How Do You Stabilize You Technika w/ Long Lenses?

[Scott Rosenberg]

good day,

i was out yesterday shooting with a 450mm lens on my technika. using a top-hat board, focusing at infinity was not a problem. however, extend the front that far and hang a lens on it, and some movement is inevitable, as the tripod mounts are either under the rear or the drop-bed, both of which are pretty far removed when the camera is really stretched.

so, how do you guys support your technikas when shooting long lenses? arca swiss tripod mount to center the camera batter over the head? some sort of support arm?

if it helps, i'm using a MT2000.

thanks,
scott

[David A. Goldfarb]

I have a 2" Arca-Swiss style plate under the body and a 4" plate on the bed (just long enough so it doesn't interfere with the drop bed) and use a long clamp (Wimberley C-30) so I can slide the camera forward or backward for improved balance and support. I can slide from the short plate to the long plate, and the camera is very stable when both plates are in the clamp. The sliding arrangement also works in a pinch as a kind of ersatz macro rail.

[Ed Richards]

I have been looking at the Fuji 400mm telephoto as an alternative for my Technika. My thinking was that whatever edge the 450 would have optically, it would get washed out most of the time because of the movement issues. One thing I looked at was getting a long rail from RRS which would extend from the body socket past the bed socket and screwing it into both sockets, which would be rigid enough to allow you to attach the clamp anywhere you wanted, including past the bed socket. (Assuming you have big tripod that can take the leverage.)

[Paul Schilliger]

Scott, I have had no problem with stabillity using the Fujinon C 450 mounted on a 10cm Wista extension tube. On the other hand, anything heavier (I used the Fujinon T 600 weighing 1kg!) was a waste of time. But another problem arose with the 450mm, it was flare. The light is bouncing inside the stretched bellows and it will in some occasions produce a visible loss of contrast or even edge fogging. A tight fitted compendium or lens shade can reduce the risk, but especially back lit subjects will be subject to it. The tripod head itself is also important. Tall heads are vibrations multipliers. I use no head but a levelling bowl for maximum stabillity. Good luck!

[Steve Hamley]

Scott,

Get an Ebony! Sorry, couldn't resist. :D

Steve

[KenM]

The Fuji 400mm is of course a telephoto, and only requires about 260mm of draw. Stop down to at least f22, and it's a great lens. It works wonderfully on my Master Technika.

Regarding tripod mounts, I've been chastised for mounting the camera on the tripod using the mount on the back of the camera as opposed to the bed. I know of one photographer that mounts his Technika using the drop-bed screw hole, and another that uses the back screw hole. One uses the Nikon 500mm lens, the other uses the Fuji 400mm. Both produce incredibly sharp photographs.

I've tried both mounts, and there's about the same amount of 'camera flex' on both. The only advantage I can see with using the bed mount is that you've shifted the center of gravity to the center of the camera, which should stabilize the entire setup with a longer lens. However, I prefer to 'drop the bed' as opposed to 'raising the camera' when I'm setting up, so I'll stick with mounting my camera using the back mounting hole.

Steve: Ebony? Fah! Wussy wooden camera. In a pinch, I could use my Technika as a stool to reach a book on the top shelf. Then again, you could always use an Ebony to start a fire :-)

[Scott Rosenberg]

thanks, fellas. i forgot to mention that i'm using a nikon 450-m. i suppose the smaller fuji 450-c would make for less weight hanging out there, but before i trade the 450-m i'll try david's approach of using either a 2" or 4" A-S plate, as i'm generally pleased with the nikkor and am tired of gear swapping.

ed, finding a plate that would screw into both mounts is a fantastic idea... that would take a little time in the field, but completely eliminate 'roll'.

steve, steve, steve. next time i get to the smokies i'll let you shoot with my metal cameras - we'll make a believer out of you before too long. though i guess all that wonderful old glass you shoot with would only look right on a proper wooden camera.

thanks fellas!
scott

[Bill_1856]

Some years ago, I did a study with my Technika IV with a large Linhof Tripod, (and also with a Tiltall). I discovered that if the tripod head platform extended to support both the camera bottom and even a small amount of the front door, then the camera was steady with even a large, heavy360mm lens. Without the additional support under the front door, there was a little wobble even with a normal lens, no matter how tightly I screwed it down.

