Recessed Lens Boards

[Gordon Moat]

I am considering getting a recessed Technika style/size lensboard off EBAY. Anyone own one of these, get one recently, or want to share their experience? I did a quick search, but didn't find anything specifically related to my concerns. I also asked a couple sellers, but did not get specifics of dimensions that would help me. Thanks in advance.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

[Bob Salomon]

If it is for a 72, 75, 90 or 150mm you need the 001015.

If your lens is in a Copal0 or Compur 0 the current 001015 is the correct board.
If you have an older board then the old 001015 was for Compur 0 only and the 001016 was for the Copal only.

When you buy a Linhof recessed lensboard the right angle PC adapter as well as the Cable Release Quick Socket is included with the board.

The current 001015 board is called a "Comfort" board and has aperture scales that mount to the face of the board and aperture selector and press focus levers on the face of the board. It also has a new type Quick Socket with a screw-in cable release extender rather then the old wire type QR socket.

If the board is a 001015 or 001016 it is correct for all Technika cameras except for the III.

[Gordon Moat]

This would be for a Rodenstock Grandagon-N 90mm f6.8 in Copal 0 shutter. My thought it that movements would be a bit simpler against the bellows resistance with a recessed board. Another thought I had was to get an offset hole Copal 0 board, but the only one I have found so far is a center hole. What I want is greater front rise while avoiding extra bellows resistance.

B&H have the 001016 (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/31362-REG/Linhof_001016_Recessed_Lensboard_with_Quicksocket.html#features), but do not list the recess amount. While actual Linhof is nice, I think a less expensive alternative leaves me more room for profits. I do appreciate the quick reply Bob, but I could probably get a machine shop to make me the Linhof equivalent for less than what Linhof charge. I really like Linhof, but their pricing makes some items last resort choices.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

[Bob Salomon]

[QUOTE=Gordon Moat;457836]

B&H have the 001016 (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/31362-REG/Linhof_001016_Recessed_Lensboard_with_Quicksocket.html#features), but do not list the recess amount. While actual Linhof is nice, I think a less expensive alternative leaves me more room for profits. I do appreciate the quick reply Bob, but I could probably get a machine shop to make me the Linhof equivalent for less than what Linhof charge. I really like Linhof, but their pricing makes some items last resort choices.

They also ,make a recessed board that is more convenient then a flat board. And if you want the board to fit properly a machine shop will be very expensive to duplicate the recess and the bearing points of a Linhof board.

But it is your decision.

[Eric Leppanen]

I bought a generic recessed lensboard a few years ago from Badger Graphic, which functioned properly on my Ebony cameras.

http://www.badgergraphic.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=1083

Attached are photos of my Badger board (which I ultimately sold maybe 2 years ago or so).

For my taste, the recessed board was fine for occasional use, but access to the shutter controls within the recess was a bit tight. I also found reading the aperture scale within the recess in low light sometimes problematic. I finally bit the bullet and bought a bag bellows, and remounted my WA lens on a conventional board.

One other pitfall with generic boards is the tolerance of your camera's mounting adapter. My Ebony cameras handled a variety of generic boards well, but when I recently switched to an Arca Swiss camera (with its more precisely machined lensboard adapter), I found a lot of my generic boards would not work (I had to replace them with Wista boards, which were more expensive than generics but still cheaper than Linhof). Alas, Wista does not appear to make a conventional recessed board, at least from what I can tell on the B&H web site.

B&H also lists a generic recessed board made by Bromwell, with which I have zero experience.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/101929-REG/Bromwell_1408_Technika_type_Recessed_Lensboard_for.html#features

[Gordon Moat]

Thanks Eric. I saw that Bromwell one at B&H, so maybe another choice. What is holding me up is the rear cone diameter, which I think it 83mm. Unfortunately, my e-mails asking people results in answers of "Copal 0" or "11mm", which is not what I am asking. Really frustrating stuff ... It's like their isn't anyone with a caliper or ruler, or some language barrier.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

[Bob Salomon]

Gordon,

All Linhof 45 Technika type lens boards have the same recessed diameter. However they have different recessed depths. The board you need has had two different depths as the way the lens mounts in the recess has changed over the years, so the depth of the current 001015 Comfort board is different from the earlier 001015 and 001016 boards.

Your concern is the proper depth of the recess and not the diameter of the recess as that is controlled by the diameter of the hole in the front standard of a Technika. Just measure the hole on your camera and you will know the maximum diameter that the recess can be.

[Peter K]

The recessed Technica board isn't a board with a truncated cone. The upper part of the recessed cone has another angle to the board as the lower one. For this the recessed board is made from a casted blank. A caliper or ruler alone doesn't help, one needs also some knowledge in construction and technical drawings.

[Bob Salomon]

As Peter mentioned it is a tapered cone not a straight recess. The three current Linhof Technika type recessed boards have the following recess depths:

001015 12mm
001047 6mm
001035 21mm

Only the current 001015 has the "Comfort" features.
The 001047 is for the 80mm SS and the 120mm Apo Symmar L on the 45 Technika.
The 001035 is for the 35mm Apo Grandagon on the TK 45.

In the past there was another deeply recessed board, the 001097 for the 47mm SA in Compur 0 shutter.

Also in the past the total depth of a 001015 or a 001016 lensboard was deeper then the current 001015.

[Peter K]

In the past there was another deeply recessed board, the 001097 for the 47mm SA in Compur 0 shutter.
In the past, since the recessed board came together with the Technika IV 4x5", the recess itself was always 21mm. The different recess depths for all the different lenses where made with different distance rings.

[Bob Salomon]

In the past, since the recessed board came together with the Technika IV 4x5", the recess itself was always 21mm. The different recess depths for all the different lenses where made with different distance rings.

Not anymore.

[Gordon Moat]

So I could expect a difference between older and newer Linhof recessed boards?

Just as a side note, I have a Nikon and a Toyo flat Technika board, and I compared the locating surface to a flat Linhof board. All three of these were the same, when measured with a dial caliper. Makes me wonder whether finding a Toyo or Nikon board instead would be better value for the money.

[Bob Salomon]

[QUOTE=Gordon Moat;458373]So I could expect a difference between older and newer Linhof recessed boards?

Big difference between the current "Comfort" recessed board and any other recessed board, Linhof or other brand.

[Bob Salomon]

Everyone please note: the current 2009 Linhof factory price list has the 001015 as having a 12mm recess. Measuring one from our latest shipment turns out that it is a 6mm recess. So the current Linhof factory price list has the wrong dimension.