I recently purchased a (silghtly) used Linhof Master Technika on eBay; I received it last Thursday, and was out photographing with it twice over the weekend. Herewith are some of my thoughts on this camera, and ones I've owned in the past...
My previous camera was a Gandolfi Variant Level 3 4x5. For those of you who are not familiar with this camera, you can read about it at www.gandolficameras.com. I consider this camera to be a flat bed camera on steroids - it has all the movements, a massive amount of bellows draw, and can even be modified into a 5x7. Unfortunately, with all this flexibility, it takes a bit of time to setup.
I am, by nature, an impatient person. Regardless of what I'm doing, I tend to jump into the deep end, and worrying about learning how to swim later. So far in life, this has served me well. Learn by doing, I always say.
Back to the Gandolfi. I have pretty varied tastes when it comes to photography - I photograph architecture, abstracts, and landscapes. I had a Toyo 45A-II, but hated how the front standard locking mechanism worked - if you have one, you know what I mean - combining front swing/shift are a nightmare; based on my interest in photographing architecture, I thought I needed a camera with more (better) movements than the A-II. After much research, I decided on a Gandolfi. I purchased a used Variant Level 3, and initially loved working with it - the flexibility was great! However, over time I became annoyed with how long it took to setup the camera, especially when the light was changing. Opportunities missed, don't ya know.
It got to the point where I was spending more time looking at a scene trying to figure out if it was worthwhile to photograph, rather than getting the camera out and exploring the scene with the camera. I used to use my viewing frame almost to the exclusion of the Gandolfi, since it took so long to setup.
The last straw was last October when I was out photographing with a few friends, and the one fellow got off two negatives before I even had my camera setup. I missed out entirely, as the light died before I even got under the dark cloth. His camera? A Tech V. The writing was on the wall.
So I decided then to purchase a MT. It took about 6 months to find the right one, but I finally got one.
This thing is an absolute joy to use. It takes no time at all to setup, and is so well made, just using it is a joy. Exploring a scene is no longer tedious; quick setup, quick teardown. Movements silky smooth, and the entire camera is rock solid. I am very, very happy with my purchase.
I think what it came down to, for me anyways, is that it felt like I was spending more time setting up the camera than I was taking photographs. Now, this is obviously not the case, but it's certainly what it felt like. Yes, I know, to many people LF photography is about more than the final product; it's about the *process*. But, as I mentioned above, I'm an impatient person - I'm really only interested in the final image. As long as I have a big enough negative to make the print I want, how I get there, or what I use to get there is immaterial. What's important is that the tool in hand is as unobtrusive as possible (it's like any tool - if it's a pain to use, you won't use it). For me, all my other cameras have gotten in the way of my photography - the MT is the first camera that helps the process along, and because of that, I'm a very happy camper right now. Well, until the Visa bill gets here :-D
My past experiences have taught me that I am *not* suited for formats larger than 4x5; I don't think I have the patience (nor the stamina) to lug around anything larger. I certainly have respect for those of you who shoot ULF - I know I couldn't do it.
BTW, in case you're wondering, I've owned these LF cameras, in chronological order:
1. Calumet 4x5 monorail
2. Toyo 45A-II
3. Gandolfi Variant Level 3
4. Cambo 4x5 monorail (bought on eBay, and immediately resold).
5. Master Technika.
See you in the landscape.....
My previous camera was a Gandolfi Variant Level 3 4x5. For those of you who are not familiar with this camera, you can read about it at www.gandolficameras.com. I consider this camera to be a flat bed camera on steroids - it has all the movements, a massive amount of bellows draw, and can even be modified into a 5x7. Unfortunately, with all this flexibility, it takes a bit of time to setup.
I am, by nature, an impatient person. Regardless of what I'm doing, I tend to jump into the deep end, and worrying about learning how to swim later. So far in life, this has served me well. Learn by doing, I always say.
Back to the Gandolfi. I have pretty varied tastes when it comes to photography - I photograph architecture, abstracts, and landscapes. I had a Toyo 45A-II, but hated how the front standard locking mechanism worked - if you have one, you know what I mean - combining front swing/shift are a nightmare; based on my interest in photographing architecture, I thought I needed a camera with more (better) movements than the A-II. After much research, I decided on a Gandolfi. I purchased a used Variant Level 3, and initially loved working with it - the flexibility was great! However, over time I became annoyed with how long it took to setup the camera, especially when the light was changing. Opportunities missed, don't ya know.
It got to the point where I was spending more time looking at a scene trying to figure out if it was worthwhile to photograph, rather than getting the camera out and exploring the scene with the camera. I used to use my viewing frame almost to the exclusion of the Gandolfi, since it took so long to setup.
The last straw was last October when I was out photographing with a few friends, and the one fellow got off two negatives before I even had my camera setup. I missed out entirely, as the light died before I even got under the dark cloth. His camera? A Tech V. The writing was on the wall.
So I decided then to purchase a MT. It took about 6 months to find the right one, but I finally got one.
This thing is an absolute joy to use. It takes no time at all to setup, and is so well made, just using it is a joy. Exploring a scene is no longer tedious; quick setup, quick teardown. Movements silky smooth, and the entire camera is rock solid. I am very, very happy with my purchase.
I think what it came down to, for me anyways, is that it felt like I was spending more time setting up the camera than I was taking photographs. Now, this is obviously not the case, but it's certainly what it felt like. Yes, I know, to many people LF photography is about more than the final product; it's about the *process*. But, as I mentioned above, I'm an impatient person - I'm really only interested in the final image. As long as I have a big enough negative to make the print I want, how I get there, or what I use to get there is immaterial. What's important is that the tool in hand is as unobtrusive as possible (it's like any tool - if it's a pain to use, you won't use it). For me, all my other cameras have gotten in the way of my photography - the MT is the first camera that helps the process along, and because of that, I'm a very happy camper right now. Well, until the Visa bill gets here :-D
My past experiences have taught me that I am *not* suited for formats larger than 4x5; I don't think I have the patience (nor the stamina) to lug around anything larger. I certainly have respect for those of you who shoot ULF - I know I couldn't do it.
BTW, in case you're wondering, I've owned these LF cameras, in chronological order:
1. Calumet 4x5 monorail
2. Toyo 45A-II
3. Gandolfi Variant Level 3
4. Cambo 4x5 monorail (bought on eBay, and immediately resold).
5. Master Technika.
See you in the landscape.....