In former Yugoslavia, a lot of jokes were made about the car they built, the YUGO. One of them went like this: How do they test if the doors close tightly enough at the Mercedes Benz factory? They lock up a cat in the evening, and when they come back the next morning and the cat has died of suffocation, the seals are o.k.. - How do they test the door seals in the YUGO factory? They lock up a cat in the evening, and when they come back next morning and the cat is still there, the seals are ok.
Folks! My Linhof Bi-Kardan was from Mercedes country. And carrying it certainly felt like carrying a Mercedes. As 5x7 colour negative film is no longer available, I had a good excuse for getting an 8x10. I wanted a light camera with a lot of front shift. I can do very well without Transnistrian Esowood and Kirgisian Yak Leather, and I am unwilling to pay for such goodies. The Wehman looked like just the right offer.
Now, after two weeks of taking pictures, I wouldnīt say that this is a bad camera. Itīs super light and it gets me there. If some of the pictures I made with it were technical failures, the camera was not to blame. Alas, while my back and my mind repeat that all is well, my hands miss the Linhof.
Bookmarks