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Thread: Been having a New Year Ponder, why are offset boards set lower rather than higher?

  1. #1

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    Been having a New Year Ponder, why are offset boards set lower rather than higher?

    I have been sat here thinking about lensboards and why offset lensboards have their holes drilled towards the bottom of the board rather than towards the top. Maybe I am reading this wrong (I must be as I've never seen an offset board that is offset to the top of the board) but as rise is predominantly used more than fall (architecture, trees etc) would it not be beneficial to have the offset towards the top of the board?

    I realise that this would require the amount of offset to be offset when using the lens in the null position and would limit the amount of fall available, but in the last year I can count on one hand the amount of times I have used fall, but have used rise on many more occasions and on a few of those would have prefered a bit more rise to be available.

    Thoughts?

  2. #2

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    Re: Been having a New Year Ponder, why are offset boards set lower rather than higher

    I've forgotten the details but in the case of Linhof boards offsetting the hole towards the bottom actually puts the hole (and therefore the center of the lens) in the center of the film because of the way the cameras are constructed. I don't know why makers of other cameras and boards do it.
    Brian Ellis
    Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
    a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

  3. #3

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    Re: Been having a New Year Ponder, why are offset boards set lower rather than higher

    It's the result of retro engineering on the part of Linhof when adapting earlier designs to the tripple extension rails of the IV. Incidentally, even the low offset of the lens hole doesn't quite center the lens on the ground glass.
    Wilhelm (Sarasota)

  4. #4

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    Re: Been having a New Year Ponder, why are offset boards set lower rather than higher

    I'd think that it has nothing to do with rise or fall, given that movements make that irrelavant.

    Probably just a matter of mounting lenses, getting them through the opening for example.

    Also rise is one of the least used movements in my world. Fall is more important for me shooting portraits.
    You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. ~ Mark Twain

  5. #5

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    Re: Been having a New Year Ponder, why are offset boards set lower rather than higher

    The lens boards for all of my cameras are all square. So you can offset them any way you like by rotating them. Shift, rises, or falls.

  6. #6
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Re: Been having a New Year Ponder, why are offset boards set lower rather than higher

    More rise than fall on the front standard (relative to the zero point)?

  7. #7

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    Re: Been having a New Year Ponder, why are offset boards set lower rather than higher

    Quote Originally Posted by WayneStevenson View Post
    The lens boards for all of my cameras are all square. So you can offset them any way you like by rotating them. Shift, rises, or falls.
    That would seem to be the best all round situation if you wanted to increase some of the movement possible, but I was thinking mainly of the Technika style boards.

  8. #8

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    Re: Been having a New Year Ponder, why are offset boards set lower rather than higher

    For getting a wide angle closer to the film plane for infinity focus when you drop the bed? That is of course if they have a drop bed.....

  9. #9
    Still Developing
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    Re: Been having a New Year Ponder, why are offset boards set lower rather than higher

    Quote Originally Posted by Ed Bray View Post
    I have been sat here thinking about lensboards and why offset lensboards have their holes drilled towards the bottom of the board rather than towards the top. Maybe I am reading this wrong (I must be as I've never seen an offset board that is offset to the top of the board) but as rise is predominantly used more than fall (architecture, trees etc) would it not be beneficial to have the offset towards the top of the board?

    I realise that this would require the amount of offset to be offset when using the lens in the null position and would limit the amount of fall available, but in the last year I can count on one hand the amount of times I have used fall, but have used rise on many more occasions and on a few of those would have prefered a bit more rise to be available.

    Thoughts?
    For a typical camera without drop bed the lowered hole allows a larger 'fall' for most lenses - if the hole were in the center then you would be limited in how close you could get the lens to the bed.

    For landscape I use drop bed a lot more than rise and hence this would be advantageous. That's my take on it anyway!

    Tim
    Still Developing at http://www.timparkin.co.uk and scanning at http://cheapdrumscanning.com

  10. #10
    ic-racer's Avatar
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    Re: Been having a New Year Ponder, why are offset boards set lower rather than higher

    Quote Originally Posted by Ed Bray View Post
    I have been sat here thinking about lensboards and why offset lensboards have their holes drilled towards the bottom of the board rather than towards the top. Maybe I am reading this wrong (I must be as I've never seen an offset board that is offset to the top of the board) but as rise is predominantly used more than fall (architecture, trees etc) would it not be beneficial to have the offset towards the top of the board?

    I realise that this would require the amount of offset to be offset when using the lens in the null position and would limit the amount of fall available, but in the last year I can count on one hand the amount of times I have used fall, but have used rise on many more occasions and on a few of those would have prefered a bit more rise to be available.

    Thoughts?
    You are using a Linhof Technica board on an non-Linhof camera? Which camera? A lot of non-Linhof 4x5 cameras don't have a detent to center the lens, so the position of the hole probably won't make any difference. I know in the Shen-Hao 8x10 camera, there is no center detent for rise, however, I usually drill my Technica-style boards so the rise-fall index scale on the Shen-Hao's front standard makes sense.

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