Thoughts on 5x7 Linhof Technika invited

[John Kasaian]

There are times and places where my 8x10 just can't get where I want to go. My "next best" is an old 5x7 Speed Graphic which isn't so speedy---the rail the front standard rides upon is out of whack and it takes a time consuming effort to jiggle the thing back in to close 'er up. This isn't a good thing since part of the attraction for me for shooting handheld 5x7 is speed---no tripod to mess with.

This has me thinking about 5x7 Linhofs. I know they're heavy---much heavier than my Speeder---but I find the ability to focus using cammed lenses quite attractive(they are cammed on the 5x7, right??)

What do you 5x7 Linhoffers think abouth your cameras? Which models(used of course) should I look for and what are the ball park prices for good examples?

An alternative would be a Crown Special, but I'd prefer working with a 5x7.

[Ben Calwell]

John,

I've owned a Linhof Tech III 5x7 for about five years. Mine doesn't have any cams; I just focus on the ground glass. I think mine is 50-plus years old. It's solid and smooth, but heavy. I got mine at Midwest Photo, and if I remember correctly, they were asking about $750 to $800. I got it and a Schneider lens (180mm) in an even trade for another camera that I didn't use much.
The front standard on mine is supposed to tilt backward, but it won't do it. It doesn't have front tilt.
The back movements are smooth and easy to operate, but the front rise is stiff -- the controlling knob for that is hard to turn (lubrication would probably help). There's a little bit of front swing, but it's hard to engage on mine.
The focus is as smooth as butter, but the focus lock lever is a little loose. In my experience, lens boards are hard to find for it.
I guess my biggest complaint about the camera is its weight and lack of front tilt. The positives are that it's a well-made tank and has good bellows draw (in excess of 20 inches, I think). It has a solid, precise feel to it.
I'm no expert on this, but I think Linhof made a Tech IV 5x7, which would probably be a better choice, and it might even have front tilt. Those, undoubtedly, would be more expensive than my old beater. I think Midwest had a Tech IV 5x7 a while back, and they were asking more than $2,000 for it. For that kind of money, I would buy maybe a 5x7 Canham or other, newer camera.
Good luck on your decision.

[Bill_1856]

I've often lusted after a 5x7 Technika, then I remember that at times I'm exhausted carrying my 4x5 Tech around. Yes, it is rugged, but it's also heavy and clumsy (compared with my 4x5 Crown).

May I suggest that you send your 5x7 Speed off to one of the excellent repairmen and have it refurbished, everything fixed, and brought up to usable standards. If it were me, I'd also have the focal plane shutter removed, and a Maxwell screen installed.

[Frank Petronio]

I shot for a couple of hours with Edgar Praus's 5x7 Tech IV. Beautiful camera but so heavy you might as well shoot 11x14. Maybe you could use a "whatever" brand 5x7 and mark the rail for infinty, 50 feet, and 20 feet for your lenses - that would get you 80% of what a cammed lens might do! But really you'd have to be on Steroids to handhold it - I don't know what Ole T. does in his photo though - I guess those Norse are just manly men.

If you can find a Wista Rittereck it is an excellent 5x7 camera that is half the weight of a Tech while retaining most of the best features (metal, bomb-proof clamshell) and more movements, but no rangefinder. I had one in the early 1980s and still kick myself...

If you are really nuts, you could take a Hugo Meyer RF from an old Graphic and make it work with a 5x7 and a dedicated lens, couldn't you?

[John Kasaian]

I really like my old 5x7 Speeder, the problem with getting it repaired is---no parts! Most of the 4x5 Graphic stuff dosen't translate in 5x7(at least the part I need!) The alternative, removing the rails and trying to bend hem into shape on a jig would risk breakage which definately wouldn't be a good thing. Maybe this would be a chance I need to take. If Fred Lustig is still in business I'll take it to him (any excuse is a good excuse for me to go to Reno) but if He can't help me, does anyone know of a repair shop that can? BTW I contacted Flutot's some time ago and Carol dosen't have the part :-( Perhaps Marflex?

BTW, just how heavy is a 5x7 Technika? Would it be over 9 or 10#?

[Frank Petronio]

I never weighed one but I think it is 20#! It felt like a 12-inch concrete block from being a mason's tender.

[Bill_1856]

There's Richard Ritter at www.lg4mat.net. Anything he can't fix, he can make a new one. And of course our old friend Grimes.

[Leonard Robertson]

I've often wondered about the weight of a 5X7 Tech. I Googled and couldn't find much info. I dug through my old Linhof catalogs. The '60s catalogs covering the IV seem to skim over this detail. Finally in a '50s catalog the weight of a Tech III was given as 4.8kg. Isn't that about 10 1/2 pounds? I don't know if that includes The Finder and The Grip. I suspect the the Tech IV was the same weight or more. If a Tech does what you want it too, maybe it is worth carrying a few extra pounds. My 5X7 Speed weighs 6 1/2 pounds. If you are thinking of a camera to do "everything", then the Tech movements may be worth adding four pounds of weight and lightening your wallet $1500-2500 (or more. If you want cammed lens/lenses you probably want to get a camera that has them included). If you are primarily handholding, I suspect it is worth fixing your Speed. Straightening your Speed front track may be worth trying first. Having a new track made wouldn't be impossible, but you'll need to find a retired or amateur machinist who works for beer. I have a Kodak Premo No. 9 5X7 that only weighs 4 1/2 pounds and is quite a bit smaller than a Speed. I've thought of grafting a 4X5 Graphic optical viewfinder with custom mask and accessory rangefinder onto it to make it a handholdable beast. The No. 9 isn't common on eBay, but when they do show up, they don't bring as much as the earlier 5X7 Premos, since they aren't as pretty (see http://www.nwmangum.com/Kodak/Premo9-1.html).

[Rob Vinnedge]

John,

I loved my 5X7 Technika V but sacrificed it last week in order to buy ULF film from Kodak and Ilford. At 12.4 lbs. but coupled with a carbon fiber Gitzo. I got around just fine. The Linhofs are beautifully engineered and easy to field strip and reassemble, which is what I did when I CLA'd it and replaced the old leatherette with new. Perhaps you saw it on ebay a couple of weeks ago. I do not photograph in a way that requires the rangefinder, choosing the loupe and ground glass instead, but the rangefinder does work well. Parts and service are readily available through Marflex and ebay. The Linhof 5X7's are rugged and dependable, and I can't say enough about them.

[Thomas Vaehrmann]

Technikas are fine cameras and can used hand-hold. Best you look for an example with cammed lenses because the cam was adjusted to the actual focal length of the lens. The 5x7 Technika III has also an rotating back but the older versions for metal film-holders can't be chandged to the modern international backs. So check this when buying. Actually I've only 4x5 but the 5x7 are similar, the can be cla and restored easily. 5x7 come by cheap because the film-size ins't common any more and it was the standard LF format in Germany for a long time.