Linhof Technika IV + 75 mm shifting question

[devb]

I just picked up a Caltar 75 f/6.8 for my Linhof Technika IV. To shift up, like I do with my 90 mm lens because of the shift knob design, I rack the standard out so I can reach the knob and then rack it back in to where it will be able to focus to infinity. Unfortunately, it turns out the shifting knob hits the lug that the door strut locks on to just a few millimeter before it can reach infinity focus.

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The lens is already mounted on a recessed board that leaves me just enough room to operate the controls with my fingers or a pen, so a more deeply recessed board might not be reasonable. I would very much like to get those last few millimeters of vertical shift that the lens and camera combination allows. The only (admittedly extreme) solution I can think of is to grind off the flange on the strut lug to create clearance for the shift knob. The strut arms seem like they're mounted solidly enough to the drop bed that the flange doesn't really provide much stability or retention of the strut arm. Surely someone has run in to this problem in the ~60 that this camera has been available. My only consolation is that it is a replaceable part if it turns out to be a really bad idea.

I'm hoping some of the more experienced Linhof photographers here can suggest any ideas. Thanks!

[devb]

For the lens to be shifted up and at infinity focus the standard will wind up in the same place no matter what position the bed is in.

[devb]

I think there might be some confusion here. I'm intimately familiar with the movements the Tech offers.

To simplify the discussion, please allow me to rephrase the question. Can I grind this sucker off?

[Jac@stafford.net]

This is becoming funny.

So turn the camera upside-down and use fall to raise the board. :)

[devb]

Thanks for the ideas. Linhof acrobatics don't really work with what I do. Hopefully someone is familiar with the hardware in question.

[devb]

I'm also not clear on why you deleted your responses. They were simply "drop the bed" and "use the back", if anyone is confused.

[LabRat]

Interesting, as I'm restoring my Technika III right now, and found a bunch of used lensboards + a 75mm lens I wanted to use on it... The headslapper for me has been that I could get the lens to focus on it, but the controls + other camera features don't seem to play nice together when using this FL... With the 65mm, the FS sits inside the camera shell, the 90mm sits outside of it... The 75mm position FS sits between the inner rails and the front rails where it does not engage the front rail focusing action so well... And does not let the bed drop (as it sits between these rails) and the bottom bed is seen on the GG... So I'm thinking the camera wasn't designed for the 75MM in mind...

You can try the back at different extensions (in or out) to see if there is a place where the front controls might be in a more forward position, and maybe make some blocks/sleeves that go over the sliding rods (so the back remains square) or stack some mounting board for a spacer on top and bottom of sliding back for squareness...

I wouldn't go grinding on the front components... There might be an answer somewhere else...

Good Luck!!!!

Steve K

[Jac@stafford.net]

So I'm thinking the camera wasn't designed for the 75MM in mind...

Which 75mm lens?

There has to be a way to make it work. Back to the upside-down idea - OP, does your IV have a tripod socket under the shoe/accessory mount?

[LabRat]

Thanks for asking, Jac!!!

The 75mm I was thinking about using was that I found several old (mostly unmarked) Protar cells, then some more, and a old shutter they would fit... So I started mixing and matching them, and to my surprise, found a combination that was about 75mm, (f11 ish???, that I still have to calculate) that had a nice semi-soft look, (while covering 4X5 well) that would be perfect for a early, misty morning Eugene Atget look... One of my used Linhof (slight recess) boards fit this shutter well, but it's not necessary to put this on this camera, but maybe a pretty very old French compact field camera I have, or just put an old Graflok back on a spacer board with this lens, and call it a (DIY) camera... (Lens probably can find a position where it could work on this Linhof, but first checks seem that this 75mm falls "between the cracks" in this camera design...)

To the OP, here's something that might be of interest;

My III was almost exclusively used as a interior/architectural (commercial) camera with a 65mm SA living on it... I had found that I almost never used shift with it, (as the falloff/distortion looked/worked best with the lens centered) but would use front rise a little sometimes so I wouldn't have to tip the camera up... So with mine, everything looked more natural without excessive rise/shift... So shoot the lens a little first to see if you really need that much movement, before you hack on it...

Also, mine had a custom focusing board for the 65mm where the FS would be all the way in the camera, so if you added one, you would miss that area maybe, but have to strain a little to reach the controls now inside the body shell... (So maybe an option...)

But there is one (almost invisible) "hack" that I did... On the top of the bed support struts, it was a little larger there so the struts would not fall out when the bed was fully dropped... I needed the struts to fully leave there, so I removed the struts and carefully filed/rounded the tips, so the bed could be fully dropped out of the way to clear the FOV of the 65mm, and access the lens controls/focusing better... This worked!!!

Steve K

[Bob Salomon]

You need the Linhof Wide Angle Focus Device and a flat Linhof 23 board to mount the lens to.

[devb]

Thanks, Bob. I knew that answer was coming :) Would the Wide Angle Focus Device allow the maximum shift available before the standard hits the top of the camera?

LabRat, some good ideas there! I'm thinking of trying a more deeply recessed board before anything. I really just need a few millimeters, which might be bearable. You're right about it straddling the line between the in-camera rail and the door rail. I can manage to get enough grip on the door rail that it's as solid as any other lens.

[Bob Salomon]

Thanks, Bob. I knew that answer was coming :) Would the Wide Angle Focus Device allow the maximum shift available before the standard hits the top of the camera?

LabRat, some good ideas there! I'm thinking of trying a more deeply recessed board before anything. I really just need a few millimeters, which might be bearable. You're right about it straddling the line between the in-camera rail and the door rail. I can manage to get enough grip on the door rail that it's as solid as any other lens.

Yes, that is why the Master, and later versions of the Master, have the lift up top flap on the body housing. To permit additional rise while the front standard is inside the camera body.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Yes, that is why the Master, and later versions of the Master, have the lift up top flap on the body housing. To permit additional rise while the front standard is inside the camera body.

This is the lift up flap Bob is speaking about. I do not know if an earlier Linhof Technika could be easily modified to the same, or if it would be the only modification necessary.

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[Bob Salomon]

This is the lift up flap Bob is speaking about. I do not know if an earlier Linhof Technika could be easily modified to the same, or if it would be the only modification necessary.

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He has IV so rise with that model with the standard inside the housing would be practically impossible since the rise knob is behind the front standard and at the bottom, at that. This is why the V and all later models use a lever in front of the standard. It would probably be a waste of time and money to modify a IV to do this.

[devb]

Well, if anyone with the same question finds this thread via Google, it is possible to modify this replaceable piece to overcome the design flaw that conflicts with the use of a 75 mm lens with no ill effects. 139345