technikardan 45 fresnel question

[koh303]

Recently, i have bought a technikardan 45, as a possible alternative to the canham DLC.
The canham has a very nice and bright fresnel lens behind the ground glass, the linhof does not.
When out shooting today, this was really very noticeable, and was a real pain to see anything with a real darkcloth, and or with the built in pop up shade, that is of course compared to the canham.

Can i put a fresnel in the linhof? If so, how and which one?

I am not yet sure i will keep the linof, as it is oh so very different to work with, and i feel that after so many years, who wants to learn new tricks... But would like to give it a fair chance.

[Arne Croell]

A Fresnel is certainly available; the two bright metal tabs on the bottom and top of the back frame (in vertical orientation) rotate to hold a Fresnel lens panel on the outside of the ground glass. That being said, I switched to a Bosscreen years ago on my Linhof, and did not need or want a Fresnel since then.

[koh303]

Where do you get a boss screen?
Edit: disregard that question. Looks like it is no longer made, but found one on ebay for 99$ that was cut for a cambo back...?
Any other thing i might be missing?

[Bob Salomon]

Where do you get a boss screen?
Edit: disregard that question. Looks like it is no longer made, but found one on ebay for 99$ that was cut for a cambo back...?
Any other thing i might be missing?

Yes, it won't work with a Linhof you need a Boss screen that was originally made for a Linhof. If you don't get the proper one the image will not be sharp on film when it is sharp on the Boss screen. That is due to the image forming layer being between two pieces of glass rather then in front where Linhof places it.

All you need do is get a Linhof Fresnel screen and, if you have an old TK, a new Linhof GG which itself is brighter then the old Linhof GG.

If you have the original TK you may not have the Fresnel clips on the center screw of the GG hold down bar. If that is the case the clips are available from Linhof service.
If your camera was not supplied with the clips then it is possible that the owner had installed the old black flip-up, flip-down clips on the middle screw.
The TK45S, and all current and recent 45 cameras, are supplied with the silver tabs that Arne described earlier.

[JMO]

Bob, When you say the "new" Linhof GG is brighter than the old Linhof GG, can you be more specific about when the "new" ones were phased into production? My MT Classic was made in 1986, and I believe has the original GG (I am second owner). Please advise, and thank you...

[koh303]

So a quick look shows that a new GG and linhof fresnel will run 150-200$, is that about right?

[Bob Salomon]

Bob, When you say the "new" Linhof GG is brighter than the old Linhof GG, can you be more specific about when the "new" ones were phased into production? My MT Classic was made in 1986, and I believe has the original GG (I am second owner). Please advise, and thank you...

There have been several newer gg from Linhof since your camera was made. Any camera older then 5 or 10 years will have a darker gg then the latest one.

[Bob Salomon]

So a quick look shows that a new GG and linhof fresnel will run 150-200$, is that about right?

Not even close. The Fresnel will be more then $200.00 by itself and a new Linhof grid gg will be more then $150.00 by itself.

[Dan Dozer]

I broke my ground glass on my TK45 about 3 years ago. I bought it used and it came with a "factory" Linhoff fresnel screen. The fresnel layer was plastic and mounted inside of the glass. I spoke with the Linhoff repair guy and he said that they didn't make the factory fresnel screen anymore, but he could replace mine with a new factory standard ground glass. I never got around to getting it replaced. Sounds strange but the plastic frensel screen works just fine for focusing.

Did this guy steer me wrong about the availabilty of the combination fresnel screen or did they start making it again?

[Bob Salomon]

[QUOTE=Dan Dozer;1143565]I broke my ground glass on my TK45 about 3 years ago. I bought it used and it came with a "factory" Linhoff fresnel screen. The fresnel layer was plastic and mounted inside of the glass. I spoke with the Linhoff repair guy and he said that they didn't make the factory fresnel screen anymore, but he could replace mine with a new factory standard ground Did this guy steer me wrong about the availabilty of the combination fresnel screen or did they start making it again?[/QUOTE I never got around to getting it replaced. Sounds strange but the plastic frensel screen works just fine for focusing.
Yes he did. Linhof make a glass gg and a plastic Fresnel. On a TK they were always REPEAT ALWAYS mounted with the Fresnel over the gg on all TK cameras.
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