What lensboard do you use and why?

[Songyun]

If you have multiple cameras, it make sense to put all lens on the smallest board. For me right now, I use linhof technika size board. reason, it is small, cheap, and fits my camera. I have a Chamonix 045 takes the linhof size board, arca swiss 171 with linhof adapter. But the disadvantage of linhof size boards shows up, when I decides to move up to 810. Some big plasmat lens has rear size 80mm, which I can barely fits in the adapter, you have to remove the lens cap first. It creates the opportunity for the adapter board to scratch the rear lens barrel.
The reasonable solution is to use sinar board for the big plasmat lens ( a lot of 810 cameras use sinar boards) , and if I really want to use the lens on the 171 arca swiss, I can look for an adapter sinar to 171 (hard to find a used one).
But in case, If I want to move 141 arca camera systerm, it will be a problem. I don't think there are any adapter boards converts sinar to arca 141.
What the the reason that a lot of 4X5 cameras use linhof standard, and 810 use sinar standard?

[Vick Vickery]

I've done that, mostly...most of my lenses are mounted on Graphic aluminum boards for my Super Graphic and I have an adapter board (home-made) to use them on my Cambo view camera; a couple of lenses that I use only on the view camera are on Cambo boards and I also have a "diaphram" lens holder mounted to a Cambo board for use with any odd lenses I might come across. The Graphic to Cambo adapter was easy to make and works great!

[Nick_3536]

Does your adapter actually have a problem with 80mm wide lenses? The Linhof boards are at least 96mm [Right?] If the board fits shouldn't the lens fit?

I think all the lens I have fit the SHen adapters. The problem is one #3 shutter that hits the Linhof sliders. I guess it neeeds the #3 extender bit. It's my only lens non on Linhof type boards. For wide lenses I've got a Sinar type recessed board. I don't really need it but it's a lot nicer then the smaller recessed Linhof boards.

[David A. Goldfarb]

My small lenses are on Linhof boards, and lenses too big for Linhof boards are on Sinar boards. I've got most of my cameras on one standard or the other.

[Barry Wilkinson]

I personally think that new camera manufacturers are making a mistake to use Linhof size lens boards. IMHO they are simply too small for some lenses. I have Canham and Toyo camera's and use the Toyo field panels successfully in each. I also have a Sinar to Toyo field adapter.

I would like to purchase an Ebony 45SV45U2, to use my longer lenses and have the asymmetric features. However the panel size stops me. I have asked Ebony if they would make a special with either a Toyo field or Sinar panel. They did not bother to reply.

Barry

[Ron Marshall]

All mine, for 4x5 and 5x7 are on Linhof. If I had heavy lenses for 8x10 I would mount them on Sinar.

[Ralph Barker]

Similar story for me, except that most of my lenses (Copal 3 and smaller) are on 110mm Toyo boards. I use the Toyo 158mm adapter on the 45C and 810G, but had to make my own for my Tachihara 8x10. I have a couple of lenses in large Ilex shutters that remain on the 158mm Toyo boards most of the time, but sometimes get changed to Tachi boards.

[Mark Sawyer]

I have an 8x10 Kodak 2d that takes 6x6 inch boards (which are very easy to make), and a KMV modified to take the same boards. I also have an 8x10 Century 7a and an 11x14 Burke & James that take 9x9 inch boards, which are necessary for some of the bigger lenses that won't even fit on a 6x6 board. With a couple of 6x6 to 9x9 adapter boards (with and without Packard shutters), I'm as well-set and versatile as I think is practically possible.

I think some of the ULF manufacturers are missing the boat with smaller lens boards that may save a little space, but cost in terms of lens choice, especially in ulf, where some desireable lenses are quite large.

[Steve Hamley]

Like David and others, my primary system is Sinar and Linhof Technika. Recently, I've added an Agfa Commercial to the "stable" because of the 7-1/2" lensboards. A 7-1/2" Packard will fit inside the front standard (although either the bellows frame and/or standard will have to be drilled for the air fitting and flash synch). A 7-1/2" Packard can have a 4" opening, which will allow most fast portrait glass including a 14" Gundlach Hyperion and a 16" Portrait Ektar to reach full aperture.

Steve

[Paul Ewins]

Speed Graphic boards for the little stuff, Cambo for the Compur/Copal 3 and 9x9 for all the huge barrel lenses. I have made various adapters to fit between the three and cope with other situations. My latest mission is to work out what to do with a 240 Heliar in a sunk mount. My Speed Graphic doesn't have enough draw and it won't fit inside the bellows of my Auto Graflex.

[Rory_5244]

I use Arca's outrageous 171x171 lensboards because I'm too cheap to buy their adapter for linhof boards.

[Songyun]

Does your adapter actually have a problem with 80mm wide lenses? The Linhof boards are at least 96mm [Right?] If the board fits shouldn't the lens fit?
The hole on the adapter or linhof camera is slightly bigger than 80mm. in order to fit the rear cell in the hole, you must be very careful. 96mm is the size of the board, not the diameter of the hole.

[Ole Tjugen]

Gandolfi lensboards on the 7x5" Gandolfi, Sinar lensboards on the 8x10" Gandolfi, "C" lensboards on the Speed Graphic, Carbon Infinity lensboards on the Carbon Infinity, proprietary lensboards on the old plate cameras.

But I have iris mounts on lensboards for the 8x10" Gandolfi, the SG, and three of the plate cameras. So most of the time I only need one lens board for each of these, and lenses can be moved from one to another with minimal fuzz. Only some "boat anchors" need firmer anchoring - like the 360mm f:5.6 Symmar or the 500mm f:5.5 Aerotar. ;)

[Songyun]

so far I think that most lens board adapter can be made except arca 110 <->toyo110, and arca 141<->sinar

[EuGene Smith]

All of my lenses, except the big ones, are mounted on 4" x 4" Speed Graphic "C" boards which are readily available. When you need more you can cut out a dozen of so in about 10 minutes. All of my cameras have homemade adapter boards on them so I can use any of the "C" board mounted lenses on any camera (of course, those on which they provided the needed coverage) from my Speed Graphic, 4x5, 5x7, etc. up to 8x10.

For the very large lenses, I made regular size boards to fit the bigger cameras. Also, I have one of those diaphram-type lens holders . . . great for quick lens mounting when you don't have a board handy with the correct sise hole in it.