Recessed Lensboard/Wideangle Bellows for Wista 45VX/SP

[Noah A]

I recently picked up an 80mm SSXL lens to use with my Wista 45VX. I've been using it on a flat lensboard and it works fine. But the combination of the flat board and normal bellows doesn't let me get the most out of the lens' coverage and even relatively minor movements seem to put stress on the normal bellows.

I guess I have two options. Wista makes a bag bellows, so I could get that and either keep the flat lensboard or get a normal recessed lensboard.

Or--Wista makes a special recessed lensboard, to the tune of almost $300 at B&H, that can be used with a dedicated bag bellows. The special lensboard actually mounts the lens behind the front standard and the bellows attaches to the lensboard. This makes the lens controls easier to access.

You can see the special setup here:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...rd_Mounts.html

Has anyone tried this Wista setup on an SP/VX/RF? The one downside besides the cost is that from what I understand you need a special bellows (different from the standard bag bellows) for the special lensboard. I'd love to be able to use my bag bellows as a backup for my normal bellows when traveling. (I figure the bag would also work with my 110xl and I could shoot most of my work with that one lens in a pinch.)

Has anyone had good luck with a Linhof or generic recessed board on an SP/VX/RF with the Wista bag bellows?

[Bob Salomon]

Linhof recessed boards work just fine with either the standard bellows or the regular bag bellows. With the special lensboard you can only use the special wa bellows as they are made to screw together. Other boards can not be used with this bellows.

[Noah A]

Thanks Bob. Is there a certain model of Linhof recessed lensboard I need to look for or will they all work?

I think I'd rather stick to a normal lensboard and bag bellows instead of the Wista proprietary system.

Has anyone tried a generic recessed board on a wista?

[B.S.Kumar]

I have both types of the Wista bag bellows and the special recessed board. The dedicated system takes a bit of time to set up, but is fantastically easy to use. A generic board with the regular bag bellows is also pretty good. Maybe try the Comfort board and the regular bag bellows?

Kumar

[Noah A]

Thanks Kumar. I have a question that maybe you can help me answer.

Do you know if you can max out the front rise without the bellows interfering in the frame? I'm particularly interested in doing this with a 110 in vertical format, but if you can do it with a 90 then the 110 should work too.

My 110xl will more than cover 4x5 if I max out the rise, but, especially for vertical format photos, the body of the camera pushes the standard bellows down into the frame. I assume the bag bellows will work better, but there's no way to know for sure without trying it.

Problem is I'm a bit hesitant to drop almost $400 on the bellows if I don't know it will work.

[B.S.Kumar]

Noah,

I saw your post a little while ago, and checked the regular WA bellows (not the dedicated one with the recessed board) with my Rodenstock Grandagon 90mm f/4.5. In vertical format, I can get almost two inches of rise before the rear of the lens touches the body. Your 110mm lens will be a bit further away from the body, so there should be less of a problem. In any case, I think this ought to be more than sufficient for most purposes. What is the rear dia of your lens? The Grandagon has a rear dia of 70mm. The only unfortunate design flaw is that the camera will not close with the WA bellows attached.

Kumar