Practical use of recessed lensboard on Wista SP?

[Darryl Baird]

I have an older Wista, but it has the features of the SP and I'd like to use a super-wide lens -- the SA 58mm XL. To be able to rack focus and apply small shifts I need to get the lens closer to the film and I considered a recessed lensboard, but access to the shutter speed dial looks impossible once sunk into the smallish Wista/Linhof recessed board.

Does anyone use ultra wide angle lenses on a Wista SP (or Linhof) with good success?

[Bob Salomon]

The current 001015 Linhof Recessed lensboard has surface mounted controls for selecting, and reading, the aperture on the face of the lensboard on the top of the recessed opening. On the side of the opening there is a lever for opening and closing the press focus to facilitate focusing and composing. There is also an indicator on the face of the board that tells the user visually if the press focus is open or closed.

The shutter is set by simply grasping the shutter control ring which is easily done with this board.

This is the current version of the 001015 lensboard and these controls are on no other Linhof recessed board nor can they be adapted to earlier versions of the 001015 board or any other Linhof board.

This board is designed to be used with 35mm to 150mm lenses on the Technika 2000 and 3000. For lenses from 38 to 45mm on a Technikardan 45 and with lenses from 72 (with an accessory adapter ring) to 150mm on the Master Technika.

There is no recommendation for using this board on a Wista and there is no focusing control on a Master Technika with lenses shorter then 72mm.

So you may need to do some experimenting on your own. Your camera also does not have the extreme wide angle focusing ability of the Master Technika 2000 or 3000 and you will need a wide angle bag bellows if you can get the lens to focus.

Also available from Linhof are the 001047 6mm deep recessed board (the 001015 new version is 12mm deep. And the 001035 21mm deep recessed board. As noted above the 001047 and the 001053 do not have the "Comfort" controls of the current 001015 Comfort recessed lensboard.

The Wista SP and RF cameras accept a special 47mm Wide Angle Track when using extreme wide angle lenses. It is catalog number 4553. It is made for the SP and the discontinued VX. It is 100mm long and replaces the standard bed with 45/47mm lenses. It might also work for a 55/58mm. But you would have to figure out if it would fit your camera. It is $226.00 list.

[Rob_5419]

It's tricky at best. Your index fingers might not fit in to move the shutter dial easily but the little finger can just about make it to swing the shutter ring with a contralateral finger in apposition.

Frankly I found it laborious trying to work a wide-angle lens on any recessed lensboards. Some 5x4" monorail options came with square recesses which gave more finger levering space.

After years of trying to figure out something, eventually I caved in and got a dedicated Silvestri T30 with a 47mm XL helicoid mount. No recessed board. Zone focussing for point and shoot, and since none of the 47mm or 58mm XL lenses offer any movements, it made more sense to use on a separate camera base.

Thinking about your Wista dilemma, the DX/SW series at least enables focussing using a flat lenspanel with the ultrawide lenses.

Realistically for a fast field option, instead of fiddling and switching tracks, you might want to consider settling for a 65mm S.Angulon type lens which allows a few mm of movement, without the need for a recessed board...unless you've already got the 58mm XL lens ;(

Good luck.

[Darryl Baird]

Thanks Bob and Rob,

I already have the 58mm lens, but am keeping all options open as to how best to proceed. This is the culmination of a lot of equipment consolidation, trading, conniving, and replacement. I sold my Fuji rangefinders with 65mm and 90mm lenses, plus two other 4x5s for the Wista and a Cambo viewcamera system (6x7 up to 8x10). I got the 58mm as part of the view camera dealings. I'd hoped I'd be able to shoot a little wider on the 6x7/6x9 side and still use my 90mm and longer lenses on the roll film backs too. It's too late for me to consider a Technika. <I used to own a great Technika system back when I was shooting professionally, but I thought it overkill and a Wista deal fell in lap.... the rest is (a short) history. oh well...>

I't has been an unproductive search for anything inexpensive. I think the 65mm swap route would be the cheapest move and I'm not really losing anything I was using before the switch to a view camera, and I'm gaining a lot more perspective control.

(smack to the forehead) ...it's only 7 millimeters! :rolleyes:

[Rob_5419]

Darryl,

don't forget you will also need to budget for a centre filter for the 58mm XL lens. Those centre filters will also set you back around $300. With a 65mm, stopped down, the light fall-off is not as striking as the 1 1/2 stop difference over the plane of the 5x4" negative with a 58mm XL lens.

The 58mm XL lens seems to be a compromise in many ways; not as wide as the 47mm XL; no extra movement capacity, seemingly designed for those who are too shy of the ultra wideness of the 47mm.

You'll get a lot more disposable $ with a switch to a 65mm f8 although a 65mm f5.6 is more even. The Fuji rangefinder series is great, although without movements, the 65mm wide-option isn't really that useful for architecture. Great for landscapes though.

Thinking about your kit, you probably already have Wista 6x9cm backs. If you pick up a Century Graflex 6x9cm (these are really really affordable), then you can mount your Super Angulon on a 2x3" lensboard and shoot away with the kit you already have. All you'd need is the lensboard and the Century Graflex if you can put up with the extra weight. No recessed lensboard; easy 6x9cm shooting with some movements.

[Darryl Baird]

yes, I already own a center filter for a 90mm f/8 Nikkor (on a 6x17), it has been helpful for many skies.:) Rob, do you use a 65mm on a Wista? I'm thinking it only needs to shift and tilt slightly to get what I need for my landscapes.

yes ... I have the sliding roll film back with Horseman 6x7 & 6x9 backs (which match my previous 6x7 & 6x9 Fuji cameras).

