Lens board compatability from makes is there any?

[didden]

I am just stepping into the world of large format and I do have a Calumet 4x5 that is silver at home but I am out of town working and have not really seen it yet. I am not sure the model and it did come with a Culter no. 4590 81/2" (215mm) f:6.3 Ilex-Calumet lens. My main question is there any lens board compatibility from different cameras and can any lens be used on a camera with the correct lens board. I have searched but did not find discussion on this any place but I am sure this has been asked by a novice before so I am sorry if this is old hat. Thank you for any information you can give.
Dennis

[John Schneider]

Most mfrs use one or a couple proprietary-sized boards. Often third party mfrs also make boards to the OEM's spec's (e.g., Nikkor and Wista for the 99x96mm Linhof Technika board). Beyond that, you need an adapter board to mount a different size board. For instance, many field photogs use the aforementioned Linhof board because of its small size, and because it is sort of a standard. They then use an adapter board that fits their camera, and the Linhof board then mounts onto this adapter board. Search on "adapter board", "adapter lens board", or "adapter lensboard," and look at the adapter boards at http://www.skgrimes.com/boardadapters/index.htm

[Paul Ewins]

Your Calumet has a 4x4 board which was a size also used for a few different field cameras. I would expect that any wooden or plain metal 4x4 board would also fit. Your boards may not work on other cameras because of the light trap on the back of the Calumet board. I'm not sure whether the Graflex View camera boards (also 4x4) will work for the same reason.

Later on the Technika board was adopted by a few other manufacturers.

6x6 was another "sort of" standard that appears on a number of US made cameras.

Me? I've got Press Graflex, Cambo and 9x9 Kodak boards and a lot of adapters.

[Steve Hamley]

My main question is there any lens board compatibility from different cameras and can any lens be used on a camera with the correct lens board.
Dennis

Sort of. As pointed out above, the 4x4 lensboard was a common smaller board among camera makers, Deardorff used a 4x4 adapter board for it's larger cameras, and many older cameras had adapter boards made to use 4x4 boards. Technika boards seem to be in favor today.

In general, yes you can use any lens on any camera with the correct board. Of course, the bellows may not be long or short enough to focus the lens, the lens may not have enough coverage to cover the format, or the lens may be physically too big to fit. For example, the rear cell of some lenses is larger than the opening in the camera's front standard, or the lens is too heavy to be adequately supported by the front standard.

Cheers,

Steve