Wide angle technique on a Master Technika 2000

[Uri A]

Hi people,

I use a 90mm and a 65mm (haven't actually burned any film on the 65 yet) on the MT2000. The only movement I want is lens (front) fall.

With the 90mm, I have it on the upper track and can squeeze a tiny bit of fall out of it by angling the bed down a notch. I just read a very old thread about rotating the camera 90 deg and using shift for fall. Have you ever done this? Any tips?

As far as I can tell, using the internal wide angle focussing device with the 65 prevents using movements at all. Then I had a thought. Would it be conceivable to mount the whole thing upside down and use rise (as fall, upside down) via the flap instead? Does this work on the internal track inside the body or just the lid mounted track?

Thanks for any advice.

[Bob Salomon]

If you unscrew the accessory shoe by taking off the large nut inside the body housing that holds the shoe on you will find a third tripod socket, this one on top of the body. The reason for this socket is so you can mount the camera upside down on your tripod so the built-in rise becomes lens drop. Just screw the nut back onto the thread on the shoe and put them someplace safe, so you don't lose them! On the 3000 the nut has been changed to an allen screw and the wrench comes with the camera.

You have played with the rise mechanism, correct? If so then you know that it is part of the front standard so it works wherever the front standard is positioned; on the front rails, in the camera housing, right side up or upside down.

[Uri A]

Thanks a lot Bob!

I don't have the camera in front of me so I had trouble visualising it :) That's very helpful about the third tripod socket. Much appreciated.

Any thoughts on the 90 deg sideways option, rotating the rear back up for vertical? It would be much easier inserting the film etc..

Thanks!

[Bob Salomon]

Thanks a lot Bob!

I don't have the camera in front of me so I had trouble visualising it :) That's very helpful about the third tripod socket. Much appreciated.

Any thoughts on the 90 deg sideways option, rotating the rear back up for vertical? It would be much easier inserting the film etc..

Thanks!

You will need a much stronger tripod and head and probably a sand bag to handles the off-set weight safely. But the Technika back rotates 360° so film insertion is no problem.

[Uri A]

Ah!

Another brilliant example of

(a) Linhof engineering
(b) Bob's courtesy, and
(c) Uri's dimwittedness...

Thanks Bob.

[Arne Croell]

What Bob said, in post no.2. For this reason, I actually switched to a Quickfix 1 quick release system (from the larger Quickfix 2) for my Technika: Linhof makes a smaller (in width) Quickfix 1 plate than the regular version, I think it is officially for 35mm cameras. With this plate installed on top, as Bob describes it, and pushed all the way back, the flap for WA lenses with larger rise (or in this case fall) is still usable. So now I have 3 Quickfix 1 plates permanently installed on the Technika: 2 normal ones on the bottom and the bed, and the slimmer one on top, and changing the orientation for fall is really fast.

The side mount is possible, but very imbalanced, and the connection to the tripod or quick release plate needs to be really tight or secured against rotation.

If the lens standard is on the main bed (i.e. with a 90mm or longer and recessed lensboard), a dropped bed and back tilt of the front standard can also be used for fall, but it is a pain when focussing, since any focussing movement on the tilted bed changes the amount of fall.

[Uri A]

Thanks Arne :)