RF cams for Linhof Technika's

[Richard Boulware]

Several of my students and a new friend on the internet have commented on using second hand rangefinder cams on Linhof Super Technika's. One of my students has a Technika and has a second hand, serial numbered cam for a new (used) lens he just purchased. He is convinced that since the focal length of the lens and cam are the same, he can use them successfully. Perhaps, but most likely my student will have a one-in-fifty chance of using them together for best performance with rangefinder focusing. Why? Lenses are like people. They may look alike and have the same physical features, but no two are alike.

Take it from an expert who married an identical twin. I married the extravert while her sister was in introvert. After twenty years of marriage, the two switched personalities and I happily left with the two kids in tow, never to look back.

An example. I had Marflex calibrate and cam four lenses for my Super Technika V. They did a superb job and checked the calibration on the camera back and focal plane on their factor jig machine that checks this stuff to incredibly small tollerances.

A year later I decided to jump in and buy a mint 75mm Biogon. I happened to have a Linhof cam for a 75mm lens. Being an amateur machinist as a second hobby, I decided I didn't need to spend any money with Marflex. Boy was I wrong.

After about a month of fiddling and brain damage, I finally called Martin Arndt and Krikor at Marflex, and explained what I was trying to do. They explained why it woundn't work.. I understood that the personalities of lenses of equal focal length to not necessarily have the same curves on the RF cam.

I asked Krikor at Marflex (The Linhof Magician) if he could cut a cam for the 75mm Biogon using an already fixed infinity stop on the bed of my Technika V. Waiting with distrust, I was surprised when he responded..."SURE". (The infinity stops for the 75 and 90 overlap and cannot occupy the same space on the bed...they are that close.

When the package came back, Krikor had cammed on the infinity stop for the 150mm lens, set in normal position, and had cammed the 75mm on the same infinity stop, but adjusted the top most section of the focusing bed to the rear, lock in position. It blew my mind.

Checked it all today in preparation for a shooting session....and all checked out super accurate.

I have four infinity stops for five lenses. Go figure.

I checked the focus on all lenses at infinity, and at 50' and 5', focusing on the filaments on tiny lamps that are incredibly accurate when you focus on the bright filaments of a tiny 1mm clear light bulb. With that kind of focus target you are either in focus or NOT. No focusing that is 'pretty much in focus'. With this sysem you are either dead on.. or screwed.

I've learned through experience that my rangefinder is far more accurate than screwing around with a 8X magnifier on the GG... Only because Krikor did it. Thanks, Pal. I remember you fondly every time I shoot and after checking the GG....I feel a little foolish at the same time, knowing that I am waisting my time doubble checking a problem that you already solved for me. .

Happy New Year Krikor, and Martin too.

Richard Boulware in warm, sunny Denver.

[David A. Goldfarb]

My 150/5.6 Xenar and 90/8 Super-Angulon are also cammed to the same stop in the same way on my Tech V. I'm guessing it was a factory job.

Another neat trick on my new-to-me Tech V 23b is that with a 55mm lens, if you set it to infinity with the bed flat, you can drop the bed, tilt the lens back to vertical, and push the rail back one notch, and it will still be focused at infinity.

[John_4185]

Thanks so much for the information, Richard.

Do we have to send the camera along with the lens to have a cam cut?

[Phong]

My understanding is that Krikor is no longer with Marflex for almost a year now, and in fact he was more the Rolleiflex person, while Martin Arndt was more the Linhof person. Not to say who is better than whom. In any case, Marflex (i.e. Martin) just moved from NJ to North Carolina. This is up-todate information, as Martin has my Technika at the moment and camming a lens for it; I just spoke to him on the phone yesterday. If anyone is interested, I'll post the contact information later when I get home. Krikor sets up his own shop in New York City, specialising in Rolleiflex repair.

My understanding is that technically you don't need the camera to cut the cam(for the Technika V and Master) ; however, part of the service is to install the infinity stop, and to verify that the film position is correct and match the rangefinder, and adjust if necessary. I suppose that the latter is more important if this is the first lens cammed on your camera.

I concur with Richard Boulware that camming is not a trivial issue; I had asked Adam Dau at S.K.Grimes to cam a lens for me, and even he recommends that I have it done by Marflex. I also understand that Richard Ritter cams lenses for some/all Technikas, but don't know the details off hand. In any case, if I was using an inexpensive lens, I might just try my luck with a second hand cam and see if that works, as the cost of camming by Marflex may just be more than the price of a used older lens.

Hope that helps,

[Kirk Keyes]

"Perhaps, but most likely my student will have a one-in-fifty chance of using them together for best performance with rangefinder focusing. Why? Lenses are like people."

Actually, it's because of depth of focus AND lenses are like people.

[John Z.]

Richard Ritter did a cam job for a new tele 300mm Fuji lens I wanted to use on my Linhof 5x7, and did a perfect job. I imagine it was not an easy thing to de either, especially with a telephoto lens.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Phong--I'd be interested if you could post the new contact info. I e-mailed Marflex about a week ago to see what their current address is and to get some info before sending them my Tech V 23b with lenses for camming, and I haven't heard back, though it could be that they are just on vacation.

[Ted Harris]

Regarding Phong's earlier post. I would assume (although I have never asked him) tht Richard does indeed cam lenses since one of the cameras he shoots with is a Technika. Give him a try.

[Richard Boulware]

For jj and others. I'm pretty sure that back alignment comes with the package for caming. My assumption is that the back allignment is the foundation block, so to speak, for caming. I also recall talking to Martin about the Linhof factory jig they use to do this task. Perhaps it wouldn't make much sense to try to cut a precision cam that was calibrated with reference being an out of specs camera back. Best advice,....call Martin at Marflex. ( hope that gentlemen will post the new contact information for Marflex.)

Be well.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Richard Ritter advertises camming for the Tech III, which Marflex no longer does, last I checked.