Linhof Standard Press - weird film back - help!

[munz6869]

Call me curious, call me crazy, but I just procured an early 1950's Linhof 'Standard Press' - I believe it's a stripped down Technika III, with the only movement being front rise. I don't mind this - I have my Wista for serious work - I just wanted to play with a solid press 5x4" camera with a rangefinder... and it's solid!!

However - the back is really strange. It's not a spring back, and the height is about a centimetre more than a standard film holder (or double dark slide for those of us in the non-US world).

Here are some pictures:
101794 101795 101796

So my questions to the LF world are:
What IS this back? Is it some pre-standardisation format? The camera came with two 5x4" holders that fit - but they look like pre-war glass plate holders...

Is it replaceable? Can one simply clip on a back from a Technika III (or later)?

Thanks heaps, Marc!

[Bill_1856]

Interesting. Could be a back for GRAFLEX film holders?

[Jim C.]

I think Bill is onto something, the Graflex SLR camera film holders have a shorter plate so the holers aperture
looks more centered on the holdr, and has a groove along the long sides, the locks are straight bars unlike
the Graflock bars which have two tongues separated by a space.
Graflex film holders also have a groove on the dark slide side where regular film holders have raised strip,
the metal edge on right of your Linhof looks like it's raised, your Linhof back does look a lot like it will take the Graflex style holders.

[Bob Salomon]

What ir the seria number of the camera? Or do the letters RBP appear on the camera?

[Sevo]

Interesting. Could be a back for GRAFLEX film holders?

If so, it would be a very, very odd one - Graflex holders were slide-in (i.e. holder slides under the static right/under rail and is fixed with the left/top rail, which slides in parallel to the holder), while this appears to be a lock-down frame with something that looks like angled Graflok rails (that clamp down on the holder by sliding in at a maybe 15-20° angle from both sides). And as far as sizes go, Graflex holders are 7mm wider, but 10mm shorter than international ones - unless Marc measured the height on the short site, that is wrong too...

If there are "5x4 pre war glass plate holders that fit", it might be a back for 13x18cm (5x7") sheet metal holders (it can't be 4x5" or 10x15cm sheet metal, as these would be smaller in all dimensions than international) - that was a common German size in Technika III days. Do the holders contain reducing metal film sheaths?

[munz6869]

What ir the seria number of the camera? Or do the letters RBP appear on the camera?

Hi Bob - I hoped you'd spot this thread! :)

There's a faint serial on the drop bed (below 'Linhof') - it looks like 41318

Nowhere can I see 'RBP' - I was looking at another technika at a camera market yesterday, and where it said 'RBP', this one only says 'Made in Germany'.

Marc!

[munz6869]

If there are "5x4 pre war glass plate holders that fit", it might be a back for 13x18cm (5x7") sheet metal holders (it can't be 4x5" or 10x15cm sheet metal, as these would be smaller in all dimensions than international) - that was a common German size in Technika III days. Do the holders contain reducing metal film sheaths?

The two wooden holders that came with it clearly say 'Folmer Graflex 4x5" film holder' on them, and the back looks in no way large enough for 5x7", so I'd say it's a 4x5" camera (it's only as big as my Wista).

Marc!

[Sevo]

The two wooden holders that came with it clearly say 'Folmer Graflex 4x5" film holder' on them,

Then it will be Graflex. I've never seen a Graflex frame with such a modern Graflok like rail arrangement, but that might be due to this one being very late and third party.

[Bob Salomon]

Hi Bob - I hoped you'd spot this thread! :)

There's a faint serial on the drop bed (below 'Linhof') - it looks like 41318

Nowhere can I see 'RBP' - I was looking at another technika at a camera market yesterday, and where it said 'RBP', this one only says 'Made in Germany'.

Marc!

41318 was the Standard Press made in 1951. If it was complete it would have come with the 127mm Press Xenar 3.5 lens. This camera was designed for the U.S. press camera market. It has no swing/tilt frame and a rigid lens standard so it was a true prss camera. Since it was a simplified III the backs that fit a III would fit this camera. It sounds like your camera may have a back from the earlier Technika since most cameras made after the war and up to re-unification would have usually have been marked West Germany rather then Germany.

