How to focus on the Linhof 617 III camera

Hi, I am a Leica and Rollei user from Hong Kong. My main interest is

landscape. Recently, I am planning to add a panoramic camera to my

equipment. Linhof is my first choice. I would like to ask how to

focus on this camera, lens quality, and handholdability of the Linhof

617III ? Thanks very much.

The cameras come equipped with a helical focusing mount with

distances marked on the helical. these are very accurate. You

can use a variety of methods to focus: another camera, a tape

measure, an educated guess.<P>

Lens quality is excellent.<P>

You can hand hold the 617 cameras but you are better off

treating it as a view camera and using a tripod or some other

type of support, particularly as the "prime f-stops for these large

format lenses are in the f/16 to f/32 range. And if you are using

the 72mm or 90mm lenses you'll also need to use a center

weighted filter CWF) to get even exposure from center to edge.

As I recall the Schneider CWFs need two stops of exposure

compensation.<P>Composition with the 6x17 format is different

from other more square formats: you have to think about

composing your image so it "reads" primarily from left to rght (or

vice versa) rather than from foreground to background. <P>I think

you'll really enjoy the format and the camera. Good luck!

Thanks Ellis. The focusing of Leica or Rollei are by means of overlapping image at the centre. So Ellis ,does the Linhof 617 have any indication of accurate focusing on the view finder or camera back? Thanks. Joe

Unless you get a groundglass made to film in place of the film

(and you'll only be able to do this without film in the camera) the

answer is no.<P>Use your rangefinder on your Leica and then

refer to the distance scale on the Leica lens. the longer the lens

on your Leica the better.<P>Perhaps the camera in it's simplicity

might be too complicated for you?

Joe, check the bigcamera.com website for examples of how medium format cameras (many of which they've modified from Graflexes, etc.) can be used without any sort of optical focusing. Basically they demonstrate modified cameras designed to be used by scale ("guess") focusing and reliance on depth of field with appropriate high quality lenses. For landscapes and some architectural photography it's a perfectly sound method.

 

More important than ground glass or rangefinder focusing - assuming deep DOF - is ensuring the camera is level.

 

Sounds like a fun and rewarding camera. Best wishes.

With four frames per roll, having to guestimate focus is really no big deal. I can honestly say that the rangefinder in my xpan is basically wasted.

Thanks everybody. Yesterday, I saw a dealer on the photo magazine who were selling the Art Panorama 170 with Grandagon-N 90mmf6.8 at price of 24000HKD (around 3000USD) and is quite attractive.( Linhof 617III in HK at 45000HKD ,5700USD) Is this a good camera, can it use 220 film, and can it use other brand lens,like Linhof lens? Thanks. Joe.

Hello Joe:

Many feel that the ArtPanorama camera is more awkward to use than, say, the Linhof or the Fuji G617. I believe film is advanced using a red window on the back of the camera, so 220 film is not useable.

 

Bob Tescione

Joe, I've been fortunate enough to use the Art Panorama, the Fuji G617 and the Linhof 617III and I echo Bob's view that the Art Panorama is more unwieldy to use.

 

By far the most "handle-able" 617 I've used is the original Mark I Linhof Technorama with 90mm f5.6 (non-XL) lens. Because of the body design (round film chambers at each end, a bit like the handgrip of the Mamiya 7) you can handhold it with ease if you have - or want - to use it off the tripod. I have one I use alongside the 617III and I wouldn't get rid of it. It would be worth seeing if you can pick one up used but in clean condition.

 

Mark Jones

Thanks very much, Mark and Bob.

Linhof Technorama 617 SI (first version)

Hello, is there anyone who owns Linhof Technorama 617 1st generation? I have this camera without the lens inside Angulon Super 90 mm / 5.6 I also complete the lens of that period, which of course I can not use the whole range sharpening. The problems seems be mechanical. Lens profile shape.

The lens can be focused in the range from 8 m to infinity. I would need a photo of the inside of the lens profile. I do not know if the lens has not been specifically modified for use in the following cameras. Thank you for your understanding. Jaro