Confirm Difference (or Lack thereof) Between Wista Centered and Off-Center Lens Board

[Havoc]

Why don’t you go to Wista’s web site and look at the boards that they make for their cameras and see the hole position?

I guess this is for their current production wooden cameras or to have shift down. How would you otherwise explain this?



This is where the off-center hole is on a Wista 45N. Clearly not on the optical axis.

[Bob Salomon]

I guess this is for their current production wooden cameras or to have shift down. How would you otherwise explain this?



This is where the off-center hole is on a Wista 45N. Clearly not on the optical axis.

I don’t. That is where the hole is placed on the boards they make for the cameras they make. If you are fluent in Japanese you could ask them. They were not fluent in English when we represented them.

[rdeloe]

It's off-centre on purpose so that you can have a bit of fall. If you want to be dead centre, when you set it up, just rise up until a gap appears between the bottom of the U of the front standard and the part holding the lens board. That puts the lens about in the centre, and gives you a bit of fall without having to drop the bed and tilt your front standard up to vertical again. You can buy boards with centre holes, but then you can't do that anymore.

Regarding tolerances, I have two lens boards -- one made by Toyo for use on Linhof/Wista cameras, and one made by Linhof. They both fit, but the Linhof one is very snug. It takes a lot of effort to remove it once it's installed. I'll probably sand it down just a touch to make it a bit easier. The Toyo one comes out easily and has no play.

[Doremus Scudder]

There may be a difference between the Wista 45N (and maybe other Wista metal cameras) and the DXs. The images I see on the net of the 45N seem to show a lens mounted on a board with a centered hole. The images of the DX show the off-center hole. Maybe some other Wista users can confirm this; I only have wooden Wista cameras. For these, an off-center hole centers the lens on the film.

Best,

Doremus

[Havoc]

It's off-centre on purpose so that you can have a bit of fall. If you want to be dead centre, when you set it up, just rise up until a gap appears between the bottom of the U of the front standard and the part holding the lens board. That puts the lens about in the centre, and gives you a bit of fall without having to drop the bed and tilt your front standard up to vertical again. You can buy boards with centre holes, but then you can't do that anymore.

Indeed, but when you need rise with a wide angle like a 90mm or 75mm, the off-centered hole puts more strain on the bellows. This is why I'm replacing them with centered holes. Depends on your main use of course. (haven't a bag bellows)

There may be a difference between the Wista 45N (and maybe other Wista metal cameras) and the DXs. The images I see on the net of the 45N seem to show a lens mounted on a board with a centered hole. The images of the DX show the off-center hole. Maybe some other Wista users can confirm this; I only have wooden Wista cameras. For these, an off-center hole centers the lens on the film.

Best,

Doremus

Makes sense, there could be a difference between the wooden and metal cameras. Would be nice to have more info.