Linhof Tecknika kit for $1500CDN

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navilluspm

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Is this a good price? I just went into a camera store and, on consignment, they are selling a Linhof Kit for $1500 CDN

This is what it includes.

1 Linhhof Technika Camera (I don't know which one, it just said "Technika") which is in great shape

12 Linhof film backs and some other things that I don't know what they are

A 135mm Carl Zeiss Planar Lens in beautiful shape

A 75mm Carl Zeiss Biogon Lens in beautiful shape.

2 Linhof tripods - one big and one small.
 
It is important to know which type of Technika it is.
The 135 planar is a stellar lens but will not give you much room for tilt and swing.
The zeiss biogon is an expensive lens too, I'm not sure about it's ability for tilt and swing.
I do think it is a good price when the technika is of a later type.

Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema
 
I suspect that those "film backs" are sheet film holders. If they take 4 X 5 inch film you have little room for swings and tilts, but they might be for the slightly smaller 9 X 12cm film, which is not a common size on this side of the Atlantic. The Technika is really designed as a hand held press camera, an exquisitly designed and crafted press camera though. Make sure that it comes with the viewfinders for the lenses, and that it has cams for both. The price looks OK but do you need a camera like that?
 
The 135/75mm combination is a pretty safe giveaway that it is a 6x9cm (medium format sheet film) model, where that is a fairly standard lens set. 135mm is a odd, very slightly wide length on 9x12cm and 4x5" (where 150 or 180 would be considered "normals") and as such rarely used except on old school press cameras, which usually would not be able to focus a 75mm.

In any case, it is not cheap, unless it is the last generation "baby" (Super) Technika IV complete with rangefinder, cams to each lens and full set of accessories - and it might indeed be insanely expensive for a poorly preserved basic first generation 6x9 Technika without rangefinder and with uncoated lenses, or if it is a mess of parts that don't belong together (like a 4x5 body with mismatched 6x9 lenses lacking coverage and RF cams). So it would really be neccessary to come up with the exact model specs.

Sevo
 
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Thanks everyone. I could not afford such a camera and it is too heavy for me. It would have been a nice contrast to my little Pen FT ;-) I was just wondering, because it looked like a beautiful set.

The film back are 4x5 sheet plates - you are right, but I think there was another back to it as well.

It looked like a press camera and had this cream color to it. I don't know if that means anything. It also had on cream colored grip.

Anyway, if anyone wants it, call Don's Photo in Regina.
 
Really 4x5" holders? Be cautious, then. I strongly suspect a 6x9cm with mismatched accessories, or a 4x5" with mismatched lenses. There must be very few cream coloured (i.e. usually pre 70's model series) 4x5" Technikas that can gracefully take a 75mm lens - on the common types of that vintage, that requires a very deeply recessed lens board where you have to unscrew the front element to cock the shutter or set aperture and time.

Sevo
 
i did a search for linhof info and this was the closest thred to what i was looking for, but i was wondering what the differences in the successive technikas was. why are the later ones so insanely expensive and the earlier ones relatively cheap?
 
check the bellows!

Sometimes they look great but are full of pinholes.... And believe my experience: Linhof bellows are EXPENSIVE!

But I must say that theses cameras are great
 
Check CameraQuest

Check CameraQuest

chachi said:
i did a search for linhof info and this was the closest thred to what i was looking for, but i was wondering what the differences in the successive technikas was. why are the later ones so insanely expensive and the earlier ones relatively cheap?
Click to expand...

Our host has pages and pages of Technika information. Enjoy.

www.cameraquest.com
 
sevo said:
The 135/75mm combination is a pretty safe giveaway that it is a 6x9cm (medium format sheet film) model, where that is a fairly standard lens set. 135mm is a odd, very slightly wide length on 9x12cm and 4x5" (where 150 or 180 would be considered "normals") and as such rarely used except on old school press cameras, which usually would not be able to focus a 75mm.

