Recessed board on Wista 45D

[Roberto]

Here is my problem, already posted on this forum and already addressed by variou s people, but now I have additional information. The problem arise from the fact that the Linhof recessed board #001016 won't fit on my Wsita 45D camera. Better said, the plate fits but the inner part of the f ront bellows obstacles the protruding part of the recessed board. From photos on brochures I have seen that on more modern cameras (SP,VX,RF) the standard bellows has a frontal part that has a larger diameter hence allowing th e entrance of the recessed board. My goal to achieve is reaching maximum degree of movements with my SA 90/5.6 , something I cannot do now because of the bellow s squeezed. The solution to this problem is either buying a new standard bellows for using w ith the #001016 board or going ahead and get bag bellows . But the question I have for the kind readers is: has anyone already faced a simi lar situation? Can anybody confirm that older Wistas used to have a smaller fron t bellows hole?

Thanks for your help

Regards

[Joe Lipka]

I have a Wista Field 45 (purchased in 1981), so I guess that qualifies as an old version. There is a circular hole just behind the front standard, so a recessed lensboard will not work. I am able to use a Fuji 90 mm lens with this camera without a recessed board. If you want a work around, I have used the following technique with the 90 mm Fuji and the Wista 5x7 expander back.

Tough to describe, but here goes. When unfolding the camera, you would normally slide the front standard into the two vertical metal pieces, and tighten the thumbscrews that take care of the front rise/fall. Don't do this. Let the front standard and bellows collapse into the back part of the camera. Then you tighten the thumbscrews so the front standard is secured against the completely collapsed bellows. Disadvantages? Yes, no front rise/fall, and sometimes the edge of the bed is in the foreground, so then you have to tilt everything back to move the bed out of the way.

Don't think that you can get a bag bellows for the Wista Field Cameras.

[Georges Pelpel]

You cannot fit a recessed board on the Wista DX or either adapt a bag bellows but I have used a 65mm without any problem on it. There's almost no movement possible but the lens doesn't have a large image circle anyway. I like the perspective offered by the 65mm focal however.

[Doremus Scudder]

Sorry to differ gentlemen, but I use a Wista DX regularly with a Schneider 90mm f8 Super Angulon mounted in a Technica recessed lens board. My board has only approximately 1 1/2 inches of recess, but it does allow vignetting with the 90mm f8 with only a little bellows crunching. The recessed portion of the board is circular and just fits into the circular hole in the front standard of the Wista. The lens fits quite closely in the recess and setting aperture and shutter speed must be done with a pencil or the end of the cable release. I can just cock the shutter with a finger. I imagine that the 5.6 SA would be a bit large for this board, but haven't seen one in a while so am not completely sure. Hope this helps. ;^D)

[Roberto]

All you guys are very kind and helpful, let me just clarify what kind of camera I am referring to: it is a Wista 45 D metal camera. It is much like a SP but without front shift. It has interchangeable bellows so I can always put bag bellows on it. But what I needed to know seems to have been already answered: older bellows had a smaller hole that prevented the use of a recessed board. That's what I wanted to know! Thanks again for your help