Need help for Schneider-Kreuznach 90mm f8 Super-Angulon on Linhof Color 9x12

[thienhuy72]

Dear All,

I am very new in LF.

Yesterday, I received the Linhof Color 9x12 (my first LF camera) with TECHNIKA 90mm f8 Super-Angulon on recessed board. My Linhof color has standard bellow. The problem is that I cannot focus infinity.

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Appreciated if somebody can help what I need to do to use this lens for landscape shooting.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Huy

[Dan Fromm]

Use Google first. If you can't find an answer that you can use, then ask here and say you looked and found nothing.

First rule of LF is, LF cameras help those who help themselves.

See http://www.cameramanuals.org/prof_pdf/linhof_color.pdf . Since you can't help yourself, I'll tell you the answer.

You set the camera up with the tripod base between the standards. This limits how close the standard can get to each other.

Take the tripod base off, put it back on the rail behind the rear standard, move the standards to the front of the rail, move the rear standard backwards to focus. Do it this way so there's no chance that the rail will be in the picture.

[mandoman7]

This reminds me of my dad. Helpful and belittling at the same time.

[BrianShaw]

I highly value Dad Fromm's approach!

[Jim Becia]

If you have both base and axis tilt, just use your base tilt and tilt it back, than use your axis tilt and get it back to parallel. Then you should be able to focus at infinity. Hope that makes sense.

[Dave Gesell]

I used to have a Color and was able to focus a 90mm to infinity. Looking at the picture it looks like there is an extension between the face of the lensboard and the rear of the shutter. I don't have that lens (Grandagon-N f4.5) anymore, but I don't recall it having anything behind the shutter. Also, more of the rear cell protruded into the camera, but it's physically larger than the f8 SA.

[thienhuy72]

Thanks Dan and all. I can do infinity focusing now as per Dan guidance.
Huy

[BrianShaw]

I don't know about your camera specifically, but I have to do the same with my Cambo and even though it will work, a bag bellows is of value.

[Dan Fromm]

I don't know about your camera specifically, but I have to do the same with my Cambo and even though it will work, a bag bellows is of value.Neither necessary nor sufficient but, as you say, very helpful.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

Welcome to the LF club.
The Linhof Color 9x12 (as we used to say in Europe) was also "my" first LF camera in the mid 1970's. Not actually mine, but my lab's, where I was a student.
I liked the camera very much and was very impressed by the rotating back and the rock-solid German engineering. I used it for various tasks, including many polaroid shot on 665 P/N film with a true re-usable negative. Good old days ! Do not be impressed if you find here or elsewhere LFers criticizing this camera. You'll have to learn what is said about the Linhof color: all drawbacks of a monorail, all drawbacks of the Technika, and no advantages of either :)

Once you've got the user's manual, you are almost ready to make LF pictures. (remember the other old joke : in last resort and only when you are feeling hopeless, you may eventually read the manual; and if no manual handy, no problem, ask daddy Dan on the LF forum, he will grumble as usual, but eventually will give you all info needed :cool:).

If my memory serves well, you can go down to a 65 mm with the Linhof color, but certainly with a recessed board. And you can add an extension rail, so for long focal lengths you can go up as far as the bellows will go if you find an extension rail.
Have fun !

[Dan Fromm]

There is a link to the manual in post #2 in this thread. How do think I could be sure that the tripod base's position was the problem? I read the manual, which shows how to use short lenses with the Color.