Recessed Lens Board - Needed or Not?

[Salmo22]

I've recently acquired a very nice Nikkor-SW 90mm f/8 lens for use with my 4x5. I'm wondering if a recessed lens board is needed? Your thoughts, comments, and suggestions are sincerely appreciated.

[Dan Fromm]

Jeff, which 4x5 camera do you have? It makes a difference.

FWIW, my 90s (both old designs with flange-focal distances approximately 90mm, modern designs such as Super Angulons and Grandagons have somewhat longer flange-focal distances) make infinity with room for movements on my Cambo SC.

[neil poulsen]

It depends on the 4x5. What do you have? (Make and model.)

If a flatbed, probably. If a rail camera, maybe not.

[Salmo22]

It depends on the 4x5. What do you have? (Make and model.)

If a flatbed, probably. If a rail camera, maybe not.

I have an Arca-Swiss F-Metric Field 4x5. Sorry that I forgot to include that information.

[Dan Fromm]

You might need the conical bellows. The first thing to do is ask the camera how far apart the film plane (front of the ground glass) and front of the lens board are when the camera is compressed as much as possible. You have the camera, go measure.

[Bob Salomon]

You might need the conical bellows. The first thing to do is ask the camera how far apart the film plane (front of the ground glass) and front of the lens board are when the camera is compressed as much as possible. You have the camera, go measure.

Or just ask Rod!

[Roger Thoms]

I’m not real familiar with Arca Swiss, but couldn’t you use a flat lens board and a bag bellows? I use a flat lens board and bag bellows with 90mm f8 Super Angulon on my Sinar and it works great. I really dislike recessed lens boards.

Roger

[Mark Sampson]

+1 Mr. Thoms.

[Bernice Loui]

Arca Swiss metric should be one of the classic Arca Swiss monorail cameras. Most 4x5 monorail cameras of this variety work fine with 90mm lens on a flat lens board, standard bellows. There could be camera limitations due to the standard bellows, easily remedied by a bag bellows.

As previously mentioned, avoid recessed lens board if at all possible. Most good monorail cameras do not need recess lens boards, bag bellows more often than not solves the distance limitation between front to rear standard nicely. Example, using a Schneider 47mm Super Angulon XL on a Sinar 5x7 with a bag bellows and flat lens board works well, even if the 47mm SA image circle does not cover 5x7.


Bernice

[Salmo22]

I talked with the folks at Badger Graphic Sales and they said a flat lens board would work fine for my 4x5. Especially with the leather wide angle conical bellows that comes standard on the Arca-Swiss F-Metric Field model.

Thanks all for your helpful comments.