philosomatographer
Well-known
Just to chip in, I am a regular user of a late second-series (fixed-lens) Linhof Technorama 617S with multi-coated Super-Angulon XL lens.
I don't think you'd pick one up for much less than $3000, otherwise you are getting a great bargain. When it comes to the results, one can make the same arguments as, say, a Leica MP body compared to a Cosina Voigtlander R4m. With the same great lens, assuming all is in tune, both will render an identical image.
A Leica M body has a certain craftsmanship about it, however, and the same goes for a Linhof - it's simply beautifully built, and should last forever. You have to decide if it's worth it to you. Personally, I think that the bigger challenge lies in taming the 3:1 format. And remember, these are huge cameras, "small" as they may be for something that shoots the same film area as a 4x5in view camera.
Note: the Fuji cameras have rather "cheap" shutters with a fixed lifespan, hence the shutter counters built into most of the cameras. When they die, they need to be replaced. Most of the other options using standard LF shutters (Linhof, Fotoman, Gaoersi, etc) do not have this problem.
Anyway, I personally adore the format, and when I shoot black and white, I usually load my Technorama up with Ilford HP5, and shoot with the centre filter, pretending that I have ISO100 film loaded. Very hand-holdable in good light (this shot was hand-held, shot at f/16) and of unbelievably high technical quality, I don't think any other hand-held camera could easily match it:
click here to see image, too wide to display inline without annoying fellow forum readers
However, with colour slide film, on a tripod, is what I think this camera is best at. Before my technorama, I had never known how good an MC Schneider Super-Angulon XL lens is, it's simply unreal. At least as good as any modern Mamiya C-series lens for 6x7cm, but over the whole 6x17cm frame, and zero detectible aberration of any kind I know of. The complete lack of distortion is especially remarkable, and despite what Schneider says, the lens is actually very good wide open already, remember this is a huge piece of film, so softness due to lens abberration does not show up unless you make vast enlargements. I have a number of images where I was forced to shoot at f/5.6, at infinity, and the resolution is extremely good across the frame. But at f/16, it really sings (it's as if every last leaf is clearly rendered in the foliage in this shot, looking at the slide or the 120 Megapixel scan):
(This is a shot straight in to the sun, not many lenses can maintain contrast like this in the shadow areas. The secondary reflection was caused by the Cokin X-Pro grad ND filter I had to shoot through to tame the dynamic range)
A Technorama 617S is a superlative camera, but very expensive, you kind of need to view it as a long-term "investment", it's certainly built to last. But you need to be sure you like the 3:1 to begin with.
And remember that you can indeed get this fabulous lens performance on a much cheaper body if you need to. Linhof have excellent, excellent customer service though - even to second-hand buyers living in third-world countries 🙂. I have never been as impressed by a company's commitment to their clients.
I don't think you'd pick one up for much less than $3000, otherwise you are getting a great bargain. When it comes to the results, one can make the same arguments as, say, a Leica MP body compared to a Cosina Voigtlander R4m. With the same great lens, assuming all is in tune, both will render an identical image.
A Leica M body has a certain craftsmanship about it, however, and the same goes for a Linhof - it's simply beautifully built, and should last forever. You have to decide if it's worth it to you. Personally, I think that the bigger challenge lies in taming the 3:1 format. And remember, these are huge cameras, "small" as they may be for something that shoots the same film area as a 4x5in view camera.
Note: the Fuji cameras have rather "cheap" shutters with a fixed lifespan, hence the shutter counters built into most of the cameras. When they die, they need to be replaced. Most of the other options using standard LF shutters (Linhof, Fotoman, Gaoersi, etc) do not have this problem.
Anyway, I personally adore the format, and when I shoot black and white, I usually load my Technorama up with Ilford HP5, and shoot with the centre filter, pretending that I have ISO100 film loaded. Very hand-holdable in good light (this shot was hand-held, shot at f/16) and of unbelievably high technical quality, I don't think any other hand-held camera could easily match it:
click here to see image, too wide to display inline without annoying fellow forum readers
However, with colour slide film, on a tripod, is what I think this camera is best at. Before my technorama, I had never known how good an MC Schneider Super-Angulon XL lens is, it's simply unreal. At least as good as any modern Mamiya C-series lens for 6x7cm, but over the whole 6x17cm frame, and zero detectible aberration of any kind I know of. The complete lack of distortion is especially remarkable, and despite what Schneider says, the lens is actually very good wide open already, remember this is a huge piece of film, so softness due to lens abberration does not show up unless you make vast enlargements. I have a number of images where I was forced to shoot at f/5.6, at infinity, and the resolution is extremely good across the frame. But at f/16, it really sings (it's as if every last leaf is clearly rendered in the foliage in this shot, looking at the slide or the 120 Megapixel scan):
(This is a shot straight in to the sun, not many lenses can maintain contrast like this in the shadow areas. The secondary reflection was caused by the Cokin X-Pro grad ND filter I had to shoot through to tame the dynamic range)
A Technorama 617S is a superlative camera, but very expensive, you kind of need to view it as a long-term "investment", it's certainly built to last. But you need to be sure you like the 3:1 to begin with.
And remember that you can indeed get this fabulous lens performance on a much cheaper body if you need to. Linhof have excellent, excellent customer service though - even to second-hand buyers living in third-world countries 🙂. I have never been as impressed by a company's commitment to their clients.
