Thoughts About Nikkor SW 75mm F4.5 on Linhof Master Technika?

[LFLarry]

I am thinking about getting a Linhof Master Technika and I want to identify a good wide angle and longer lenses for this camera.

I need a wide-angle and I was thinking the Nikkor SW 75mm F4.5 lens could be a good choice?

It is reasonably priced and based on previous Nikkor large format lenses that I have owned, the quality has been good.

Any thought on this lens in regards to it on the Linhof Master Technika 4x5 camera?

-Larry

[Willie]

Should work just fine. David Muench used 75mm a lot on a Master Technika as well as earlier versions and he's not half bad. Really did well with the near/far effects using it. Do a search on him and check out a lot of the images and you'll see it at work.

The camera works well with it. A bit tight at times but the flap at the top of the body makes rise usable.

[LFLarry]

Thanks Willie, good info all the way around!


Should work just fine. David Muench used 75mm a lot on a Master Technika as well as earlier versions and he's not half bad. Really did well with the near/far effects using it. Do a search on him and check out a lot of the images and you'll see it at work.

The camera works well with it. A bit tight at times but the flap at the top of the body makes rise usable.

[Corran]

The biggest annoyance with the Master Technika is using wide angles. The newer Linhof method is to use helicals on wide angles to focus while the front standard is all the way back. This is more common on the really wide angles like 47mm XL or 58mm XL. And most importantly, it's really expensive.

75mm is an odd focal length to get working with the MT. I have a 72mm XL and it's a bit of a pain to use. Hopefully someone will have feedback on that exact lens on an MT (I'm curious as well).

The other quirk with the MT is the drop bed. On my Technika IV, it only has one setting, and then the front standard is tilted back to match the angle of tilt and keep parallel standards. On the MT, there is two different drop bed settings, and the front standard tilts back to match the second drop. Even using the bed pushed back to compensate, the extension inherent by doing this is quite a lot, and makes these wide angles tough to get working. I wish the MT had a "click" on the tilt to match the first drop bed angle. That's all probably hard to understand in writing, sorry - much easier to show if you can get your hands on an MT to try it out.

Personally, I'd like a Master Technika 3000 as a field camera and keep the "Classic" as a handheld camera (no RF on the 3000).

PS: below, you'll see "Similar Threads" found by comparing thread titles. Might be good to read through some of them.

[Bob Salomon]

The biggest annoyance with the Master Technika is using wide angles. The newer Linhof method is to use helicals on wide angles to focus while the front standard is all the way back. This is more common on the really wide angles like 47mm XL or 58mm XL. And most importantly, it's really expensive.

75mm is an odd focal length to get working with the MT. I have a 72mm XL and it's a bit of a pain to use. Hopefully someone will have feedback on that exact lens on an MT (I'm curious as well).

The other quirk with the MT is the drop bed. On my Technika IV, it only has one setting, and then the front standard is tilted back to match the angle of tilt and keep parallel standards. On the MT, there is two different drop bed settings, and the front standard tilts back to match the second drop. Even using the bed pushed back to compensate, the extension inherent by doing this is quite a lot, and makes these wide angles tough to get working. I wish the MT had a "click" on the tilt to match the first drop bed angle. That's all probably hard to understand in writing, sorry - much easier to show if you can get your hands on an MT to try it out.

Personally, I'd like a Master Technika 3000 as a field camera and keep the "Classic" as a handheld camera (no RF on the 3000).

PS: below, you'll see "Similar Threads" found by comparing thread titles. Might be good to read through some of them.

Latest MT models have 3 drop bed positions and recent ones can have this added.

[LFLarry]

Thanks Corran, good info.

For my style, I like something a little wider than 90 and so 75 seems to be the sweet spot. I do own a 72XL but assumed it would be too big and bulky to carry with me in my MT kit on the road and that is why I was thinking of going to the 75 because it is smaller.

