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View Full Version : Using a recessed lensboard backwards


BennoLF
2-Mar-2020, 13:23
Maybe this is stupid, but.....

If my camera's maximum bellows doesn't allow for very close(portrait-distance) focusing with a 12-inch lens, could I use a recessed lensboard, but backwards, sticking out?
It seems to me that this would work, giving me some 'free' bellows distance.

Am I thinking straight?
cowanw
2-Mar-2020, 13:29
Deardorff made a box exactly for this, so yes, although lips and insets would need to match.
Mark Woods
2-Mar-2020, 13:41
Also, you could use a diopter.
Sanford
2-Mar-2020, 14:07
There are "Top Hat" lens boards made for just this purpose
B.S.Kumar
2-Mar-2020, 16:45
Using a recessed board backwards isn't always possible. There are all kinds of grooves and recesses on the rear of lens boards that act as light traps.

Kumar
Greg
2-Mar-2020, 17:17
Using a recessed board backwards isn't always possible. There are all kinds of grooves and recesses on the rear of lens boards that act as light traps.

Kumar

So true for Sinar boards, there is a recessed groove on the rear of the lens board preventing one from mounting the board backwards. Sometimes you get lucky and the recessed part is attached by 4 or more screws. Simply unscrew the screws and reattach the recessed part to the front of the board giving yourself a "top hat" lens board. On one recessed Sinar style lens board, the recessed part was friction fit (scary). In that board reversed mounted the recessed part and added a lot of epoxy to make sure the top hat would not fall out.
Duolab123
2-Mar-2020, 21:17
I've used a Calumet CC-400 recessed board backwards worked fine. That's a pretty simple board, not sure how this would apply to other makes.
Doremus Scudder
3-Mar-2020, 11:56
I use a homemade top-hat board to get my 300mm Nikkor M to focus on my Wista DXs. Works fine as long as you don't have to do a lot of swinging or tilting with the front standard.

Reversing a recessed board will work if the board fits and doesn't leak light. Some of the more complicated board mounts had baffles, grooves, etc. that may not match up correctly with the board turned backwards. Top-hat boards are available for most cameras.

Doremus