[tim atherton]

I was just looking at paltes for my Technikardan.

RRS makes a plate which is drilled for the two tripod holes and runs the full length of the base rail so you cab shift the centre of balance. Linhof also makes and extender that does to same but is much longer for when all of extension is out - and for a couple of milled bits of aluminium runs to a typical Linhof price....

In hunting around (and I don't have my catalogue here) RRS makes plates similar to the first, shorter, one I mention, but with one fixed screw and one running along a slot - so it could cope with two tripod screw holes at different distances.

They also make some longer bars of various configurations (some, I think with variable configuration) which can also take a arca type clamp slot at the end - you might be able to jury rig something like this for the Technika extension?

[Jim Bright]

Bogen long lens support. You dont need the extra tripod hole to attach it either, just use the flat part of the plate that has the tripod screw and position it under an edge of the front standard.
They're only $50 at B&H. I consider mine one of my better large format purchases.
Good luck,
Jim

[tim atherton]

here you go - cheack out all the different versions of their multi-purpose rails and all the gizmos you can attach

http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/mpr/index.html

and this one is only 3.5", but has the two screws (not sure if they are far enough apart, but I think they have other versions)

http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/body_plates/4x5/index.html

[David A. Goldfarb]

My recommendation is to use both the 2" and the 4" plates together. The short one goes on the body, and the long one on the bed, and they line up. If you use a long clamp on the tripod, then you can attach it anywhere on the bed or on the body, or you can straddle the two plates with the long clamp. You can also do things like clamp the camera to a tripod and clamp a flash bracket at a different point along the two plates.

A single long plate that screwed into both tripod sockets would be even more rigid, but of course it wouldn't close with the camera. The two plates can be left on the camera all the time.

[Brad Rippe]

Scott,

A simple and very cheap way to stabilize the camera is to use a 30" wooden dowel about 1/2" dia. Get two small spring loaded clamps with rubber tips. Clamp one end to the front tripod leg, the other to the front edge of the Technika. Works great. There are special and expensive extendable tubing sections with clamps built in, but this is definitely a less is more solution.
(See Jack Dykingas book on landscape photography.

Plus, it works great in a pinch. (Sorry)

-Brad

[Michael Rosenberg]

Scott,

I also use the Fuji 450c with an extender board on my MT2000. I usually mount the camera on my G1349 tripod by the bed, but not always. To balance the camera I extend the rear. I have had no problem with the camera being unsteady at all, even in a slight wind. A good solid tripod head is important. As someone else suggested there is an issue of flare that is helped by having a lens shade. I would not worry about an additional bracket. One reason for having the Fuji 450c is that it is small and very light - great for backpacking. Having to carry an additional tripod support or extra plates may offset the advantage of having this lens. I would also say that this lens is very contrasty and bright!

Regards,

Mike

[Dan Fromm]

Hmm. My answer isn't obviously relevant, but I hope you'll see a connection.

Last year I built a tandem camera that incorporates two 2x3 Graphics. The longest lens it focuses usefully close is ~ 480 mm.

My two little cameras have to be held together and supported on a tripod head. The rig's base is a piece of 1.5" x 1.5" t-slotted aluminum extrusion, drilled to accept screws that go into the two Graphics' tripod sockets. The tripod head's QR plate attaches to the t-slotted extrusion. Yes, the extrusion is pretty rigid.

I think you could easily cobble up something like my rig's base to attach to y'r Tech's two tripod sockets. Like mine, it will accept a QR plate anywhere along its length. And you could, I think, attach a sort of crutch to the front to support the extended focusing rails if needed.

If you're interested in this approach, let me know and I'll give you the URL I bought my cheap surplus extrusion from. Its at work, so I can't give it now.

[Brian Ellis]

The Master Technika manual says to use the tripod mount in the bed (rather than the one in the back of the camera) for lenses 300mm and longer. I keep two Kirk quick release plates on the camera, one at the back and one on the bed. My longest lens is a 300mm but I always use the mount in the bed for it, I figure Linhof should know what they're talking about.