Linhof Kardan Standard 4x5

I`ve recently aquired a Linhof Kardan Standard 4x5 monorail. What a fantastic lightweight monorail camera it is, but try as I have, I cannot find any reference to this camera. As the bellows were shot full of pinholes, I replaced them with a new set (short 8 inch) bellows as I only shoot with a 90mm Super Angulon and shorter focal length lenses. I also cut the rail back to 12 inches, making this is an amazing lightweight at 2.1 kg, (minus lensboard and lens) but it seems strange there is little mention of this model 4x5 Linhof. Does anyone have any info on this camera? It has a revolving Graflok back with detachable (spring) G/G screen, with all the movements you`d ever need with amazing sturdiness. Any comments regarding this Kardan Standard would be most welcome.

Cheers from OZ.

To my knowledge the Kardan Standard is the predecessor of the Kardan M which recently has been replaced by a slightly modified Kardan RE. Most if not all accessoires for the current model should also work with your Kardan Standard.

Myself I decided for a Kardan M because the pricetags of comparable Technikardans and Arcas put me off. The more I use it the more I like it for its straightforward bulletproof design. My only wish would be a foldable rail. I need the longer rail and this makes the camera no revelation in terms of portability. Ok, the rise/fall adjustments could be geared or at least work a little smoother, too. Besides this nitpicking I can sincerely recommend this camera.

Well, it looks like at least the bellows are not interchangeable between decent and older Kardans, look at what Bob Salomon had to say 4 years ago:

Bob Salomon , sep 17, 1999; 08:12 p.m. The bellows on the ST and its predecessor the Kardan Standard 45 was rather special. It allowed full movements with any lens 65mm or longer with the non-interchangeable pleated bellows. You will not find 3rd party bellows that will be as flexible save possibly for the one from Lee Filters parent company who actually made the bellows for these cameras for Linhof.

View Camera magazine has run a two part series on the Linhof cameras . The first part was in the Jan/Feb 04 issue and part 2 is in the March/April 04 issue. If you can get copies it will explain all of the Linhof cameras and put them into an historical context.

steve simmons

Hi Dean (I haven't forgot you...) Aren't the Linhof naming conventions fun? All the cameras are Kardan this and Color that... it is almost impossible for anyone but Bob Salomon to keep them straight.

"Kardan"

Not really. You just have to know the history.

Linhof invented a monorail camera that had a unique method to do swings and tilts that made the camera the first yaw free design. On this model the tilt and swing were done at the same point on a rather complex universal joint that was similar to a knuckle. This was called a cardianic joint in german so they coined the word Kardan from that feature.

This model had a very short life and was replaced with a model with more conventional movements.

Virtually all the Linhof monorails save 2 or 3 used the Kardan name. So you had cameras with a long name like the Linhof Kardan Color JBL or the Linhof Kadan Super Color ST. In convention these names were shortened by users, dealers and the press to Super Color JBL or Super Color ST. But all were Kardan models.