Digital back for Linhof Master Technika/advice sought

[Rafael Macia]

I have a Master Technika 2000. To do travel photography I have used 4x5 Linhofs in the field. Never in the studio, and never with flash.
I would like to switch to digital. Ideally, I would like a full frame back, that I can use with the 6 or so Linhof lenses I already have.
Can anyone make some recommendations ?

Thanks in advance

Rafael

Happy Holidays !

[Bob Salomon]

First, a full format back would be a scanning back like a Betterlight or an Anagramm.
Most people use a live capture back like a Phaseone.
Putting digital live capture backs on a Linhof Technika from the IV to the Master and the 2000 and 3000 is very easy. You can use the 001693 Linhof DigiAdapter to put any Hasselblad V compatible digital back on the camera. Or you can use the new Linhof sliding and shift back on any IV, V, old Master or 3000 cameras directly. For later Master Technika and the 2000 cameras a small modification to the camera is necessary. This adapter takes adapters that accept Hasselblad V, Hasselblad H, Contax 645 or Mamiya 645 Af digital backs.
Lastly your lenses were designed for film, not digital. For the optimal results from a digital back you would need digital lenses. FotoCare Ltd. in NYC can guide you with the adaptation to digital.

[Spencer Ladd]

I am considering a move to digital equipment also. Currently, I use a TK 45 with new Rodenstock "Film" lenses. I would like to keep my TK 45. Believe it or not I work fairly quickly with the camera.

Where should I begin? I can't afford to replace 5 lenses and purchase a digital back.

If I purchase a Phase One 22 MP back do I need new lenses? Can I make 30x40 prints with 22 MPs? Are there practical problems that prohibit a scanner back in remote locations? Are there practical problems with Phase One backs in remote locations. I travel to the Andes and stay in the mountains away from electricity for several days.

Should I purchase a new set of digital lenses and buy the back later? Will they work, color accuracy, with film?

I would like to stay with the 4x5 format and a sliding back.

[Bob Salomon]

I am considering a move to digital equipment also. Currently, I use a TK 45 with new Rodenstock "Film" lenses. I would like to keep my TK 45. Believe it or not I work fairly quickly with the camera.

Where should I begin? I can't afford to replace 5 lenses and purchase a digital back.

If I purchase a Phase One 22 MP back do I need new lenses? Can I make 30x40 prints with 22 MPs? Are there practical problems that prohibit a scanner back in remote locations? Are there practical problems with Phase One backs in remote locations. I travel to the Andes and stay in the mountains away from electricity for several days.

Should I purchase a new set of digital lenses and buy the back later? Will they work, color accuracy, with film?

I would like to stay with the 4x5 format and a sliding back.

You will need the 001693 DigiAdadpter and a Hasselblad V back. Best results will be with digital lenses, not film lenses.

[Rafael Macia]

First, a full format back would be a scanning back like a Betterlight or an Anagramm.
Most people use a live capture back like a Phaseone.
Putting digital live capture backs on a Linhof Technika from the IV to the Master and the 2000 and 3000 is very easy. You can use the 001693 Linhof DigiAdapter to put any Hasselblad V compatible digital back on the camera. Or you can use the new Linhof sliding and shift back on any IV, V, old Master or 3000 cameras directly. For later Master Technika and the 2000 cameras a small modification to the camera is necessary. This adapter takes adapters that accept Hasselblad V, Hasselblad H, Contax 645 or Mamiya 645 Af digital backs.
Lastly your lenses were designed for film, not digital. For the optimal results from a digital back you would need digital lenses. FotoCare Ltd. in NYC can guide you with the adaptation to digital.

So,
If I understand correctly; .... the full frame coverage I seek, is one that a scanning back has, rather than a capture back.
The scanning back is probably, (although I don't know), a studio digital solution.
Could you clear me up on that ?
The capture back you mention is a field solution. But it is not a full frame solution.
Am I correct so far ?

Now when you say "results would be better"l with digital lenses.
In what respect ?

What, in other words what would be the negative influences/results of using film lenses with digital ?
thanks!

