Linhof Technica and Close-Up

[ralf]

Greetings,

 

I'm considering getting a (used) Linhof Technica for outdoor

photography. Question now, how suitable is this model for close-up

work and what lens should I use with it? My main interest would be

blossoms and I would like decent DOF as well as short shutter times

considering wind.

 

Thanks,

Ralf

[scott walton]

I have a Technika III and regularly use a 180 Macro. Most of the time I do syncro/sun with a Norman 400B and a small soft box with superb results. The flash stops the action and the depth of field is great and just drag the shutter for the ambient light.

[dan_fromm2]

I recently started shooting flowers with the rough (don't laugh, folks, think a little) equivalent of a 2x3 Technika, a 2x3 Speed Graphic. Have been working at roughly 2.5:1 (yes, larger than life-size). The first results are very encouraging, but of course there are drawbacks relative to doing the same thing with a 35mm SLR.

 

What's nice? Huge (relatively) negative/slide.

 

What's really nasty? Locking everything down so the camera doesn't move when I insert the film holder (Adapt-A-Roll 620, goes in like a sheet film holder). Might be a little easier with a roll back that attaches via the Graflok sliders.

 

What's absolutely necessary? Flash illumination. Ambient darkness just won't do.

 

What's surprising? Even with flowers that were blowing a bit in the wind the results are sharp (thank you, flash unit) and composed about how I intended.

 

Lens? I use a 100/6.3 Reichert Neupolar, which is sharpest wide open. @ 2.5:1 and f/11 it is still quite sharp. To get more extension than my Graphic can give unaided, I use a couple of adapters and (surprise) E. Leitz New York extension tubes in front of the shutter (Copal # 1). No mount vignetting with as much as 100 mm added extension.

 

Other lenses? A good but expensive alternative to my Neupolar would be a 100/6.3 Luminar. A probably ok less expensive alternative (don't have one, so can't evaluate) would be a 105/4.5 Tominon as sold for the Polaroid MP-4. FWIW, the 17/4 and 35/4.5 Tominons are quite good. Or, any decent process lens of the right focal length put on shutter or front mounted. I've set up a 210/9 Konica Hexanon GRII for use close-up on a Nikon to get more working distance than my 200/4 AIS MicroNikkor offers; it is better @ 1:2 than the MicroNikkor.

 

Generalization? IIRC, the Technika offers triple extension, and double extension puts the front standard at the front of the front door. So, if you use a lens of normal focal length for your format, 1:1 is easily attainable and physically possible (door well away from subject). With shorter lenses and much magnification, the front door will get in the way.

 

Depth of field? Um, er, ah, not to be insulting or dense or anything bad, but what's that? You might get a useful amount if you shoot well below 1:1, otherwise there just isn't much around.

 

Squander money, take pictures, and have fun. All kidding aside, photomacrography in the field with a press, technical, or view camera is not easy. Think hard, try it if you can with borrowed gear before you commit yourself. This is one type of photography where SLRs really are much much better tools unless you must have the big negative.

 

Cheers,

 

Dan

[qtluong]

I would think that having a lot of flexibility

in movements (you want to be able to do very

precise placements of the plane of focus, as well as

control the subject/background relationships)

as well as rear focus (front focus changes the magnification,

and forces you to recompose)

would be important,

which in my view would disquality the Technica and favor

a monorail. On a side note, it's pretty unpractical to

use 4x5 for flower photography,

especially outdoors. Larry Ulrich, a 4x5 photographer,

is also a wildflower specialist and resorts to 2x3 for

those shots.

[brian_ellis3]

I don't think any large format (4x5 and larger) is ideally suited to macro photography. To get 1:1 (i.e. life size) magnification you'll need to extend the bellows to twice the focal length of the lens you're using. E.g., with a 150 mm lens, you'll need to extend the bellows to 300 mm. That automatically brings bellows compensation into play, which means a longer exposure time, which may also lead to reciprocity problems and a still longer exposure time. Also, with the focal length lenses you'll likely be using, and the short distance from lens to subject, depth of field will be almost non-existent at 1:1 or thereabouts. Your desires for decent depth of field and short shutter times are mutually exclusive - to get any depth of field at all you'll need very small apertures, which means longer exposure times especially when coupled with bellows compensation and possibly reciprocity failure. Personally I'd use a medium format camera with a good macro lens and forget 4x5 for the kind of work you're describing.

[david_hempenstall1]

ralf,

 

i use my tech V for close-up work with a 150mm.

 

QTL made a great point about rear focus, which can be

accomplished to a small degree with the tech (keeping

everything squared etc is by eye). not as many options as a

geared rear standard. and when you want to just raise both

standards a fraction to tighten the composition..AAAHHH!

 

get that lens where you want it then do the final focus on the rear.

easy.

 

remember 'bellows extension' will affect every format (a fact of

life, 1:1 loses 2 stops).

 

the problem is with the larger format you are already out at fairly

small apertures.

 

decide what you want (big film or faster times) then dance with

the respective devil....

 

the wind generally picks up after sunrise, so those few precious

minutes of breaking light may be your friend.

 

you can always get a pack or something upwind to try and

provide some shelter.

 

remember you'll also have to shield the bellows from the wind (i

stand in front of it, some people use umbrellas).

 

in terms of lenses i guess the process or corrected lenses may

be the best.

 

just as a stupid thought ( and something i have not tried yet).

closeup diopter: no need to rack the bellows out to breaking

point (avoiding the additional stops you lose = shorter times &

less exposure to the elements (wind etc). probably flawed

somewhere.

 

have fun which ever way you go.

 

regards

dave

[david_hempenstall1]

maybe i should think about that 'breaking light' comment.

 

seems the little flowers aren't always awake like the foolish LF

photographers tramping around before sun up.

 

regards,

dave

[bob_salomon]

Macro is quite easy with a Technika. You can easily get well beyond lifesize

uzing reversed enlarging lenses mounted in a shutter. The Linhof Macro (not

the Micro) Shutter/Lensboard easily allowed 14:1 depending on the lens.

 

This board/shutter has been discontinued but some are still around used. Just

make sure you get the Copal shutter version as it has stanard 39mm threads.

The earlier Compur one required adapters for the various Luminar threads.