Hand Holding a Technika 4x5

[ljsegil]

I have a Master Technika 4x5 which had the rangefinder removed by the original owner. I am thinking of having it put back on and getting cams made for a few lens (currently favoring 110/5.6 SSXL, 150/4.5 Apo Lanthar, and perhaps a 210/4.5 Heliar; I think they might provide a nice mix of a classic to a modern look with reasonably fast lenses to help compensate for my own unsteady hands). The cost is not insubstantial. Therefore, I am wondering if people with similar setups (Technikas, Graphics,etc) do much hand held shooting and are they happy with their results, or should I not go to the expense and stick to a tripod and ground glass? Is it really possible to do candid type portraiture with such a setup, or to be able to travel more lightly for outdoor scenics? Are there other advantages to the availability of the rangefinder?
Any and all information/input/advice/scorn/whatever will be most appreciated (and please forgive my posting essentially the same question in some of the other photo forums in search of more opinions).
Thanks,
Larry

 

[Paul Howell]

I hand hold, or use a monpod, my Crown often. Shooting at 1/400 with fast film it is possible to get negaitves that are as sharp as hand held 35mm.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Larry, I've set up a 2x3 Graphic's RF for a lens and shot it handheld for portraits, scenics, etc. But no more, I'm just not steady enough. Whether you're steady enough is unfortunately an empirical question that only you can answer. Its clear that there are Graphic and, I'm sure, Technika, users who are steadier than I am.

Several million years ago my little brother had a 2x3 Technika with three cammed lenses, used it to good effect handheld. But we were both a lot younger then.

Cheers,

Dan

 

[RobC]

Ask over on the www.largeformatphotography.info/forum . I think people like Frank Petronio uses a Technika hand held for candids.

 

[BradS]

I have a Crown Graphic with the venerable 150mm Xenar and shoot it handheld, range finder focussed fairly regularily. It is certainly do-able. I think that the fast glass is folly in this situation however. You'll want to stop down to get some DOF...to compensate for the inevitable subject movement and focussing errors. I think that f/8 is about as fast as I ever dare shoot handheld. Usually try for f/11 or f/16.

 

[ljsegil]

Brad--I guess I was thinking about lower light indoor situations and trying to keep shutter speed up when I was thinkiing about the faster lenses. I take it you do not find it feasible to get sharp pictures without the extra DOF from smaller stops? What about the issue of camera shake at slower shutter speeds? What sort of ranges of speed and f-stop do you find optimal? Are you usually shooting ISO 400 or maybe pushing higher?
Thanks,
Larry

 

[BradS]

Yes, I can see your concern but...even on a tripod and at fast shutter speed, the Xenar wide open is all fuzziness and mush. I suspect those fast lenses you mention are that way too (I know the Heliar is).

Aesthetic commentary aside, I personally don't feel comfortable shooting handheld at anything bigger than f/8. There is just too much movement of the camera to shoot wide open. For example, focus with the RF then look through the sport finder to frame the subject...there's an opportunity to move the camera ever so slightly. Zone focussing is obviously, even more problematic.

I think it also depends to some degree on how close you are and how long your lens is as these two factors determine the DOF - or lack thereof. When I'm shooting the crown handheld, it is almost always people at 2~3 meters (6~9 feet). With the 150mm lens, I just don't have that much room for error even at f/8.

I am a big fan of Tri-X pushed to 640 and developed in Acufine for handheld work. I think that you can push TMY even farther in XTOL but I'm not fond of the tonality (haven't tried the new stuff). Ilford HP-5+ also pushes well. I've easily pushed it to 800 in homebrew ID-68 (like Microphen? or Acufine?). Out doors in open shade at mid-day, I've even shot FP-4+ rated at box speed....f/8, 1/60 easy!

My advice would definitely be to save some money on the lens and learn to like film pushed a little.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Here's one cropped from 4x5", handheld wide open Zeiss 135/3.5 Planar--

 

[Paul Howell]

Yes, I can see your concern but...even on a tripod and at fast shutter speed, the Xenar wide open is all fuzziness and mush. I suspect those fast lenses you mention are that way too (I know the Heliar is).


