Problem identifying a Linhof Camera

[cats lab]

Hello all,

 

my great uncle gave me today a Linhof camera.

 

It's not a 4x5, not a 5x7, but looks like a 4"x6".

The holders are made for glass plates and looks like this camera was intended to

shoot postcards.

 

He never used it. He's got other linhof cameras and we checked many back he's

got but none fits apart the ones he had with the camera.

I'd like to shoot a few sheets of films as he asked me to do.

 

I had a look on the web, but I can not find any info on this camera.

 

It has a lens plate with tecnika engraved on it so I assume this might be a

technika but which model ?

 

The compur shutter is firing right and even slow speeds seem to be more or less

accurate as we checked it on his bench.

 

I took a few pictures of the camera and the back I have.

 

http://www.catslab.com/linhof/

 

Thanks a lot.

[douglas_antonio]

cedric,

 

as far as i know this could be a technika I or II with the size 10x15 centimetres, which is

4x6".

nevertheless the distance between the knobs that release the back looks more like the one

on a 5x7" camera.

in the newer technika models there is an embossed size given if you remove the gg frame.

maybe this was also done for the older models?

all the info is an interpretation of details given in the linhof camera book.

interpretation in that sense that the book does not show the very old models in all sizes,

but just lists them.

not sure whether you can use film in those holders, or can possibly modify the back to

4x5. maybe someone else knows more about these details?

 

best of luck!

[douglas_antonio]

built round about 1936 as far as i understand.

[dave_s]

Cedric, you might get more responses on the Classic Cameras forum. This is quite an old camera.

 

I think this is a pre-war Linhof II, but someone will correct me if I'm wrong. The Boyer Saphir is a tessar-type lens made in France, and it appears to say '270mm' on it, which would be a long focal length for this format.

 

The holders are (I think) for 10 x 15cm sheets or plates, which is an obsolete European size. The long dimension is too short for half-plate, which is another obsolete size.

 

Interesting old camera, but may be difficult to put into actual use.

[cats lab]

Thanks Dave and Antonio for the answers.

 

Yes the camera looks pretty old but it in real good shape.

The mechanics are moving flawlessly, it's Linhof after all !

 

Antonio, I took a look under the ground glass but found nothing.

I searched also under the revolving back but there's nothing.

 

I'll try to play with 1mm matte blak cardboard and tape a 4x5 film on it to test the camera.

I promised my grand uncle to shot a picture of my daughter with it and send it to him.

 

Yes, the 270mm seems to be a big long for this camera but I've got spare lens boards so I'll try to attach a 135 or so.

 

If I succed in taking a picture with this, I'll post it around !

 

Thansk for all

 

Cedric

[brian_ellis19]

I don't know about the size but from what I can see from your pictures it resembles a 1936 Technika II more than any other Linhof camera I know of (though I certainly don't know them all). Does it have a detachable revolving back held in place by four lock slides? Is it triple extension? Does it have a leather strap on the right side (as you face the front of the camera)? If so then it's likely some version of the Technika II. The Technika II was made from 1936 to 1946, when the first version of the Technika III was introduced.

[ole_tjugen]

10x15cm was called "Postcard Size" ("Postkartengr�sse").

 

It should be possible to get film in that size, if you can find film adapter sheaths. A better bet might be go find a 10x15 to 9x12 reduction insert - 9x12 film and sheaths are a lot easier to find.