[Bob Salomon]

So,
If I understand correctly; .... the full frame coverage I seek, is one that a scanning back has, rather than a capture back.
The scanning back is probably, (although I don't know), a studio digital solution.
Could you clear me up on that ?
The capture back you mention is a field solution. But it is not a full frame solution.
Am I correct so far ?

Now when you say "results would be better"l with digital lenses.
In what respect ?

What, in other words what would be the negative influences/results of using film lenses with digital ?

thanks!

Correct, full or close to full frame backs are usually scanning and tethered to the computer and not a good field solution. Why do you insist on full frame? What size output will you need?

Analog lenses - yours, hit optimal apertures at f22 for most and f11-16 for some short ones. Digital likes more light so digital lenses hit optimal aperture around f8. Film sags digital does not. So the demands on a lens for digital are higher and the angle the light rays hit the digital sensor are different then the angle film requires. Lastly digital is perfectly flat. film isn't. So digital lenses produce higher quality results then film lenses do.

Since a live capture digital back has a smaller image area then large format film the same depth of field will be acquired at f8 as when using film and f22 so DOF is not a problem with digital lenses. But, as I said earlier, check with FotoCare. They have experts at digital imaging and can show you. They also rent the stuff.

[Bob Salomon]

I am considering a move to digital equipment also. Currently, I use a TK 45 with new Rodenstock "Film" lenses. I would like to keep my TK 45. Believe it or not I work fairly quickly with the camera.

Where should I begin? I can't afford to replace 5 lenses and purchase a digital back.

If I purchase a Phase One 22 MP back do I need new lenses? Can I make 30x40 prints with 22 MPs? Are there practical problems that prohibit a scanner back in remote locations? Are there practical problems with Phase One backs in remote locations. I travel to the Andes and stay in the mountains away from electricity for several days.

Should I purchase a new set of digital lenses and buy the back later? Will they work, color accuracy, with film?

I would like to stay with the 4x5 format and a sliding back.

To use a Phase One on a 45 TK you need the back for a Hasselblad V camera and the 001693 Linhof DigiAdapter.

Do you need new lenses? Yes to get the optimal quality out of the back. No if you are satisfied with less then optimal digital quality. The beauty of digital is that you can see the difference immediatly if you do a comparison test.

There is no sliding back for a TK and the standards are not designed to be used with one. Don't forget, the TK is a lightweight L standard camera with all of the weight supported by that L standard. The other Linhof cameras, Technika Classic and 3000, M679cs and the new Techno field camera do all accept a sliding back. But the M679 series and the Techno are 6x9cm cameras designed specifically for digital.

[Rafael Macia]

Thank you so much for the quick and clear reply.

I have supplied stock photography to photo agencies. 75MB scans of 4x5 chromes is the norm for me.
.
So I would need digital capacity to equal that ( I guess )
Never making prints
No, actually I don't absolutely need full frame. I just wanted to avoid putting a 2 and a quarter capture area in a 4x5 field of view. It would be like putting a roll film back on my Linhof.
The back modification for the sliding back to the 2000 probably involves the screws,, they put in to prevent the removal of the whole back unit. My Master had the slide latches, the 2000 is screwed down.
again thanks
Rafael

[Bob Salomon]

The back modification for the sliding back to the 2000 probably involves the screws,, they put in to prevent the removal of the whole back unit. My Master had the slide latches, the 2000 is screwed down.
again thanks
Rafael

Correct, Marflex (marflex@aol.com) should have the parts needed. There is also another modification for digital. On the 3000 there is an extra drop bed position so the bed goes almost 90° down to eliminate the end of the bed being in vertical pictures with 75 or shorter lenses. Since digital can use lenses as short as 23mm this can become rather important. The Master and the 2000 can have this added if desired.

[Frank Petronio]

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/

http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/

Those two forums have a lot more medium and large format digital photographers.

While you can use a scan back in the field with batteries and laptops, it's slow and not really a general purpose camera set-up.

You'll probably end up with two systems or committing to one or the other. Using the smaller medium format sensor on a 4x5 is a challenge all unto itself, for a variety of reasons, which is why most photographers end up with dedicated medium format systems.