[munz6869]

41318 was the Standard Press made in 1951. If it was complete it would have come with the 127mm Press Xenar 3.5 lens. This camera was designed for the U.S. press camera market. It has no swing/tilt frame and a rigid lens standard so it was a true prss camera. Since it was a simplified III the backs that fit a III would fit this camera. It sounds like your camera may have a back from the earlier Technika since most cameras made after the war and up to re-unification would have usually have been marked West Germany rather then Germany.

That's excellent info - it does appear to have the original 127mm Press Xenar f/3.5 lens and matching cam. I'll keep my eyes open for a 'reasonably priced' (ha!) Technika III back - are there substantial differences with the IV & V backs?

Thanks heaps, Marc!

[Cor]

Marc,

As I mentioned in another thread I swapped the back of my Color (a Tech IV on a monorail) with the back of my Tech III (version 4) without a problem, so you might want to look for a Tech IV back as well (I might consider selling my Tech IV back but perhaps trying in Australia is easier/less expensive)

Best,

Cor

O a PS: can you twist the back from vertical to horizontal and vice versa ? If so: twist it 45deg and if you see 4 serrated (?) metal/aluminium slides which you can slide out, that I assume you can swap backs.

[munz6869]

Thanks Cor, It does twist and is removable with the slide out tabs like the usual backs, so that sounds promising. As for finding one in Australia (cheaply), I reckon I have as much chance as finding Lasseter's reef (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasseter's_Reef)... so if you ARE willing to part with your Tech IV back, we should chat!

Marc!

[Cor]

Oh Dear,

I spoke to hastily..;-)..on second thought it is perhaps not too smart to sell that Tech IV back. I'll stick to my Tech III for sentimental reasons, and since it's a fine piece of machinery. The Color is my workhorse right now, it's very ugly but very sturdy and solid, quick to set up, and can be handled with gloves on. Should I ever sell the Color in favour of a Master Technika (not likely seeing the prices, and there is not so much more you can do with a Master which cannot be done with a "lowly" Color of 50 years old) I'll need that Tech IV back on it to have a change to move it.

Maybe a WTB for a beater III ?

Good luck!

Best,

Cor

[munz6869]

:-) No worries Cor, I now have a lead on a nearby-ish Colour, with what looks like a Technika IV back - so I'll give that a go... Thanks for your advice - I may make this thing useful yet!

Thanks heaps, Marc!

[munz6869]

Several months later, I found a back from a Linhof IV, and attempted to put it on the Linhof Standard Press... and... it works fine. The end.

109389

Marc!

[Embdude]

Call me curious, call me crazy, but I just procured an early 1950's Linhof 'Standard Press' - I believe it's a stripped down Technika III, with the only movement being front rise. I don't mind this - I have my Wista for serious work - I just wanted to play with a solid press 5x4" camera with a rangefinder... and it's solid!!

However - the back is really strange. It's not a spring back, and the height is about a centimetre more than a standard film holder (or double dark slide for those of us in the non-US world).

Here are some pictures:
101794 101795 101796

So my questions to the LF world are:
What IS this back? Is it some pre-standardisation format? The camera came with two 5x4" holders that fit - but they look like pre-war glass plate holders...

Is it replaceable? Can one simply clip on a back from a Technika III (or later)?

Thanks heaps, Marc!

The 1952 Otto Croy Linhof guide lists a back very much like yours on page 19. It is known as the "4x5 graflex type back"... I have not ever seen one until I saw your post...

PS Otto is rocking a Standard Press on the cover of his book...

205261205270

[Embdude]

cant make the image bigger or readable.... hmmm
205265

[Embdude]

I will try breaking it up...
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[munz6869]

This thread is a slow burn - revived 7 years later!! But that's very interesting and well-found!

Marc!

[Embdude]

Yes I really just wanted the information to get out that indeed it appears to be the first style graflex back that linhof made. I have traveled some weird linhof rabbit holes while I have been sheltering at home for the past few months...