You can always hit the cam with a Bastard file ;-)
You can always hit the cam with a Bastard file ;-)
Frank has a good idea, but actually you need a very fine file and probably a small hammer and anvil. Mount your 150mm lens and set the infinity stops. Then check the rangefinder focus at a number of distances from close-up to infinity. Focus at a point on the ground glass and then see how the rangefinder image matches up. If you need to extend the track to make the rangefinder coincide, there is too much metal on the cam at that point. If you need to bring the track back, the is not enough metal on the cam. Mark these spots with a Sharpie pen. High spots can be filed down. Low spots can be stretched out a bit by tapping with the hammer on an anvil and then touched up with the file. I used Linhofs and cut cams for them for many years. Many factory cams for Technika IV cameras showed sings of being hammered as above when originally fitted to cameras.
Cutting a new cam, or reworking an old cam involves a lot of "putting it in and taking it out".
a delayed thanks for your further replies and tips. I'm getting wiser on the little machine I've bought. Bellows and ground glass have arrived - just waiting for the new leather and a pixi screwdriver to adjust the infinity stops and further explore the cam.
A little 'end question' to all you experienced technika owners: your favorite lens that fits inside the camera when closed?
All of mine have way too big front elements. Any tip for something in the 150-ish range with a large aperture?
I have a 150/4.5 Xenar that came cammed with my Tech V, but most of the modern 135-150mm f:5.6 plasmats in a Copal 0 shutter will close with the camera.
The cam may work better than it first appears. The difference between cams seems to be more in locating the infinity position, than in the shape of the cam.Originally Posted by mortensen
It's been my experiece that if you focus the rangefinder on something moderately close (say 10 feet, or 3 meters), then lock the bed and carefully focus your lens by squeezing the little locks at the base of the front standard and moving it carefully back and forth on the track until the ground glass image is in exact focus, then the rangefinder image will probably track the focus of the lens quite well. Move the infinity stops to this position on the rails and you've got a rangefinder-focused lens, at least between 4 or 5 feet to infinity.
I have found this to work for several lenses, but as they say, it may not work for yours. It's an easy thing to do, and worth the effort.
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
A 150 Symmar will fit when closed, so will a 150 Apo Ronar. A 150 Symmar-S will fit also if you reverse it for transport (rear lens element pointing forward).
Greetings, Thomas
Thomas Greutmann, http://www.blackandwhitegallery.de
"will fit also if you reverse it for transport (rear lens element pointing forward)"
If the 150 Apo Sironar N or S or the Symmar or Symmar S are properly mounted on the 001015 lens board then the camera will close with the lens on the camera without changing the position of the lens from taking position.
If you mount it in the proper semi-recessed board, even the 135/3.5 Xenotar will close but it is ever so close - Linhof has figured this out for most likely lenses and made a large number of lensboards with precise spacing to get the lens to close (or in the case of wide angles, to hit the focusing track optimally). It is hard to underestimate the labor and engineering they put into figuring this minutia out.
You get what you pay for, in every case I've found it better in the end to spend the money on doing it right and having Marflex or the factory person in your area work on it with real OEM parts.
Also, if you have it done properly, lenses can share one set of infinity stops, like 90/150 or 75/135. With the shorter lens, you push the rail back one stop to compensate for the difference in focal length.
Bob, thanks for the hint, I wasn't aware of this. My Symmar-S is on a flat board. I just tried it with a recessed board and everything fits and closes nicely. Much more convenient this way of course.
Learnt something.
Greetings, Thomas
Thomas Greutmann, http://www.blackandwhitegallery.de
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks