Any Linhof Users?

[Zack]

I guess you could say i have caught the linhof bug, after seeing my uncles Technika 70, im hooked, and seeing how prices are in a recession and im getting a new job i was wondering if anyone has used a linhof before and what they could tell me about them. the 2 models i would really want to consider would be the technika 70 6x9 and the 220 6x9.

Thanks,
Zack

 

[wlewisiii]

I just keep dreaming. Someday I'll have a Master Technika classic but in the meantime I putter along with my Anniversary Speed Graphic. When handheld, there isn't that much difference :angel: though I will admit I lust for proper movements when on a tripod.

Good luck with that bug. HP Marketing will send you some really nice porn^h^h^h^h product literature as well 😀

William

 

[Zack]

It seems like all that linhof stuff is going for so cheap on ebay. I think ill just work the entire summer and then before i leave for college either end up with the 220 or the technika 70. The only thing i would be worried about with the 220 is that since it is a fixed lens, it would probably lead me to buy a whole separate camera 5 to 10 years down the road whereas if i got the technika i could just further expand my system, any thoughts?

 

[wlewisiii]

Flexability is always to be prefered. In the long run it saves money and headaches ... The 70 at least gives you movements. That's a very big deal in the end.

William

 

[Tim]

I have and use a Linhof Tech IV 6x9, which is why I haven't been posting much here lately....
It may have a Rangefinder, but it's pretty much the antithesis of everything that we understand as Rangefinder Photography (small, light, convenient, spontaneous, etc etc etc)
I'm getting some great results from it; don't know how I ever survived doing landscape photography without movements....

 

[wdenies]

Here it is!

Wim

 

[Socke]

Owner, yes. User, no! The last frame out of my fathers MasterTechnika is from 1989.
One day I'll get a polaroid back for it and take a few shots, until then it just sits in a box :-(

 

[wyk_penguin]

I have heard that the Linhofs' rangefinder requires a cam specifically ground for each lens to work properly. The really bad news is nobody knows how to do it anymore. Also, wouldn't the movements foul the rangefinder?
So, the question is: is it worth the money to invest in a linhof with a RF, or should I frame and focus on the ground glass??

 

[Socke]

You're correct, you need a rangefinder cam for every lens. And you can't use the RF with the movements.
So you focus on the ground glass when you use the movements, sometimes with a loupe.

 

[David Goldfarb]

I have a 4x5" Tech V and recently acquired a 6x9 Tech V. I'm used to shooting 8x10" and occasionally 11x14", so the 4x5" is my compact handholdable camera, and the 6x9 seems all the more so.

There's a good overview of the Technikas at cameraquest.com.

You can have new lenses cammed for a Technika by Marflex in the US and Linhof in Europe, but not for all older models. If you're looking at a Tech 70, call Marflex to be sure they'll do it. I'll be sending my 6x9 Tech down to them to have three lenses cammed probably in the next week or so. If you have an old 4x5" Tech III, Richard Ritter will grind cams for them.

If you purchase a used Tech, though, try to find one with some cammed lenses, and if it's a 6x9 Tech or Tech70, with a set of three cammed lenses, because it's expensive to have it done after the fact.

The 4x5" Tech V is the most versatile camera I have, so I like to travel with it. I can use it on a tripod with movements like a view camera for landscapes, architecture, and still lifes, or use it handheld with the rangefinder and Grafmatic 6-shot filmholders like a press camera. The rangefinder is also handy to confirm focus in low light and for portraits, because you can check focus with the rangefinder while you've got a filmholder in the back.