assignment from work.. getting rid of Linhof setup

Alright well here I am doin my daily grind at the local pro shop in town when out of the blue... someone brings in a complete Linhof Technika 4x5 setup to put on consignment. No one here including the managers really knew what to do about it... I So with that said... im supposed to find out some pricing on this kinda stuff so I figred what better place than the apug forums to ask. Here's a list of what was brought in, dont really know the proper terms for something but i'll give it my best. Please feel free to correct me if im wrong on the last couple terms here. And everythign is staying together/price to sell. Any ideas?

Linhof Technika 4x5 (grey)
Carl Zeiss Biogon 75mm f3.5
Carl Zeiss Planar 135mm
10 x 4x5 holders (double sided)
120 roll back
adjustable viewfinder (Linhof - universalsucher - technika)
frame guide ? (attaches to front of camera, sized for 4x5)
Linhof S420R Tripod (HUGE)
Linhof tripod (smaller no model number on it)

and its all in a Aerospace hardcase


After going through this case the man pulls up another onto the counter. And in there is a full Leicaflex setup, once again... no idea how to price it. Here's what in that case. The camera/lenses will all stay together and the Sunpak is a seperate package.

Leitz Leicaflex
Wetzlar 35mm f2.8
Wetzlar 50mm f2

Quantum TurboQuantum powerpak
Sunpak 555 Thyristor (w/all chargers/cables/CS5 cord)

So yeah... if you could help at all that would be great. General pricing of the package or even ballpark individual pricing on the Linhof pieces. Thanks again in advance.

Wow, looks like they were just too lazy to take it to the dump... Just put it all in a big box and send it to me. Since you're an APUG member, I'll pay shipping!!

Seriously, I'm sure some can chime in with values, but have you checked completed listings on the auction site to see what the items are selling for? Of course it all depends on if you want to go the auction route, or try to sell locally and how much time you have.

First off, it's probably a Tech IV or early Tech V. If the front rise is operated by a knob on the right side of the front standard (looking from the back), then it's a IV, and if there is a ratcheting lever on the left side, it's a V.

A Technika in good condition with cammed Zeiss lenses is very desirable. The usual combination is--75mm Biogon, 135mm Planar, 180mm Sonnar, so you might ask the consigner if there is another lens. The 75mm Biogon is the most valuable piece in the set. Each lens should have a cam with the serial number of the lens on top of the cam. If the camera is a Tech IV, then the serial number of the camera should also be on the bottom of the cam. If you have a Tech IV with cammed lenses, you should sell the lenses with the camera, if possible, because the lenses are cammed for a specific camera body. If the lenses are cammed for the Tech V/Master Tech, then you can sell the lenses with the cams, scales, and infinity stops, and the cams will be accurate on other Tech V's and Master Techs.

What format and type is the rollfilm back? If it's an old Rollex back with the knob wind, it isn't very desirable, because it will produce overlapping frames with some modern films. If it's a Super-Rollex back with a lever wind, then it's very desirable. If it's 56x72mm, then it's fairly common. 6x6 and 6x9 are less common. Rapid-Rollex backs that slip under the groundglass are fairly unusual. 6x12 Techno-Rollex backs are worth considerably more than smaller format backs. You can sell the rollfilm holder separately from the camera, since it's not involved with the rangefinder calibration, and will work with most 4x5" cameras, not just Linhof.

There is a good page on 4x5" Technikas at www.cameraquest.com.

Sell the tripods separately from the camera. They work with any camera, and there is no particular advantage to using a Linhof tripod with a Linhof camera, though they're fine tripods.

You can go to eBay and search completed auctions for current pricing on these items.

That would be the worst (or best) part time job for alot of us here, I know I'd likely spend 3-4x what I earn on used equipment..

tcboucher said:

Wetzlar 35mm f2.8
Wetzlar 50mm f2

Click to expand...

I'm no expert, but I believe "Wetzlar" is the location of the Leitz company. The lenses are actually named "Elmarit" for the 35mm, or "Summicron" for the 50mm.

jovo said:

I'm no expert, but I believe "Wetzlar" is the location of the Leitz company. The lenses are actually named "Elmarit" for the 35mm, or "Summicron" for the 50mm.

Click to expand...

yes thank you, i was just typing what was put down on the sheet. But yeah now that i look at the lenses your right. Thanks

You might want to try http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/ with your questions. A representative of the current Linhof USA importer often answers questions about accurately describing and dating Linhof gear. Also, there are several members of that forum with Linhof gear, and Linhof cameras.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography

tcboucher said:

Alright

After going through this case the man pulls up another onto the counter. And in there is a full Leicaflex setup, once again... no idea how to price it. Here's what in that case. The camera/lenses will all stay together and the Sunpak is a seperate package.

Leitz Leicaflex
Wetzlar 35mm f2.8
Wetzlar 50mm f2


So yeah... if you could help at all that would be great. General pricing of the package or even ballpark individual pricing on the Linhof pieces. Thanks again in advance.

Click to expand...

There were Three Leitz Leicaflex cameras made in Germany, the Original Leicaflex, the Leicaflex SL, and the Leicaflex SL2. The Original Leicaflex had a CDS meter port on the prism, and did not meter thru the lens, the latter SL and SL2 did meter thru the lens. So, the original Leicaflex is less desirable. However, the lensmount for the SL and SL2 required another cam on the lenses, so If you have an original Leicaflex with "single-cam" lenses, you have the least valuable set-up there.

After the SL2, Leica started a collaboration with Minolta who supplied basic SLR camera mechanisms which Leica finished, and these are fairly good cameras but required a series of lenses with a 3rd cam on them. So you need to determine how many cams your lenses have, and what model Leicaflex you have there to determine value.

Umm, go to KEH.com and see what they sell it for. If they don't have any for sale, use their online quote system and see what they'll give you for the stuff. Double that quote and that'll give you a ballpark of what you could get for it. Keep in mind that they have a nation-wide market and that allows them to have higher prices than you might be able to get in any given neighborhood. When I was buying and selling used gear, I would inevitably snag the LF stuff and sell it on Ebay. I knew what it was worth but we couldn't get that price depending on people walking in. It wasn't just LF either. Obscure, but valuable lenses from Oly, Pentax, etc. were all fair game to me. If it said Nikon or Canon on it, no problem, lots of people were looking for that and we could sell it out of our store. With Linhof and leicaflex, you probably won't be able to get what it's really worth when you try to sell out out of the store.

Isaac

thanks for all the help everyone, sold the Leicaflex setup today for like 300 i think.

I'll give you double that for the Linhof setup.

Won't one of you wealthy guys buy me the Biogon?