Linhof Technika vs Crown Graphic

[graywolf]

That kind of limits you a bit, doesn't it?

 

[graywolf]

I see Tom. Nice blog btw ;-)
I really admire people explaining things and showing pictures of it - interesting reads!

Thank you!

 

[nonuniform]

I have both Crown Graphics (note the plural!) and I've had a couple of Linhof Technika V's.

Crown:
pro: lightweight, easily handheld down to 1/60th of a sec, easy to fix if you know what you're doing
con: top rangefinder cams are nonexistent, some claim to make them, haven't seen anything convincing there yet (yes, I know all about Fred Lustig in Reno). So, you're kinda stuck with limited lens choices, even with the sideRF.

Linhof:
pro: if you get a Tech IV or V you can get RF cams made, I've had great luck just buying cams for my lenses and having them work with my V. YMMV. Rangefinder is ok vs. Crown, neither is any good in low light.

con: too heavy for handheld. I found the Linhof great as a replacement for my Wista, but impossible for handheld work. The Crown excels in that area.

So, it depends on what you want to shoot.

As an aside, I shoot the Portra 400 4x5 film and it rocks at 1 or 2 stops underexposed. Just saying.

I just about exactly now make my first steps in 4x5 photography.

I bought a second hand Crown Graphic, and plan to use it as a handheld addition, while on the street (at the moment, I am shooting Leica M and adding the odd shot with a Hasselblad + 80mm).

So far, I have not enough training, but figuring out, shooting the 4x5 rangefinder and framing with the sportsfinder (I find the Graflex optical finder utter crap, to be honest) seems straight forward.
It is comparable enough to shooting with a Leica super wide angle and external finder.

There is one issue though - the Kalart side mounted RF on my Graphic gives a pretty small view of the scene, making composition quite hard (I prefer the workflow of framing - estimating parallax correction for the rangefinder - focussing and shooting with the rangefinder window for fast lenses).

How does the RF from the Linhof Master Technika compare to the early Kalart RF of the Crown Graphic?


Are there any specifc sheet film holders, I should prefer buying, to later be compatible with a Linhof as well (I really like that idea of using different cammed lenses)?

 

[Dwig]

I...Rangefinder is ok vs. Crown, neither is any good in low light.
...

Actually, when properly setup the Crown's RF can work very well in low light. The darker the better.

Proper setup involves having the proper projection bulb attachment for a side mounted Kalart along with the battery case from a Graflex flashgun and the proper cord. With the top mounted RFs the illuminator and batteries are in the finder. When properly setup and powered (push the red button on the side of the top mounted RF or turn the dial on the side mounted's illuminator) they project two Vs (images of the bulbs filament). Focusing is accomplished by making the 2 Vs merge into one. You can do this viewing through the sport finder.

I used a Crown back in High School. The RF was out of adjustment and the batteries had leaked in the RF. The annual staff sponsor wouldn't let me readjust the RF even though I have torn down two broken leaf shutters and replaired them and overhaulded and returned to service a smoke damaged Kodak RF35 previously. I cleaned the battery contacts to make the illuminator work and adjusted the RF everytime I took the camera out since I had to mis-adjust it before returning it lest the sponsor found out what I was doing. Once setup, I found the projection RF system quite usable for the various club group shots I usually got stuck with shooting for the annual.

 

[menos]

Nice story Dwig ;-)

Thanks for the comparison nonuniform - I have played with the Crown Graphic for a few weeks more and have left it home since some point.

The negatives, although wonderfully huge really needed a LOT of attention in preparation, to juice out that extra nicety over medium format.

I happen also to not really like the 127mm lens of the Crown - it just doesn't spark with me.
Aligning the RF is indeed easy enough, but in fast use, it nowhere near is as easy and fast, like a 35mm RF to use.

I fiddled a bit with Technikas in some shops and am very happy, I didn't spring for one.
The Graphic really is so much nicer in handheld use, if I now would get warm with the format.

It's a real pity, there is no Polaroid 55 stock available around here.
Once the good people @ New55 get up their business, I might give 4x5 another look.
As it is for me now, I don't see the quality difference, considering the gymnastics and cost, you go through with the 4x5, compared to just using the Hasselblad, which is worlds more compact and much easier to use.

I do love rangefinder focussing though and a good RF camera really could have an edge over the darn ground glass focussing with the Hasselblad.