Wista/Graphic Lens Board Adapter

[Brian Wallen]

I've been using a Super Graphic and Graphic View for which there is a lensboard adapter that mounts the extruded Graphic lens boards on the 4x4 flat board used by the GV and, happily, the Meridian that I recently bought. I've also just gotten a Wista VX and I'd like to keep my lenses on my large collection of Graphic boards. It looks like it would be possible for a machinist to take parts from one of the Graphic/GV adapter and mount them on a Wista board. Before I get into that I thought I would check here to see if anyone has seen a commercially produced Graphic=>Wista adapter.

[Paul Ewins]

Brian,
I can't answer your Wista->Graphic question, but the Graphic->View adapter I have consists of the Graphic adapter part connected to a 4" board by just four screws. I had a spare adapter which I removed from the 4" board and screwed to a Graflex SLR board. If you replace the screws with similar size bolts you won't need to tap the holes, so the only work needed is to mark and drill four holes on the Wista board and cut the centre hole of the Wista board to match the hole in the adapter. It won't take a skilled machinist, most home handymen could do it.

[Oren Grad]

Brian - I've never seen one. Graphic boards are so close in size to Wista/Technika boards that it would be difficult to make such an adapter. The trick is not just mounting the retaining clips, but doing so in a way that doesn't obstruct the mounting of the resulting adapter board on the camera. Not impossible - I just acquired a Technika to Toyo Field adapter that solves a similar problem in a very clever way - but quite challenging.

[Brian Wallen]

Initially thought about trying to remount the smaller of the adapter's plates to the Wista board using Paul's suggestion, but mounting the clips seemed very difficult. Then I tried laying the entire Graphic adapter on a mounted Wista board with the idea of piggybacking the entire adapter with a new set of holes and machine screws and taps. I've only got a 0 and a 1 plate, both of which have the round raised rib and that doesn't sit neatly on the cast light trap on the Graphic adapter. Pictures of the #3 boards show them to be flat. I think the Graphic adapter will sit neatly against one of these boards; the adapter's light trap will hold it out from the frame of the Wista front standard so it doesn't bind the Wista attachment elements. In the worst case I may have to add some spacers between the adapter and Wista board and add some gasket material. There is enough of an apron on the adapter beyond the light trap rim that the adapter height and width could be reduced for clearance if necessary. With a spray job after all the fitting, it may not look to clunky.

Thanks for walking through this with me.