Curious about Linhof Tech IV lens board design

[Tony Egan]

I recently bought a Linhof Technica IV - my first entry into LF. The holes in the lens boards with the three lens' I got with the camera are not in the centre but towards the lower third of the board. I assume the image circle is squarely aligned to the film plane at "zero" settings. Is there a special design reason for this? Does it provide additional flexibility in movements etc. that are not immediately obvious to me? Appreciate your feedback. Thanks.

 

[naturephoto1]

I recently bought a Linhof Technica IV - my first entry into LF. The holes in the lens boards with the three lens' I got with the camera are not in the centre but towards the lower third of the board. I assume the image circle is squarely aligned to the film plane at "zero" settings. Is there a special design reason for this? Does it provide additional flexibility in movements etc. that are not immediately obvious to me? Appreciate your feedback. Thanks.

Hi Tony,

The design of the lens board and being off center is a design for the Linhof Technika IV, V, Master, 2000, and Technikardans 45 & 45S. It is off center to accommodate the lenses in the #0 and #1 (not the #3 shutter which is centered) shutter sizes to allow for the mounted lenses to be centered on the front standard. The camera offers front rise but only indirect front fall through either dropping the bed and adjusting the front tilt or through putting the camera at an angle and adjusting the tilt. The camera has centered front tilts and swings that work around this point location as well.

Hope this helps and makes sense.

Rich

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I'm not sure about the Tech IV, but on my Tech V and on the later models you can remove the accessory shoe to find another tripod socket on the top of the camera. Mount the camera upside down for all the front fall you could want.

 

[naturephoto1]

I'm not sure about the Tech IV, but on my Tech V and on the later models you can remove the accessory shoe to find another tripod socket on the top of the camera. Mount the camera upside down for all the front fall you could want.

David,

I have also seen photos where photographers have reversed the center column of the tripod and used the camera upside down. I would guess that this might have its advantages for near or close-up work.

However, I would think that operating the camera upside down would take a little getting used to adjust all the camera controls. I mention this having had a uniquely modified Technika IV for quite a number of years that was replaced by my present Technikardan 45S after the Technika was stolen.

Rich

Rich

 

[Wilbur Wong]

Tony,

If you take a careful look at your Technica from the side, you will find that the bellows of the camera have a different taper from the top as from the bottom. The offset hole in the lensboard is indeed centered on the film on this and all subsequent Linhof Techikas.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Using the camera upside down isn't that hard actually. You can rotate the back so it's in the normal orientation. The V and later cameras have focus knobs on both sides, so that's pretty much the same--not sure about the IV. Rear tilts and swings are more or less the same upside down. Controls are reversed for the front tilt, swing and shift.

If I'm using the camera mainly in view camera mode without the zoom finder and it's a situation where I'm likely to need front fall (like hiking in some elevated place), I often just leave the shoe off and put an extra QR plate on the top so I can flip the camera without having to think much about it.

 

[Tony Egan]

Thanks for the responses and the extra info about upside down usage, David!

So, if you use these lensboards on cameras with compatible front standard - Shen Hao, Wista, others? I assume you need to take this into account to "centre" the image circle? i.e. does a Shen Hao, for example, assume the hole is in the centre of the lens board? If so is there a simple way to figure out the right amount of rise to ensure the lens is centred? Maybe not a big deal with a lens with lots of coverage but still curious....

p.s. I have a Shen Hao 5x7 arriving soon and I was thinking lens board compatibility with the Linhof might be an advantage for some lens. Maybe not that simple?

 

[naturephoto1]

Hi Tony,

Quite honestly I am not sure if the cameras that have adopted the Linhof Technika boards for their camera are in fact set up like the Technikas. You may wish to check with Shen Hao or one of their distributors. You can also try to check how they manufacture their own boards, that is to try to find out if their boards are also drilled off center.

Rich