[Rob_5419]

Hi Darryl -

Yes - I'm using a Schneider 65mm f8 Super Angulon on the Wista SW (bag bellows of course) as my widest Wista lens. The Silvestri covers everything else (wider). I might try and adapt a Silvestri mount onto a Wista lensboard, that way it's mild recess enables helical focussing of the 47mm XL without the problems of the recessed board which you've described. But so far, the 47mm XL is just so so good on a plane parallel solid machined block of aluminium metal camera that the Wista feels flimsy in comparison, even though its one of the best 4x5" field cameras imho.

The 65mm even works on a monorail with a flat panel if the rear lensboard is tilted forward and the front lensboard tilted backwards (i.e. it does have a few millimetres of coverage to spare). It's not as cold as the Nikkor 65, and is far contrastier than the 65mm f5.6 EBC Fujinon lens of the GSW690III. I've not tried the Rodenstock 65mm - that'd be the first choice if possible maybe if everything was affordable.

The 65mm SA is a great lens - even if you find one of those earlier 70's shutterless variety mounted on a scaled aperture board with an aperture trigger, the lens can be remounted in a scaled Copal 0 board. I found a Copal 0 for a Nikon 65mm lens with an aperture scale running from f4.5 on. Thus needing only f8 ..f11..f16..f22 etc.

With anything wider than 65mm, there is so little requirement for tilting movements at all: depth of field covers that, particularly at the apertures landscape photographers use. Shift is useful though when it's not possible to be any taller. Sounds like you might consider cutting your losses and trade off the 58mm with a 65mm with a lot to spare.

[Dirk Rösler]

I have been trying to do the same thing, just to get more room for movements with 75mm and 90mm on my Wista 45. Reaching the shutter controls seems fine.

Unfortunately when trying to mount the board (bought from a friendly forum member as a Wista board) I realised that the back bulge does not fit through the front aperture of the camera. In fact, judging from the imprint "West-Germany" I suspect that this is actually a Linhof-only board...

[Bob Y]

I have been trying to do the same thing, just to get more room for movements with 75mm and 90mm on my Wista 45. Reaching the shutter controls seems fine.

Unfortunately when trying to mount the board (bought from a friendly forum member as a Wista board) I realised that the back bulge does not fit through the front aperture of the camera. In fact, judging from the imprint "West-Germany" I suspect that this is actually a Linhof-only board...

I hope this might help you mount your recessed board. I bought one of the Chinese made 19mm recessed boards and found it hard to mount. However, if you release the bellows from the front standard (by flipping up the two pivoting holders), then mount the lensboard, and finally reattach the bellows; you might find the process easier.

BTW, I found aligning the offset shutter release "wire" to be a pain.

[sparq]

I have one spare helical mount lens board that can be used on the internal rail in Technika. I've been using it with Nikkor 4/65; but I recently bought the wide angle focusing device so I won't need it any more. I am not sure if it can be used with Wista, though.

[Nick_3536]

I hope this might help you mount your recessed board. I bought one of the Chinese made 19mm recessed boards and found it hard to mount. However, if you release the bellows from the front standard (by flipping up the two pivoting holders), then mount the lensboard, and finally reattach the bellows; you might find the process easier.

BTW, I found aligning the offset shutter release "wire" to be a pain.

Don't know about the OP but it helped me. Thanks.:D

[Dirk Rösler]

I hope this might help you mount your recessed board. I bought one of the Chinese made 19mm recessed boards and found it hard to mount. However, if you release the bellows from the front standard (by flipping up the two pivoting holders), then mount the lensboard, and finally reattach the bellows; you might find the process easier.

BTW, I found aligning the offset shutter release "wire" to be a pain.

Hi Bob, thanks for the tip. Great idea. Unfortunately the bellows' opening is the culprit here and due to the small diameter cannot be put over the recessed board. :(

Many thanks for the advice.

Dirk

[Darryl Baird]

OP here, I've advanced the quest to another level by finding a used wide-angle lensboard... HOWEVER it seems to require a dedicated bag bellows. :confused: There are two WA bellows available for Wista and the one for the lensboard attaches with a threaded mount. (I think). It is really hard to nail down these answers, but I can piece together enough to know I'm close. The problem with the "dedicated" bellows is that precludes my mounting different lenses (58 or 65 & my 90) with the same bellows.. without unscrewing the damned thing. I was hoping I could just add the lensboard and a bag bellows and get to work. alas...

on a positive note the WA lensboard give a cushy 40mm of depth to the lens while using the regular track. The lens has to clear the camera body, but tile will tell how big of an obstacle that truly is to manage.

my backup is a sale and/or trade for a 65mm Nikkor and a standard bag bellows

[Bob Salomon]

OP There are two WA bellows available for Wista and the one for the lensboard attaches with a threaded mount. (I think). It is really hard to nail down these answers, but I can piece together enough to know I'm close.

The threaded WA bag bellows is an accessory for the RF/SP series of Technical Wista cameras. The catalog number is 224541 and we do have this bellows in stock so you can order it from any camera store in the USA. The list price is $186.00 at this time.

[Darryl Baird]

The threaded WA bag bellows is an accessory for the RF/SP series of Technical Wista cameras. The catalog number is 224541 and we do have this bellows in stock so you can order it from any camera store in the USA. The list price is $186.00 at this time.

Thanks, Bob. I found those bellows priced at $362 :eek: at Cambridge World.. that's one of the reasons I was soooooooo hesitant to go in that direction. I'll call Jim at MPEX and get that ordered. (I think it would be about a "wash" if I traded and bought another lens, this way I can use the 58mm XL as originally planned when I began this journey)