Hand Holding a Technika 4x5

[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.