Linhof 4x5 RF for portraiture

[Robb Reed]

Hey there ...

I want to do some 4x5 portrait work and am wondering whether one of the Linhof Technica series with the range finder would make focusing easier/faster in that kind of setting. I've got a Toyo C that I've been using but issues of focusing and shooting before a subject moves drive me nutty.

I know the Technicas are expensive. I suspect I will have to have a range finder cam fabricated for the lens I want to use... a Schneider 305 G-Claron.

Am I, in fact, nutty?

Anyone out there with an opinion or experience with this?

Thanks

Robb

[John Brownlow]

Getting the lens cammed is not a particularly big deal and the Linhof rangefinder is pretty accurate BUT remember that to use the rangefinder on your subject you may need to reframe to focus, then reframe again to compose.

[Frank Petronio]

You might want to rethink your lens choice. The f/9 aperture is pretty slow for portraiture and the 305mm focal length is going to be at or outside the limit of what can be cammed (and practically handheld) on a Technika. Versus a lot of photographers have sucessfully used Technikas with 150 - 240mm lenses, cammed, for portraiture, although the wider lenses tend to be used more for environmental settings rather than tight head shots.

The speed of the lens might not be the most critical since you will use the RF, but you will want to test your lens shooting at f/11 or f/16 to see how it performs relatively wide open. I'll assume you're using strobe in a studio. Otherwise, you'll have a marginal time doing 305mm RF focused portraits outdoors in open shade without fast film and a prayer.

I've only tried doing this with a Graphic, which is almost the same. It is nice to confirm focusing on the GG for tight head shots as I don't think the RF is accurate enough for "eyelashes in focus - tip of nose out of focus" work in the real world, and the longer lenses only magnify the margin of error.

Some of the nicest work I've seen has been done with a Technika and 150/2.8 Xenotar, used at 5/6. Or a Speed Graphic and an Aero Ektar. For longer lenses it might make more sense to investigate the RB Super Graflex SLR or the Gowlandflex TLR 4x5. Although even these were most often used with 190 and 240mm lenses respectively.

[Richard Boulware]

I concur with John Browlow on the recompose issue, though it is not a big one. I have had at least six lenses calibrated and cammed by Marflex and checked them for accuracy, extensively.

To my great surprise, I conclusively proved to myself and associates, that rangefinder focus is more accurate that GG focusing. We used a museum quality, like new Technica V. For the target we used a tiny MagLite which is tiny and uses one AAA battery. We taped it to a light stand and unscrewed the entire forward reflector assembly where we were looking at a very tiny bare light bulb in daylight. We could easily focus on the burning filament. We used a fine quality loupe to focus on the Linhof (modern) ground glass for eight shots, using GG focusing. On the other eight shots we used the newly cammed lens and the rangefinder. The results were that all eight of the RF focus were dead on sharp...refocusing from infinity each time. Using the loupe and the GG, only five were as near dead on as the rangefinder focusing...using the same technique. Lenses used were a 210mm MC Symar, and a 270mm Tele Arton. Results were the same for either lens.

Amazing how different the results were. It surprised us all. Don't know the technique Marflex uses in camming, but the proof sure was there. GG focusing is no guarantee of sharpness.

Good luck.

[Brian Ellis]

I didn't see anything indicating that you're planning to hand-hold but if you are I think you can forget about using a 305mm lens. I use a 300mm lens on my Master Technika and I can't imagine being able to hand-hold with it. There's such an imbalance with lenses in the 300mm range that Technikas have two tripod mounts, one in the back and one underneath the camera bed. The latter is used with 300mm and longer lenses.

[tor kviljo]

As noted before, 300mm is a long lens on a tech, and the benefit of being able to use the built in rangefinder is probably not that much if You anyhow have to reframe - everything done on a tripod. When I used an old super-tech III (6x9) some years back, I had only one cammed lens, but I made my own distance scale for the other lens I used, so that I could use the built-in rangfinder for measuring distance and then transfer to the home made distance scale (a piece of paper glued to area beside the rail). Were pretty speedy when working hand held & with roll-film holder. Now, if You aren not absolutely tied to a tech, you could simply hunt down one of the quite accurate & very numerous rangefinders that were sold by many companies in the -50. They are adjustable and is usually equipped with shoe to be slid into flash shoe, thus fitting any type of press camera including any Linhof (today, there is of course also accurate digi-rangefinders, but they hardly fit togther with a pre-60 camera...), and You can use the RF hand held, not having to readjust camera everytime You want to take a new RF reading prior to exposure. Cost of RF: $$5 at nearest flea market... Far less expensive than having a lens cammed..

[David A. Goldfarb]

Yes, you can work more dynamically with a Technika using the rangefinder than with a view camera that only has groundglass focusing. Once you start down that road, though, you'll be looking for a Graflex SLR before you know it.