Linhof Techno or Ebony 45SU

[B.S.Kumar]

Wonderful work on your site, Ian.

Kumar

[tedw6]

I shoot a techno with film. It is a stunningly fine camera. I took it to Europe this past summer and I could go out and shoot 24-32 images in about 3 hr. With 4x5 I could shoot about 8 to 10 in that time. I can tell the difference between 120 and 4x5 from my prints, but few others can tell.

I bought mine from Paula pell-Johnson at linhof and studio in UK. I would recommend her highly.

I absolutely love this camera.

Ted Simon

[Ed Richards]

> I'm now moving into teaching

And you can afford/justify a $30/40K back? The really hard part is that you need digital lenses for digital, but they do not have enough coverage to do film, even 6x7, with any movement, if at all. They are also pricey. You could shoot roll film on an Ebony 2x3 camera:

https://www.badgergraphic.com/store/..._detail&p=3672

The difference in cost between that and the Techno will buy your lenses and a roll back. Film should be around for a few years, and by then you probably will try something else. Or just go for 4x5, which is the cheapest, but the most expensive per shot. If it is for your own work, then it is just what you enjoy, it does not matter what you shoot. But you will lose the least money on 4x5 when you move to something else.

[georgl]

I've been through a journey of different formats and systems for years and I will finally settle with 8x10" - I have a compact system when I need speed, convenience - I don't need a compromise.

I saw the Techno on Photokina and it's an awesome little camera and it's stability and precision make it a perfect choice for big enlargements (like typical MFDB-work). Using it with 6x9 also offers great quality - when you have an excellent scanner.

But you have a very small screen and despite it's relative compactness it's still a slow and cumbersome way of working.

IMHO, when you want to keep the option of an MFDB alive, I would take a 4x5"-camera because you can use some Schneider Digitar-lenses very well for 4x5" AND an MFDB (like the 120mm) and therefore you have a very small system with a quite big film area and the option of going digital. But maybe that's another lame compromise ? Difficult decision, I know... ;-)

[Ed Richards]

There is the added complication that digital on a technical camera really requires a laptop or maybe an iPad for composition and focusing. The one time I tried to compose on the GG of a digital back on a technical camera made it clear that to get the benefit of the sensor you needed focusing and composition assist.

[Bob Salomon]

I shoot a techno with film. It is a stunningly fine camera. I took it to Europe this past summer and I could go out and shoot 24-32 images in about 3 hr. With 4x5 I could shoot about 8 to 10 in that time. I can tell the difference between 120 and 4x5 from my prints, but few others can tell.

I bought mine from Paula pell-Johnson at linhof and studio in UK. I would recommend her highly.

I absolutely love this camera.

Ted Simon

Did you get the current version of the Techno or the original version?

[Rudgey]

Thanks for the kind comments Kumar about my work (all shot on a Canon 5Dmk11 with various TS lenses. Liked your site too)

Yes this is a funny time to get into LF again, great prices for second hand gear, like a Sinar for £200 on eBay, I used to use this monorail in a studio 20 years ago and they were state of the art!
Why do I feel like I'm just about to buy a Beta Max recorder?

I cannot afford a Techno with P45 etc, would love an Ebony but it may have a short life if film goes soon, would see them on eBay for £50 as an ornament in a few years.

Mmmm.. I could fill the freezer full of film only to find no one to process it!
maybe the answer is a cheep secondhand 5x4 for minimal loss.
How are Ebony and the like sales at the moment I wonder, selling a lifetime product that can only be used for a few years, a situation they cannot control.

[dave_whatever]

How are Ebony and the like sales at the moment I wonder, selling a lifetime product that can only be used for a few years, a situation they cannot control.

Given the average lifespan of a digital camera/back these days, I do find the above sentiment rather ironic.

[tedw6]

To bob s.
I bought it in April. You tell me. It was thevfirst one I'd seen in the flesh so to speak.
Ted

[Noah A]

...
Why do I feel like I'm just about to buy a Beta Max recorder?

I cannot afford a Techno with P45 etc, would love an Ebony but it may have a short life if film goes soon, would see them on eBay for £50 as an ornament in a few years.

Mmmm.. I could fill the freezer full of film only to find no one to process it!
maybe the answer is a cheep secondhand 5x4 for minimal loss.
How are Ebony and the like sales at the moment I wonder, selling a lifetime product that can only be used for a few years, a situation they cannot control.

Well, I douby film will go away that soon, and if/when it does it won't be all that sudden.

I shoot color negative film and I'm afraid that color film's time may be limited. I have about a year, maybe a year and a half worth of film in my freezer. I wouldn't stock up TOO far in advance just in case the labs stop running C41. But again, that will be gradual.

I don't worry too much about the demise of film ruining my camera's value for a few reasons. First, while I have very high quality gear, I bought most of it used and so my cash outlay was much less than it would have been if I had bought an MFDB system and a technical camera. The amount I spent on my film gear is less than the depreciation of an MFDB over a few years.

Second, if color film goes away B&W will surely stay around for a long time. There are many more manufacturers of film and chemistry. I would probably go digital if color film is no longer available, but lots of LF shooters would not since they shoot B&W anyway, so while the gear would go down in value, its value wouldn't go down to zero.

For the kind of work you're talking about (non-deadline personal work with a low to medium volume), film makes a lot of sense.

I personally don't know how much sense it makes to invest in a super-expensive wooden camera. It may be smarter to pick up one of those cheap sinars. And maybe a few cases of film.