Linhof Technika for Portraits

David A. Goldfarb

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Again, the rangefinder is not just for handheld photography, and is very useful for portraits with a tripod, because you can check focus with a filmholder loaded and ready to shoot.

With groundglass focusing it's focus, stop down lens, cock shutter, insert filmholder, remove darkslide, and shoot.

With the rangefinder you can still establish an initial composition on the groundglass, adjust the aperture, cock the shutter, insert filmholder, but then you can remove the darkslide, wait for the right expression, check focus with the rangefinder, frame with the viewfinder, and shoot, so you can be a bit more spontaneous.

If you're not using the rangefinder, then there are better options for a studio camera than a Technika. I find it very quick to work with a Sinar P, and the larger lensboards are a plus for classic portrait lenses.
 

df cardwell

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Get an old Kodak / Leitz / Voigtlander rangefinder.

Fasten it to the camera (Sinar, Crown, whatever)
Set up the shot, adjust the rangefinder.

Check focus before shooting. The model might lean, you might slide the camera... works.

A piece of string works pretty well, too.

.
 

David A. Goldfarb

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I'm a big fan of the string trick as well and use it often for 8x10" and larger portraits. It's absolutely reliable.

I've used the uncoupled rangefinder and focusing scale method when I had a 4x5" Tech II for a while, and it works, but the coupled rangefinder on a Tech III or later takes one step out of the process.
 
OP
OP

Bokeh Guy

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Thanks for all the responses. I've been looking at the Linhof, not as a studio camera, but as a location camera. Frankly, right now the tripod is appealing because I have a couple of Rolleiflexes that I can use for handheld shots.

I am a little bit in the dark on the cammed lenses though. One Linhof that I'm looking at has two cammed lenses, a 110mm and 150mm. If I bought some other lenses, I'd have to have those cammed if I wanted to use them on the rangefinder?

I'm doing a portrait series on a particular topic and appreciate the string suggestion. Will have to try it out.
 

David A. Goldfarb

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Yes, if you want lenses to be coupled to the rangefinder, they need to be cammed, and they need infinity stops, and you get a focusing scale as part of the package. For the Tech V and Master Tech, cammed lenses are interchangeable among camera bodies, so you can also buy new or used lenses with the cam and set the infinity stops yourself, though it's not a bad idea to send the camera to Linhof service to install the stops accurately and check the rangefinder and groundglass calibration at the same time.

Uncammed lenses can be used with groundglass or scale focusing, but if you have focusing scales for your uncammed lens (you can make one or buy one from Linhof, if the lens is a standard focal length) and at least one cammed lens, you can use the rangefinder cam for the cammed lens to measure the subject distance, read it off the focusing scale for the cammed lens, and then adjust the focus according to the scale for the uncammed lens. This works for any rangefinder press camera.
 

MultiFormat Shooter

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boilerdoc said:
it's a superb camera for portraits, either handheld (a monopod is a big help) or on the tripod. I take it to various festivals and want to try nudes next....I used the 180 or 270 tele with the cam for focusing. Works great!
Steve
Click to expand...
2F/2F said:
I will trade you one of my Linhof III (version four) kits for it! Each kit has three original cammed lenses (one is 90, 150, 240, and the other is 90, 150, 360).
Click to expand...

I know this an old thread, but here goes. How closely can you focus longer lens with the rangefinder on a Technika. I ask but with the Graflexs, I cannot quite get close enough for a "mid-chest and up" portrait with rangefinder focusing. I think I can get down to about 10 to 12 feet. Can the Linhofs go closer with a lens in the 240-360mm range?
 

David A. Goldfarb

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The rangefinder limit is about 5 feet with a 210mm and 10 feet with a 360mm lens.

To go closer, try using a string attached to the camera or tripod with a knot on the end. Extend the string and focus on the knot, position the subject at the desired distance by holding the knot up to some consistent measuring point like the bridge of the nose, then you can use the string to check the focus right before making the exposure. That is, leave the focus on the camera set, and then adjust the position of the subject’s head. It works with any camera, any format, and is highly accurate.
 

David A. Goldfarb

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Another approach for handheld photography would be to use a cam for a shorter lens that focuses closer, use that cam to measure the subject distance, and pre-set the longer lens to focus at that same distance on the groundglass. Then focus by moving the camera back and forth, looking through the rangefinder, without touching the focus knob.

It's just like focusing a close portrait with a medium format folder and uncoupled clip-on rangefinder. Set RF and lens for 3ft, look through the RF and focus by moving the camera.
 
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