What I am really trying to achieve with the MT is the ability to use the rangefinder at 3 focal lengths (75/150/360) which allows me to use it handheld with HP5 and then of course if I can mount it on a tripod, I will. I've just missed two many shots not having something like this, so I am trying to assemble a system that will work well for my style and then never have to buy or upgrade again... I am injured right now but hope to be back to traveling again next spring with the good weather and this system could be a really good fit for me.

In regards to the 75mm, is a recessed board required or if not, optimal?

Anyone have any insights or suggestions on a 360mm lens for the MT? There are several options ranging from the Nikkor W 360 to the Rodenstocks (Sironar S, N, Roar), and the Fujinon CM-W I think and a Schneider Symmar too.




The biggest annoyance with the Master Technika is using wide angles. The newer Linhof method is to use helicals on wide angles to focus while the front standard is all the way back. This is more common on the really wide angles like 47mm XL or 58mm XL. And most importantly, it's really expensive.

75mm is an odd focal length to get working with the MT. I have a 72mm XL and it's a bit of a pain to use. Hopefully someone will have feedback on that exact lens on an MT (I'm curious as well).

The other quirk with the MT is the drop bed. On my Technika IV, it only has one setting, and then the front standard is tilted back to match the angle of tilt and keep parallel standards. On the MT, there is two different drop bed settings, and the front standard tilts back to match the second drop. Even using the bed pushed back to compensate, the extension inherent by doing this is quite a lot, and makes these wide angles tough to get working. I wish the MT had a "click" on the tilt to match the first drop bed angle. That's all probably hard to understand in writing, sorry - much easier to show if you can get your hands on an MT to try it out.

Personally, I'd like a Master Technika 3000 as a field camera and keep the "Classic" as a handheld camera (no RF on the 3000).

PS: below, you'll see "Similar Threads" found by comparing thread titles. Might be good to read through some of them.

[Corran]

Unlike a Crown / Speed Graphic, you can't mount a lens "in between" the rails inside the camera and on the bed. Therefore, if a lens is just long enough to need to be in that gap, it's a problem - and sometimes the recessed lensboard is actually a detriment because it puts the lens in that spot. IIRC, I use my 90mm XL on a recessed lens board and the 72mm XL on a flat board - seemingly backward from what would be most appropriate but I believe this is due to the problem I just mentioned.

So do you have a Linhof MT now or are you looking to buy one? Getting the whole system to play nice is the problematic part. If you are looking to buy, I would suggest seeing if you can find a kit properly setup on eBay or other classifieds - sometimes, the premium price on that kind of setup is worth it due to not having to hassle with any kind of cam-cutting or messing around with oddball solutions. At the least, you can find an MT with a cammed 150mm lens probably fairly easily, then figure out the rest.

IMO a 360mm telephoto of some design will be your best bet. I personally would recommend the Nikkor-T 360mm f/8, and go ahead and grab one with the 500mm element that can be exchanged on the rear. Then you'll have the ability to use up to a 500mm on an MT (yes, it works - but you have to have an extension board! Those are easier to find and deal with than recessed boards though). Using the 360mm with a cam is a different question and I would be reticent to try such a thing handheld, for various reasons. Most of the lenses you mentioned are much larger and would not be my first choice, or may be too big to even fit on/in the Linhof.

[Jim Andrada]

I have a master Technika and use it with a 75mm Grandagon. Works OK but I personally find it a bit tricky to get the lens on the very back of the movable rails - sometimes I find hanging it a bit off the back of the rails works best with a flat board. What I finally did was get a recessed board and use a flexible cable extension permanently attached to the lens. I also have the Nikkor 360 - 500 -720 set and it's a great lens set - very sharp. The 360 and 500 work just fine on my Technika and the whole set works on my 5 x 7 Kardan Bi or any other 5 x 7 for that matter

[CHELLM]

75mm is an odd focal length to get working with the MT

I fully agree with you - it seems Linhof doesnt like 75mm lens. Read my post about difficulties in focusing this lens with Linhof MT.

