Linhof Technika hand grip - useful?

[Patrik Roseen]

I own a Linhof Technika III with a working rangefinder and cams (90mm, 150mm, 240mm). Up to now I have only used groundglass focusing but I am now thinking of using the RF for handheld shooting. I have tried doing handheld without the Linhof handgrip (since I don't have one) and found that it's very hard to hold the camera, adjust focus, manage the shutter, pull the darkslide without getting my arm or hand in the way of the rangefinder, handling light meter etc without risking to drop the camera or getting muscle pains. Does anyone have experience from using the handgrip for handheld with positive results or should I just forget about it and continue with a tripod or possibly a monopod? Another question is related to the handgrip usually being on the left hand side whereas I would think it would be more practical on the right hand side (where the hand for adjusting focus would not interfere with the lower RF-lens)- any thoughts about this? THANKS, Patrik.

[Bob Salomon]

The Anatomical Grip makes the camera very easy to use handheld.

For the IV and later there are 2 grips. One for the left hand which includes a hand strap and a cable release and one for the right hand which has no strap or cable release as the right hand is usually used to remove slides, focus, etc. and the strap would make doing that more difficult.

Current grips do not fit the III as the holes to mount the Grip mounting plate on the left side have different hole spacing and the sliding mechanism is a different length then the one made for the III. Also current cable releases will not fit into the III grip unless you enlarge the hole in the grip slightly.

[Tedd]

Hej Patrik!

Jag har en Tecknika IV med grep och det är helt fantastiskt! Är du i Sthlm med?

[David A. Goldfarb]

Yes, I use the hand grip on my Tech V and I think if you adjust it properly, it makes it easier to hold the camera for a long period of time. You can rotate it and fix it with a set screw, so you want to angle it back to whatever position your left hand assumes naturally while supporting hte camera.

It does make it more bulky than the plain strap, and some people are used to the strap and prefer it.

[Bill_1856]

Tha anatomic hand grip cme with my Tech IV. It is so far offset from the camera body that I found it actually added to camera shake, so removed it, replacing it with a regular Tech strap. It's a lot more steady when used with my hand through the strap and gripping the left side of the camera body, like a Speed Graphic.

[GPS]

Hur blev det en svenk sajt plötsligt? Visst är det bättre med handgreppen.

[Tedd]

Sorry GPS for the Swedish. Force of habit. :0) Maybe we should start a " Vem befinner sig i Norden" thread so we don't get off topic.
I would love to meet up with more people frm the area.

Med vänliga hälsningar

tedd@soost.com

[GPS]

No reason for an apology, it was just nice to hear it. Det var för länge sen jag bodde i Sthm...

[Ed Richards]

I have a IV with the grip and I use it handheld quite a bit. It works very well. You rotate the back so that you are putting the film holders in the same opposite side from the handle. I use Tmax 400 for handheld, either with available light, or with a Metz potato masher flash for indoors. If you can keep a reasonable shutter speed, you can get very sharp shots.

[Tedd]

Ok. New Topic under "Meeting in Person" subject for those here whom speak Swedish.

Tedd