Linhof IV Lens Board on Linhof III ?

[HorstS]

Hi,

I own a Technika III, latest Upgrade (58541) and I' m new here.

Now I'm searching for some lenses (prefer 90mm and about 240 mm, perhaps one in the middle).
As there are a lot of lenses mounted on Tech. IV boards on the market,
Lenses on type III boards are rare, especially recessed boards for 90mm.

The III board is 93mm wide x 99 mm high and the IV board is 96 mm wide and 98 mm high.
My question: is it possible to shorten a IV board to mount it on Technika III ?

Many thanks in forehand,
Horst Schmier

[DrTang]

I have a 90 on a generic flat tech III board I'm going to be selling

not sure you really need a recessed for a 90

also have a 210 on a tech III board

[Andrew]

I don't think it's practical to try modifying a new style Technika board to fit an older III....
it's not just that the facing dimensions are slightly different but the contour of the board is very different. The new boards have a ridge that mates with the camera whereas the older boards have a groove that's supposed to accomodate a ring of felting on the camera's front standard.

I haven't tried it, but you'd probably get a better functioning board by just cutting a flat sheet of aluminium to the correct dimensions and putting up with it compressing the felting?

if you don't want to use anything wider than a 90 you might get away with a flat board

[E. von Hoegh]

Horst, while lenses on boards are rare, the boards themselves are common and fairly easy to make. They're also readily available from S.K. Grimes. http://www.skgrimes.com/products/lens-boards/technika


Welcome.

[coisasdavida]

Very easy to make +1.

[HorstS]

Hi,

many thanks for all your hints.

Indeed, it is not a good idea to shorten a IV-type lensboard.
To get a flat III-type board is not difficult,
also to made one.

But I would like to ask DrTang again: there are no problems to use a flat board with a 90mm Lens on a Technika III ?

Thanks again, I see much more clear now :-)

[Andrew]

perhaps I can offer some observations...

Life with a technika is full of compromises, and that applies to any model. I have a couple of different models and none of them were designed to be wide angle friendly. I'm sure the nature of the problems will be the same with any model/lens combination, just the degree of annoyance may change.

I just tried mounting a 90 lens in a Copal 0 shutter on a FLAT board with the Tek III and it does focus infinity and it is usable... you can take a photo but there are mechanical issues.

If the back is in vertical/portrait orientation the drop bed clearly shows in the frame unless you drop the drop bed and as soon as you do that you have to back tilt the front standard backwards to maintain normal orientation of the lens. I can't convince myself it'd be a problem if the back was oriented horizontal/landscape so you should be able to leave the drop bed in the neutral position.

In any conformation the control knobs are in close proximity to the support struts of the drop bed which makes it difficult to get your fingers in and use the knobs. Also, lateral shift movements are limited by the control knobs hitting into the struts. Not an issue if you don't want shift but remember the the III doesn't have swings as a compensation for not having shift.

If you have a recessed board the lens will end up in exactly the same position so you'll still have the same issues with the drop bed getting into the frame with vertical orientation BUT the standard will be further forward and you'll get a bit more clearance between the knobs and the struts. That'd be the only advantage.

As an aside, I have only seen recessed boards for the III that were designed for the Angulon 90/6.8 [or the 65/6.8] which came in small shutters. Those boards will not take a modern Copal 0 shutter so you'll have to do a bit of digging around to be sure that any recessed board you did get would take the larger shutter if you want to use a modern lens in a Copal 0.

bottom line is that you CAN use a 90mm on a flat board so long as you're prepared to put up with limitations on the front movements, plus, a flat board will be easier/cheaper to buy or make and you can mount any shutter you may have.

hope that helps

[HorstS]

Dear Andrew,

thanks a lot for your comprehensive description
of that problem.

You have pointed out all the things
I have to bear in mind.

Regards,
Horst