easily accept a lens in a Copal No. 3 shutter and still leave plenty of room to get at all the controls. Keep in mind, the recess is only 13mm (about ½"). Compare that to the thickness of a Copal No. 3 shutter, and it's easy to see accessibility to the cable release socket and shutter controls are a non-issue.

Whatever lens board you end up using, it won't be the weak link in the rigidity of your system when using a lens this long. To hold things REALLY steady, a second tripod under the front standard provides the best rigitidty, but isn't the easiest thing in the world to carry around and set up. The Bogen/Manfrotto 3252 support arm is a reasonable compromise, but for the ultimate in stability, a two-tripod system is the way to go.

Kerry