Linhof Technika vs. Technikardan?

[Jim Brick]

I owned and used a MT for many years. I had the rangefinder removed by Marflex. They put a matching flat plate over the hole. Looked great. I replaced the anatomical grip with a Linhof leather strap (screwed right on) so with no RF and no grip, it fit nicely in my backpack.

But I finally got tired of the difficulties when using wide angle lenses. Having to use the drop bed and have focus and front movements screwed-up. I got tired of the bedpost back movements. And I have a Nikkor T* ED lens set which has 360/500/720mm elements. I could barely use the 500 and could not use the 720.

I sold the MT for $3200 and bought a new TK 45S for exactly $3200.

For me, the TK has everything over the MT. It fits in exactly the same slot in my backpack that the MT fit in. It actually weighs less than the MT. I can use all of my lenses. It has full movements both front and back. It has degree markings on all movements. It has bubble levels all over the place. I can use a bag bellows.

The MT served me well. But I listed many things I didn't like about the MT. There is nothing that I don't like about the TK.

[Dave_958]

None of these cameras have the geared movements of the Arca-Swiss or Sinar-P. Longer bellows of TK allows use of 210 mm lens at double focal length to attain 1:1 image while Technika limits user to 180 mm lens at double focal length for 1:1 image (absent use of Wista extender). You use the lightweight compact 210 mm Schneider G-Claron f9 process lens at both infinity focus of landscapes and for closeups of flowers. The longer bellows extension of TK is better adapted for use of 300 mm lens for closeups and portraits. Then TK has indents/markings that ensure precise transfer of front lens tilt to back plate glass more readily with indents/markings. Technika has an advantage in that no change of bellows is needed when choosing wide and long focal length lenses. Be aware that with either camera, the tapered bellows will limit the maximum accommodated diameter of rear element of the lens. However, the small lens board (96 x 99 mm) will ease storing lenses in ba

[Bob Salomon]

"the tapered bellows will limit the maximum accommodated diameter of rear element of the lens."

No they dont. The hole in the front standard is what limits the size of the rear lens cell. It easily allows the use of lenses with a rear element less then 80mm in diameter.

There are not many lenses that won't fit the hole .

[Bob Salomon]

"None of these cameras have the geared movements of the Arca-Swiss or Sinar-P "

No but they have some. Both have fully geared focusing. The Technika has geaared rise.

On the other hand they are slf contained cameras. Unkie the inar the stanard rail is not 12" with longer obes available. All of the available extension Linhof offers is built in to the basic camera( Wista accessories can add additional accessories to wither linhof).

Additionally there is no need for a rial clamp as with a P or multiple ones on Ps with long rails.

The MT and the TK are cameras sprcifically designed to carry around outside the studio (while useanle in the studio).

The P and the Arca are parimarily modular monorail syudio cameras. Linhof als has this type of camera, 3 in fact, ranging from the full features Kardan M at $1175.00 retail to the Master GTL at several times the M price.

Try comparing these cameras to the studio cameras.

[Brian Ellis]

While choice of a camera is a personal decision, I feel compelled to respond to one of Bob Salomon's comments, i.e. his statement to the effect that opening and closing the camera is a simple matter if you follow the instructions. First, you need to figure out which instructions to follow. My camera came with the normal "manual" (actually just a large fold-out) which provided one method for opening and closing, and an insert which provided a somewhat different method. Do we get a sense here that maybe the factory had a little trouble sorting things out? Second, once you've picked a method (or tried both, as I did, without much success using either method) you're faced with being ultra careful in closing because you're squeezing a 20" bellows in between two standards that are about an inch apart when fully closed. It doesn't take many misses before you've put enough wrinkles in the bellows to cause it to sag and hence to be ruined, at which point you're looking at $500 or so for a new one. And no, to me it just isn't acceptable to have to remove and replace the bellows every time I want to make a photograph. I don't mind someone saying that for them it became easy to open and close the camera without wrinkling the bellows - we all have different abilities and tolerances for what's acceptable and what isn't - but I don't like anyone saying that if you have trouble with something it's because you haven't read the instructions. Sorry Bob, believe me I wasn't thrilled with the constantly increasing number of wrinkles in the bellows. I pored over both sets of instructions and none of them worked very well for me or the several other large format photographers at a workshop I attended who I asked to use the camera and let me know if they could do it (they couldn't).

[Bob Salomon]

Brian,

Too bad you never watched us do it 1000's of times at shows and demos all over the US. We will aslso do it endlessly again in NY at the show.

It is easy, it is fast.

Interestingly enough when the camera came out we sent 5 camera our for the press to test. 4 came back with a damaged bellows and one did not.

The one that had a pristine bellows bothered us as we assumed the writer did not use it.

So we called him and asked why he never used the camera.

He insisted he had and asked why we were asking. His response was that he followed the instructions.

You can always ask as he is a very visible writer today, Bob Mayer who reviewed it for Photo Methods Magazine

[Jim Brick]

Oh my! Opening and closing the Technikardan is simplicity itself. After buying my TK, it took me probably all of two minutes to fully open and then fully close it. After that, ten seconds to open, ten seconds to close. Less if I'm in a hurry.

Pinching bellows? How? When?

This is not rocket science. Do it "once" and that should be the end of the learning curve. It is dirt simple.

Thanks Linhof for a masterfully simple, compact, portable design.

[Bob Salomon]

Oops,

Red levers unlocked, green levers locked, all settings at "0"

Sorry

[Jerry Gardner]

Jim,

How do find the rigidity of the TK45S versus the MT? I'm considering either a MT2000 or a TK45S, but I'm concerned about the rigidity of the Technikardan when extended to the limits.

I'm also concerned about the L standards supporting only one side of the front and back of the camera.

In actual use, is this anything to be concerned about?

[Jerry Gardner]

Anyone have, or know of, a picture of the TK45S in the fully folded configuration?