Need some advice!

[photoluver]

M

Please arrange a rental of your intended camera, and take a large format class or workshop before you buy. At least be as prudent as you would over the purchase of a new pair of shoes.

There are LOTS of good workshops available that will help; here is an example of a good one:

http://www.theworkshops.com/catalog/courses/index.asp?CourseID=2770&SchoolID=20

Good luck.

Thanks for the link to the course. I am actually looking into whether I can find something similar here in Canada. With a young baby in tow, it is not feasible for me at this time to take a week off for a course, though I would love to.

I should point out that I am not approaching my purchase of LF gear the same way as I would buy shoes, if only b/c I seldom give much thought to shoe purchases. You're talking to the wrong woman if you think I spend a lot of time over shoe purchases.

Margaret

 

[MikeS]

One thing to remember when it comes to folks selling stuff, they're gonna push either what they have on hand, or what they can get a better price on! As for wide angle support goes, how wide do you plan on going? The Master Technika can handle lenses as short as 75mm (fairly wide for a 4x5) without needing the accessory focusing device, and with cammed focusing.

You need to think about what you're going to be shooting, and how you're going to do it. If you want to be able to hand hold the camera at all, and not have to focus on the ground glass, then you'll need the rangefinder! If you never plan on shooting that way, then it's really not needed. Same goes with the wide angle focusing ability. If you're planning on shooting with a 53mm lens most of the time, then the MT isn't the camera for you. I think you'll find that either the MT or the 2000 are fairly heavy cameras, so a slight difference in weight shouldn't be a deciding factor, but rather weigh the 2 cameras capabilities for what YOU want to do with them.

As another option, there's currently an APUG member who has a Technika IV listed for sale on this website at what I think is an outragously low price, along with a couple of lenses. Here's the link to the listing:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Of the lenses he has for sale, the 90mm SA might be from the camera, you'll want to ask if the serial number on it, and the 90mm cam match. Even if the cam doesn't match, and while Linhof will tell you that the cams MUST match the lens/camera (with the IV they must also match the camera, with the V and later only the lens) I've found that I've been able to use a couple of mismatched cams with fairly good luck. One is a 135mm cam that seems right on, and the other is a 210mm cam that's fairly close, certainly close enough when stopped down, it might not work for wide open shooting. Of course, considering that you are looking at NEW Linhofs, you could certainly buy a used one, then spend the extra $250/lens to get Linhof to match a cam for you! Personally I suspect the need to have the cam so perfectly matched is just an example of German precision, with the old Crown & Speed Graphics, you could get stock cams, and they worked fine. You might want to contact that member, see if they'll let you try before you buy, or something like that, or heck, at the prices they want, just buy it and try it, you can always sell it if you don't like it.

-Mike

 

[photoluver]

One thing to remember when it comes to folks selling stuff, they're gonna push either what they have on hand, or what they can get a better price on! As for wide angle support goes, how wide do you plan on going? The Master Technika can handle lenses as short as 75mm (fairly wide for a 4x5) without needing the accessory focusing device, and with cammed focusing.


-Mike

Hi Mike,
Thanks for your post. I normally wouldn't be shooting shorter than 75mm, but because I also want to use a 6x12 roll film back for wide angle panos, it would be great to be able to use wide angle lenses without an adapter. It is my understanding that if I wanted to use 612 RFB on my 4x5, that it is better that I buy a LF 4x5 camera that can more easily handle wide angle lenses (ie, MT 2000 over the MT Classic). Am I wrong?

 

[MikeS]

Hi Mike,
Thanks for your post. I normally wouldn't be shooting shorter than 75mm, but because I also want to use a 6x12 roll film back for wide angle panos, it would be great to be able to use wide angle lenses without an adapter. It is my understanding that if I wanted to use 612 RFB on my 4x5, that it is better that I buy a LF 4x5 camera that can more easily handle wide angle lenses (ie, MT 2000 over the MT Classic). Am I wrong?

Again, what are you calling a wide angle? If you mean a 75mm lens, then it would be no problem on the MT. If you mean shorter, then you'll need the accessory focusing device with the MT. Another thing to think of, the biggest hassle of using the focusing device (to my way of thinking) is that it requires ground glass focusing. If you go for the 2000 it too requires ground glass focusing, so I don't see a major difference, other than the 2000 not needing the extra device, and also being slightly lighter.

The main thing is, don't let other people (myself included) sway you from what YOU want to do. Only you know how you like to work, and what would fit in with that style.

A 75mm lens would work fine with a 6x12 back on the MT, and I don't know if you would really want anything much shorter. On the long end, the MT can handle up to a 300mm lenses cammed (except that a 360mm tele-xenar CAN be cammed, and possibly other tele lenses as well).

Also, check my previous message, since you replied to it, I've edited it to include the listing I was talking about.

The biggest question is: Do you plan on using the camera as a hand held camera at all? If so, then the choice should be clear. If not, then there's no point to getting a camera with a rangefinder on it.

My Tech IV is the only camera I normally use, if I'm shooting 6x7 it's with a super rollex back on it. The only exception is that I do keep a 35mm camera in my car all the time so if an opportunity comes up, and the Linhof isn't with me, I still have something!

-Mike

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

That's probably right. The issue is whether you want to use the rangefinder. If you like the idea of shooting Weegee-style with a press camera or shoot portraits where you might want to check focus with the rangefinder while you have a filmholder in the back (I do both), then the MT Classic is the best thing out there. If you don't plan to use the rangefinder, but you like the solidity and precision of a Linhof, then the Tech 2000 is a better choice, because you don't need to mess with a separate wideangle focusing device with different lensboards for lenses in the 55-65mm range or lensboards with helical focusing mounts, which Linhof now offers for lenses in the 35-47mm range.

 

[P C Headland]

Mike,

Thanks for your post. At this point, I have decided that I am going to just "go for it."

Funny you mention the Master Technika Classic (the one with the rangefinder). Initially, that was my first choice for the reasons you mentioned.

Thanks!
Margaret

If you're going that route, you may also like to look at the "British Linhof", aka the MPP Micro Technical Camera. These will set you back quite a bit less, but (from what little I know!) provide similar capabilities.

Paul

 

[photoluver]

What would a 75mm lens on a 6x12 be equivalent to in 35mm?

Mike, thanks so much for your link; however, I really am pretty much set on either the 2000 or the Classic.

David, I guess I never thought that a LF can be used handheld. I must say that is an attractive option. At any rate, I am going on holidays for a week (starting tomorrow), so I have one week to give this more thought.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Here's some handheld work with the Tech V and the rangefinder--

http://www.echonyc.com/~goldfarb/halloween/

6x12 is hard to compare to 35mm, because the frame is longer and more panoramic. You might think of it as being comparable to 24-28mm in 6x12 (angle of view on the long dimension about 68 deg.).

 

[photoluver]

David, those are wonderful!!! Geez. Perhaps I should go with the classic.