What is "lens board"

alt. (context photography English) A part used for securing a lens to the front standard of a large-format view camera. n. (context photography English) A part used for securing a lens to the front standard of a large-format view camera.

A Lens board (commonly spelled as lensboard) is a photographic part used for securing a lens to the front standard of a large format view camera. The lens board itself is usually flat, square, and made of metal (most commonly Aluminum) or wood and sometimes plastic. The lens board will have a hole of various diameters drilled dead center on the board. A lens board typically varies between 1 and 4 millimeters in thickness. The overall size and shape of the lens board depends on the brand of camera and film format used. Some cameras will use 2 to 4 screws to secure the lens board to the front standard of the view camera, most commonly however, the lens board will be secured by one or more locking levers or tabs to allow tool-less removal of the lens board. The rear surface of a lens board is usually painted matte black to keep light entering the camera through the lens during exposure from reflecting off the surface and interfering with the projected image.

While most lens boards are flat, some are recessed to accommodate wider focal length lenses which must be positioned closer to the film plane. A recessed lens board effectively reduces the flange focal distance of a camera.