In any case, it is not cheap, unless it is the last generation "baby" (Super) Technika IV complete with rangefinder, cams to each lens and full set of accessories - and it might indeed be insanely expensive for a poorly preserved basic first generation 6x9 Technika without rangefinder and with uncoated lenses, or if it is a mess of parts that don't belong together (like a 4x5 body with mismatched 6x9 lenses lacking coverage and RF cams). So it would really be neccessary to come up with the exact model specs.

Sevo
Click to expand...
Dear Sevo,

Funny, I'd say they were a strong indicator it was a 4x5/9x12 (same camera, different film-folders), with a 'wide standard' (135 instead of 150) and a true wide-angle (75mm = 21mm equivalent). Nor would I call it a fairly standard lens set: 135/90 or 150/90 would be vastly more common.

A 75 Biogon is an extremely valuable lens, never made uncoated as far as I know, and I don't think you could even fit it onto a 'baby' -- and I'm 99% sure (without checking it) that a 75 will focus to infinity with the base dropped.

So actually, my guess is that it is cheap, IF you want one.

Cheers,

R.
 
The 135mm Planar and 75mm Biogon were sold with the 4x5 Technika (the 100mm Planar and 53mm Biogon are 6x9cm kit). If they're in good condition, either of those lenses are worth US $1500. If the 135mm Planar is the very rare T* version, it could be worth twice that.
 
Well, Last time I was at the store it had sold. it was a beautiful looking kit - everything i very good shape. I think someone might have gotten a good deal.
 
The Linhof that got away . . .

I talked to the store worker who know LF cameras (he wasn't present when I first came in to see the camera, and just know saw him since it was sold). He told me that its was labelled as a Linhof Technika IV 4x5 camera, but he could have sworn it was a Technika V.

Anyway - that's what the mystery camera was in the kit sold for $1500 CAD - with the above mentioned lenses and accessories . . .
 
Difference between models

Difference between models

chachi said:
i did a search for linhof info and this was the closest thred to what i was looking for, but i was wondering what the differences in the successive technikas was. why are the later ones so insanely expensive and the earlier ones relatively cheap?
Click to expand...

http://cameraquest.com/techs.htm
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/linhof/technika.html

Both of these sites have pretty good detailed information on the differences. Also on www.largeformatphotography.info, Bob, can answer most any question you have about them.
 
sevo said:
The 135/75mm combination is a pretty safe giveaway that it is a 6x9cm (medium format sheet film) model, where that is a fairly standard lens set. 135mm is a odd, very slightly wide length on 9x12cm and 4x5" (where 150 or 180 would be considered "normals") and as such rarely used except on old school press cameras, which usually would not be able to focus a 75mm.

In any case, it is not cheap, unless it is the last generation "baby" (Super) Technika IV complete with rangefinder, cams to each lens and full set of accessories - and it might indeed be insanely expensive for a poorly preserved basic first generation 6x9 Technika without rangefinder and with uncoated lenses, or if it is a mess of parts that don't belong together (like a 4x5 body with mismatched 6x9 lenses lacking coverage and RF cams). So it would really be neccessary to come up with the exact model specs.

Sevo
Click to expand...


The 135 Planar and the 75 Biogon are both designed for 4x5. The traditional complement for 6x9 is a 100 Planar and 53 Biogon. I had the Technika 70 for a few years and had a 100 Planar 2.8 and 53 Super Angulon f4. It also came with a 105 / 100 Symmar and the Biogon 53mm. The 135's and 75's have always been traditionally 4x5. I later sold the Technika 70 and bought a Master Technika 4x5 that I used for nearly thirty years.

The price of a Planar 135 is about the price of the entire kit if it's in a modern shutter and in great condition. The 75 Biogon can go for over $2000 US if super clean. Both lenses are classic and premium glass. If it's a Technika III the body is only worth a few hundred dollars and a nice IV would fetch $900-1100 and a V will bring $1200 to about $1700. If you find a Master Technika it will bring $2,200 up to $3,000 or so for a clean one. When I sold my Master after thirty years of steady use it brought $2,400 for the body only and it needed a new bellows.

Any way you slice it it's a steal of a deal if it's in decent shape.
 
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