recessed board doesn't fit into bellows

[Patrick Gauthier]

I have a Wista 45SP with the standard 300mm bellows and bag bellows. Until I tried to use a recessed board with either of these bellows, I had not noticed that the diameter of the hole on the front plate that mounts the bellows to the front standard is smaller than the diameter of the front plate on my Wista 45N bellows (and probably most other bellows as well). The recessed board does not fit on these bellows.

Has any one encountered a similar issue. Could these bellows plates be replaced? Camera was purchased through and auction, so the origin of the bellows is uncertain (however, they look very much like the bellows currently being sold on BH for the Wista's).

NOTE: The recessed board fits onto the front standard when bellows are removed

158020
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[Leigh]

That's what bag bellows are for.

This __assumes__ that the lensboard will fit through the opening in the front standard with bellows removed.

- Leigh

[faberryman]

Who manufactured the recessed lens board?

[karl french]

I had this very problem with a Linhof Master Technika that someone had used non factory bellows as a replacement. Linhof branded recessed board wouldn't mount because the bellows were fouling the board. Some of the the cheap Chinese bellows that are being offered on Ebay are not quite the same as the factory bellows. Otherwise the bellows worked just fine and I shot quite a few images with that camera.

[Patrick Gauthier]

The bellows are very nice, chinese or otherwise. The front plate attached to the bellows that is used to mount the bellows onto the front standard is the issue. I should expect other bellows for different bodies may not have this front plate, specifically because many Wista bodies have interchangeable bellows. The plate gives the locking latches on the front standard somewhere to lock onto without touching the soft bellows. However, I only have experience with the Wista's so I'm not sure if other bellows for other bodies that don't have interchangeable bellows have a similar design.

If you check out the two last pictures, you can see the front plate of the bag bellows. Observing the hole in the plate, you can see two rings circling the circumference of the plate. The inner ring diameter is smaller than the diameter of the recessed portion of the board.


That's what bag bellows are for.

This __assumes__ that the lensboard will fit through the opening in the front standard with bellows removed.



I'm not sure if you read my post or observed the photos. Indeed, I am surprised that the recessed board doesn't fit into the bag bellows.

[Bob Salomon]

Just to maybe this possibly clearer, or perhaps more confusing, Wista was, at the same time, supplying two different bag bellows, each with the same catalog number, and two different recessed boards. One bellows and one recessed board were threaded and screwed together. The othe bellows and board were not threaded.
Which Wista board do you have?

[Patrick Gauthier]

Just to maybe this possibly clearer, or perhaps more confusing, Wista was, at the same time, supplying two different bag bellows, each with the same catalog number, and two different recessed boards. One bellows and one recessed board were threaded and screwed together. The othe bellows and board were not threaded.
Which Wista board do you have?

hah yeah, confusing indeed. :confused: I have the unthreaded variety of both.

[Doremus Scudder]

Does you bag bellows have a threaded ring on the front? If so, it is designed for a recessed board that extends back from the front standard and screws into the threads. You should be able to remove the threaded ring (three screws if I remember correctly) and this will give you enough clearance to mount the regular Technika/Wista recessed boards.

I have a Wista SW, which is basically a Wista DX (wooden field camera) with interchangeable bellows. The above was the case with my bag bellows. I believe they are the same as what you have, though I'm not really able to confirm this from the photos you post. If there is no removable ring, then you'll have to find a work-around.

Best,

Doremus

[B.S.Kumar]

This (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?137950-Inner-Plate-for-Wista-Cameras-to-allow-Recessed-Boards-to-fit) is the solution.

Kumar

[Cor]

Naive question; why do you need a recessed lens board when you have a bag bellows ?...or can you not move both standards close enough together ?

best,

Cor

[B.S.Kumar]

Because:

a. a used Wista bag bellows is rare - I haven't seen one in 18 months;
b. it is also quite expensive, at around 20,000 JPY, if you find it;
c. the standard bellows works well with 75mm and 90mm lenses, if a recessed board is used;
d. lenses 65mm or wider are best used with a bag bellows, but they too would be easier to use with a shallow recessed board;

Like many field cameras, the standards will almost touch each other when the front standard is pushed inside the body, but focusing is impossible. Ideally, you want the front standard riding on the rail, so that it can be focused. Wista does make an accessory bed for 47mm lenses, but that too is rare and expensive.

Kumar

[Bill_1856]

Same problem with Nagaoka cameras. I think that the last cameras had a bigger bellows that solved the problem -- unfortunately, it doesn't help me.