Lens for Linhof Technika III

<p>How to get an image on the screen: I refer to your picture on the previous page and my own memory – I owned a Technika III but a long time ago. You have obviously managed to pull the front standard out along the track. You will IIRC find that this detents into small semi-circular recesses at points along the track corresponding to various focal lengths such as 90, 135, 150, 180 mm.<br /> Once it has detented, you will need to press the button at bottom right of the standard to release it. You should find with the 150 mm lens that with the standard detented in the right place and the distance scale set to infinity, you should get infinity focus on the screen. The camera bed is racked forward by the large thumbwheel at front left – make sure you have disengaged the locking lever next to the wheel first.<br /> You will next need to open the shutter – this needs to be wound with the lever at the 11 o’clock position and then fired with the flat lever at 8 o’clock (or a cable release) to give a timed speed. It will IIRC open and close without winding at the T and B settings. To make the shutter stay open all the time, you can either use the T setting or set and wind any timed speed and then push down the preview button at 1 o’clock – it can pulled up again via the small lug protruding to the right. You should now have an image on the screen, having of course opened the hood and racked the camera bed out to the correct distance. There is a catch at front right of the camera bed, this holds the first and second racks together – to get a large extension, push down the catch and pull the second rack out relative to the first.<br /> Having gotten an image on the screen, you can apply movements if necessary – again IIRC rising front is at bottom left of the front standard, I think you have to pull the wheel outwards to unlock it, cross front is controlled by the wheel at bottom right, tilt by a locking lever at bottom left, back movements by the four clamp screws at the rear. I have forgotten whether the camera has front swing, if it does this will be locked by a detent in the center of the bottom of the standard, press this down and you can swivel the front standard a few degrees about a vertical axis. For further details, you’ll need a book on view cameras, such as the Kodak View Camera Guide, the book by Leslie Stroebel, or another.<br>

PS: All the controls I have described should operate smoothly. Don't force anything - some controls may be stiff due to dried grease, a light and precise-targeted application of a LITTLE WD-40 will not hurt - make sure it goes only where you want it to go!</p>

<p>Thanks David, I can get an image, the ground glass is nice and clear.<br>

Next, with the rack I have the standard locked at infinity which is the first setting then the scale goes 30, 15, 10 and so on to 2 feet. At infinity the image looks sharp. I assume I extend the second rack out for different size lenses?<br>

My real lack of knowlege is loading the film, I have no idea how this works, any tips would be greatly appreciated. The online instruction I've got says nothing about loading film.</p>

<p>Feet or meters?</p>

<p>feet</p>

<p>So I've done a bit of research on the web and understand the process for getting film ready and for placing in against the ground glass. I'm still a bit vague on how to use the rack properly.</p>

<p>What to do with the second rack? Nothing - unless you need the extra bellows extension for some reason. Cameras like the Linhof Technika are referred to as having triple-extension bellows, i.e. bellows that extend to three times the focal length of a standard lens, in other words 450mm. Without the second rack you will be able to focus to 10 or eleven inches with the lens standard close to the front of the rack, and all technical cameras are a little more stable with the second rack closed, but if you had a 300mm lens you would need to use this, and also if you wanted to photograph something at bigger than life size (1:1) with the 150mm lens. For ultra-close-ups, you need to find a way of focusing by moving either the whole camera or the subject, if you try to focus with the front of the camera you will go crazy.</p>

<p>You absolutely sure that the focusing scale is in feet? If it goes to 2 that sounds more like a metric calibration. View camera lenses except for macro ones, are not corrected for use at 2' and the cams for a Linhof camera will not track that close. But they will track, for some focal lengths, to 2 meters.</p>

<p>Bob, I think his focus scale must be the same as my technika III no 53674 which runs to 2 feet on both the 150mm and 90mm scale, it clearly says 'feet'.<br>

The cam falls off the follower at about the 3 1/2 foot mark with both the 150mm and 90mm cams.</p>

<p>That's correct, it definitely says feet, starting with infiinity and running down to 2. The word feet is above the number 2.<br>

I also found out that it has a rangefinder on the side in a weird set up which is working, everything seems to be in working order except the lens which is off for a service. Apparently this camera was used by the surrealist photographer Vilem Kriz who emigrated to California from Czechoslovakia in the 50s.</p>

<p>Bob, for your information, this is from the technika mentioned above</p><div></div>

<p>Hello Colin and welcome to the wonderful world of upside down (ground glass viewing). I have a T III with a camera box full of lens. If you like doing head and shoulder portraits, I highly recommend the Linhof 360mm. Big lens/shutter, not multi coated (never had any flaring or color problems but always use a lens shade with the older lens). You would be amazed what kind of glare comes off of grass and dirt.<br>

One GREAT thing with the older shutters... they are very easy to open up to clean and lube and keep in tip top working order. I do agree, get used to your 150 and you might be surprised with it's usefullness! </p>

<p>Mark,</p>

<p>Thanks for the info.</p>

<p>The previous owner of the camera has very kindly sent me some gear he used including a lens board. I'm looking for a super angulon on the net, how do I know if a lens will fit the board?</p>

<p>Ok, dumb question, the new old lens board has a hole 32mm, will a 90mm f5.6 or f8 super angulon fit? On the back it has a groove around the hole that is about 80mm.</p>