Happy New Year

[djdister]

Here's something of interest for comparison - a 75mm Nikkor SW on a 5x7 Canham MQC with the 617 rollfilm back. No center filter, but compensated for (lightly) in Photoshop.

210936

[CHELLM]

Corran:
I agree 100 % with your words. I have an excell +++ Fujinon 75mm f. 8 and almost new Linhof MT. Unfortunately I discovered that Infinity focusing bring the 75mm right at the edge of inner rail, wrong movement of 1/8 in. and bellows comes off the rail. I joined the 2 rails as per instruction manual at pag. 17 but there is always a little gap and focusing is a little difficult.. From other posts I have understood that 75mm is a unfortunate focal lenght for Linhof MT - unless you buy more modern optically designed and on helycoid lenses *very* expensive..

Bye

[Bernice Loui]

Linhof Technika hassles with wide angle lenses.. One of the many reasons why after owning and using a good number of 4x5 and 5x7 Linhof Technika, they are all long gone. Nicely made, absolutely. Nice to used with wide angle lenses and camera movement demanding situations, Horrid. Given all that, the Technika has no significant advantages over far better folder cameras easily available today.


Bernice



Corran:
I agree 100 % with your words. I have an excell +++ Fujinon 75mm f. 8 and almost new Linhof MT. Unfortunately I discovered that Infinity focusing bring the 75mm right at the edge of inner rail, wrong movement of 1/8 in. and bellows comes off the rail. I joined the 2 rails as per instruction manual at pag. 17 but there is always a little gap and focusing is a little difficult.. From other posts I have understood that 75mm is a unfortunate focal lenght for Linhof MT - unless you buy more modern optically designed and on helycoid lenses *very* expensive..

Bye

[Maris Rusis]

When I had a Master Technika I would solve the "lens on the gap" problem by pulling the camera back rearwards a short distance on the four support rods and then locking them off equally. Now the lens can pushed back to be fully engaged on the inner rails.

[Bernice Loui]

Yes, this can be done. Then the problem of setting the position of the moved rear standard of the Technika becomes very real.
While this is a feature on the Technika, in real world use, it is not so simple and often a hassle in many ways.


Bernice



When I had a Master Technika I would solve the "lens on the gap" problem by pulling the camera back rearwards a short distance on the four support rods and then locking them off equally. Now the lens can pushed back to be fully engaged on the inner rails.

[Neal Chaves]

Where are you guys getting your information about 4X5 Linhof Super and Master Technikas? Both can be easily cam-coupled to most 75s and used on the movable tracks? I first had a Super Technika IV with a Linhof 75 4.5 Biogon, then I had a 75mm WA Dagor, for which I cut my own cam. Then, as I have reported, I even had a 58mm Grandagon mounted and cammed-up . Soon I'll be posting some hand-held architectural work I did with that on the MT45. For reasons which would not be politically correct to mention here, I purged my gear of all Linhof products in the 1990s. I also disposed of the last of probably ten Mercedes Benz cars I had owned, bought a new 1990 5.0 Mustang and never looked back.

[Corran]

Neal, I never said that one couldn't use a 75mm lens on the Linhof MT, only that it was rather fiddly.

In fact I have a (cam-coupled) 75mm Biogon myself. Most don't. The common, modern 75mm lenses all appear to have a FFD that roughly corresponds to the dead zone on a Linhof that makes it difficult to use. The workaround is, as mentioned by Maris, to use the rear bellows/movement of the Linhof Technikas to focus to infinity with the lens racked all the way back (and the bed dropped). I find this even more fiddly myself, but doable in a pinch. Either way, the truth is that most other cameras can use a ~75mm lens much easier than the Linhof Technikas due to their design. Whether or not that matters is another discussion. I have shot my 75mm Biogon handheld on my Linhof Tech IV successfully, but it wasn't a particularly fun experience, according to my wrist the next day...:rolleyes: