cikaziva
1-Jan-2014, 20:33
Lasst week i picked up a Linhof Technika IV in worst condition ever (big statement!), and i am trying to put her back to life (there is a post in DIY)section.
for last 20+ years am shooting MF and LF and i always loved Linhofs, i had III, IV 6x9, Technikardan 45, GTL and 617II in the past and i really love them for the build quality and precision, and its fare to say that i never owned a bad Linhof!
when i discovered this project camera i couldn't believe that all the movements work and that its virtually usable camera! that really add to my love for Linhofs and deep appreciation for craftsmanship.
once i started cleaning up, i started noticing some interesting this. thanks to Bob i learned that camera was made in 1960 and its easy so see some shortcomings in materials that was used at the time. someone left this Linhof in a basement without a box for more that 20 years and humidity did a job. leather was molded and bellows disintegrated but also what happened is that nickel plating started peeling off all over the bed and housing. for example anodized aluminum on a back and tick powder coating inside the camera held perfectly and i wink if camera was in a sea for all this time they would still be good. i was also amazed by screws! all screws ware rusty and i was afraid that they will be totally corroded, but they ware not, not a singe screw. all rust was just superficial and easy to clean. there is some problem where bronze parts ware meeting aluminum. also interesting thing to see is the way they covered camera. all holes ware filled with a wax, tan tabs of super thin steel ware placed over bigger screw heads to prevent them from showing under the leather. in this particular case that solution was not that good because tabs russeted and made a big holes and separate the leather.
on thing that i noticed is that ball jointed bars that hold back standard are nickel plated. i read several times that guys had problem, braking them and i never know why? they look solid and made out of stainless steel. i was wrong, they are softer then they appear.
over all this is interesting journey, i took apart my GTL and my 617 before and main diffrance that i can see is not the way they ware manufactured but the materials Linhof used 50 years ago and in recant years.
just my 2c
Luka
http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/uu96/nejad_ljemani/image-3_zpsa297c8ca.jpeg (http://s637.photobucket.com/user/nejad_ljemani/media/image-3_zpsa297c8ca.jpeg.html)
http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/uu96/nejad_ljemani/image-8_zpse14dcc90.jpeg (http://s637.photobucket.com/user/nejad_ljemani/media/image-8_zpse14dcc90.jpeg.html)
for last 20+ years am shooting MF and LF and i always loved Linhofs, i had III, IV 6x9, Technikardan 45, GTL and 617II in the past and i really love them for the build quality and precision, and its fare to say that i never owned a bad Linhof!
when i discovered this project camera i couldn't believe that all the movements work and that its virtually usable camera! that really add to my love for Linhofs and deep appreciation for craftsmanship.
once i started cleaning up, i started noticing some interesting this. thanks to Bob i learned that camera was made in 1960 and its easy so see some shortcomings in materials that was used at the time. someone left this Linhof in a basement without a box for more that 20 years and humidity did a job. leather was molded and bellows disintegrated but also what happened is that nickel plating started peeling off all over the bed and housing. for example anodized aluminum on a back and tick powder coating inside the camera held perfectly and i wink if camera was in a sea for all this time they would still be good. i was also amazed by screws! all screws ware rusty and i was afraid that they will be totally corroded, but they ware not, not a singe screw. all rust was just superficial and easy to clean. there is some problem where bronze parts ware meeting aluminum. also interesting thing to see is the way they covered camera. all holes ware filled with a wax, tan tabs of super thin steel ware placed over bigger screw heads to prevent them from showing under the leather. in this particular case that solution was not that good because tabs russeted and made a big holes and separate the leather.
on thing that i noticed is that ball jointed bars that hold back standard are nickel plated. i read several times that guys had problem, braking them and i never know why? they look solid and made out of stainless steel. i was wrong, they are softer then they appear.
over all this is interesting journey, i took apart my GTL and my 617 before and main diffrance that i can see is not the way they ware manufactured but the materials Linhof used 50 years ago and in recant years.
just my 2c
Luka
http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/uu96/nejad_ljemani/image-3_zpsa297c8ca.jpeg (http://s637.photobucket.com/user/nejad_ljemani/media/image-3_zpsa297c8ca.jpeg.html)
http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/uu96/nejad_ljemani/image-8_zpse14dcc90.jpeg (http://s637.photobucket.com/user/nejad_ljemani/media/image-8_zpse14dcc90.jpeg.html)