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View Full Version : do i need a spanner to mount different lenses on the board?



yuexiachou29
24-Jan-2015, 01:25
Hi LF folks,

I am getting 2 lenses for my 4x5 camera. Will be mount & remount lens on the board a lot,
do i need to get a spanner?

this is my 1st 4x5 camera, so I am pretty new. although had used LF cameras before. but only with one lens.

thanks

Nicolasllasera
24-Jan-2015, 01:40
I use a credit card type and they work great. Try getting a nice one as they are cheap and the cheap ones are sometimes too thick.

Regular Rod
24-Jan-2015, 02:12
Hi LF folks,

I am getting 2 lenses for my 4x5 camera. Will be mount & remount lens on the board a lot,
do i need to get a spanner?

this is my 1st 4x5 camera, so I am pretty new. although had used LF cameras before. but only with one lens.

thanks

What type of board is it? How about getting a second board, mounting both lenses and so significantly reduce the risk of damage on every lens change?

RR

Doremus Scudder
24-Jan-2015, 03:40
Hi LF folks,

I am getting 2 lenses for my 4x5 camera. Will be mount & remount lens on the board a lot,
do i need to get a spanner?

this is my 1st 4x5 camera, so I am pretty new. although had used LF cameras before. but only with one lens.

thanks

One board per lens is the norm. As mentioned already, changing lensboards a lot is just an invitations to drop a lens element or otherwise damage the lens. Get yourself a quality spanner (the credit-card ones are just fine) and mount each of your new lenses on its own, dedicated board.

Best,

Doremus

Jim Jones
24-Jan-2015, 06:20
I agree with the above replies. What brand and model of camera is it? Some lens boards are easy to fabricate with basic tools. Even simple improvised lensboards often work as well as the precise original ones. I've used two screwdrivers to tighten retaining rings, but that requires care to avoid marring the ring or board.

Light Guru
24-Jan-2015, 07:34
In addition to what others have said, you may not even be able to use the same lens bird with two different lenses if those lenses each require a different hole size on the board. There are lots of cheep lens boards on eBay.

Old-N-Feeble
24-Jan-2015, 09:08
I agree with those who suggest buying a lens board for each lens.

tgtaylor
24-Jan-2015, 10:10
I'd get a spanner such as this: http://www.badgergraphic.com/opencart/index.php?route=product/category&path=2_82_175

Thomas

neil poulsen
24-Jan-2015, 10:12
+1 to all the others.

But there are still those occasions, where one needs to remove a lens or mount a new lens. I would still get a decent spanner wrench, versus one of those cheap ones with the two prongs and a crossbar. The cheap ones are awkward to use, and quite a bit of torque sometimes needs to be applied to mount or remove a lensboard. This can be a precarious situation in which a lens can be damaged.

yuexiachou29
24-Jan-2015, 11:45
the camera is Canham DLC2
I am getting a Schneider Apo 210mm & 90mm

not sure what am i getting for 90mm, still shopping

koh303
24-Jan-2015, 11:46
Lens boards are cheap. Surely cheaper then anything else, and a major time saver, not to mention the safety aspect (as already mentioned several times).

yuexiachou29
24-Jan-2015, 11:51
and i ordered a #0 & #1 Canham lens board

fishbulb
24-Jan-2015, 13:06
I have this lens spanner. It's $14, stainless steel, and the construction quality is remarkably good for the price. http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Professional-pointed-Spanner-Repairing/dp/B00J5F6O92/ It is simple to use and works great on all my lenses. Neewer makes them in several configurations, but the single bar one is all you really need. I have one of the other Neewer's on that page (the curved tips one) but I find the single bar unit more sturdy, less fiddly, and able to apply more leverage.

Without a spanner, you may not be able to get the ring tight enough to keep the lens from rotating on the lens board. Whatever you do, use a spanner - don't use screwdrivers or kitchen knives or something. They are likely to damage the notches on the ring, or slip off and scratch the lens or lens board.

yuexiachou29
24-Jan-2015, 13:30
looks like the flat&point spanner is more versatile than the credit card spanner.
thanks for the recommendation

towolf
24-Jan-2015, 14:26
In pinch use vernier calipers. Be careful.

Regular Rod
24-Jan-2015, 17:10
If you get a board for each lens, you will be amazed how tight you can get the lenses fastened in without any tools, just your fingers and thumbs...
;)
RR

Andrew
24-Jan-2015, 21:31
if you get a good spanner wrench it'll make your life much easier when you have to take a lens on or off a board, it'll reduce the chance you slip and damage anything and the tool will last a lifetime.