I am a big fan of Tri-X pushed to 640 and developed in Acufine for handheld work. I think that you can push TMY even farther in XTOL but I'm not fond of the tonality (haven't tried the new stuff). Ilford HP-5+ also pushes well. I've easily pushed it to 800 in homebrew ID-68 (like Microphen? or Acufine?). Out doors in open shade at mid-day, I've even shot FP-4+ rated at box speed....f/8, 1/60 easy!


My advice would definitely be to save some money on the lens and learn to like film pushed a little.

Try HP5 or TriX at 1200 and develop in Dinafine. I shot a Rodeo at 1/400 at F 22 with a light yellow filter.

 

[eddym]

It's been a long time since I shot my Tech V handheld, but when I have done it, a monopod was a great help. I only have a cam for the 180 Symmar-S, but using the rangefinder and the Multi-focus viewer, shooting handheld is pretty easy.

 

[Ole]

I don't often use the rangefinder (swapping lenses too ften to bother), but I see no problem with hand-held shooting. Or wide open shooting, for that matter - Xenars, Heliars and Apo-Lanthars can all give great results wide open.

 

[Jim_in_Kyiv]

Hi Larry,

When I first got into LF, I read Roger Hicks' book, and he paid some attention to shooting hand-held, or rather, shoulder-held. I didn't try it at the time - I'd just bought a tripod. But I've got a long weekend devoted to shooting coming up. I'll give it a try, too.

Thanks for jogging my memory.

 

[Ian Grant]

Like Ole I don't use the rangefinder on my Crown Graphic (it's in poor condition), I prefer to focus on the ground-screen, then use the fast frame finder, or the viewfinder.

Using slower film tests your lenses, my 135mm pre war Tessar would be fine for portraits etc, but it's corner sharpness is lacking even at f8 - f11 which is frustrating for the type of landscapes I shoot.

A more modern coated lens and faster film, HP5 in my case, makes a very significant difference, typically I can shoot at around 100th @ f22

Perhaps I should refurbish the rangefinder, it needs new mirrors, as seeing BradS image makes me realise the cameras potential for other styles of work.

Ian

 

[tony lockerbie]

I have a Tech V with the rangefinder which is very accurate (has to be) and only have the cam for my 150mm Symmar. Put the 150mm Sironar on and the focus is all out, so that cam has to matched obviously.
I hand hold sometimes without any real problems, the weight of the Linhof helps I find. I use the camera with the beaut multifocal Linhof finder, and often shoot 6x7 with the super rollex back attached.
I wonder why they removed the RF?

Tony

 

[blokeman]

I had some conversations with people at LINHOF about getting some CAMS manufactured (as I don't have any & the one on the camera when I bought it was not matched to the lens) and it seems that would be very expensive... from memory about 275 Euros for each, plus all the postage etc.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Yes, that's about what it costs. It can vary a bit depending on what else needs to be done at the same time, if they discover broken or worn parts, and such. They can cam lenses for the Tech V or Master Tech without the camera body, but it's best to send the body in at the same time to check the rangefinder and groundglass calibration, and have the technician install the infinity stops and scales accurately, and do a general CLA if needed.

 

[ljsegil]

My sincere thanks to everyone for the input. I think I will probably go ahead with re-installing the rangefinder, but just cam for the 150mm lens and see how things go from there. Time for more fun with photos!
LJS

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

It's good to start with one cammed lens to see how you like it. I happened to get a kit with four cammed lenses and in the years since have added two more to my 4x5" setup (one a lens that I bought with a cam, and one of my lenses that I had cammed), but with my 2x3 Technika, I thought about it for about a year, deciding which lenses would be good for handheld use before having them cammed. Generally the answer is: fast (and mostly modern) lenses that would be sharp wide open. Older lenses that would be worth the expense of camming would be Zeiss Biogon, Planar, and Sonnar, Schneider Xenotar, and possibly Voigtländer Apo-Lanthar lenses.