Experiences With Linhof Focusing Bellows

[Greg Liscio]

Does anyone have experience using the Linhof focusing bellows on the TK23? Is there adequate light to focus properly? Any problems with the bellows? This is an expensive piece of equipment, and I want to be sure it works.
Thankee
Greg

[Brian Ellis]

I used one for a while on a 4x5 Technika. I didn't care much for it, mainly because I didn't like peeping through the little hole to view the ground glass. It seemed too much like 35mm photography. Also, it was useful only for composing and rough focusing, for fine focusing it had to be removed so that a loupe could be used. However, it worked in the sense that the entire ground glass could be seen and the bellows kept the ground glass plenty dark. If you buy one just make sure you can return it no questions asked if you don't like it. That way you can play around with it for a while before committing to final payment. For the 4x5 these things cost about $650 new and I don't think they have much of a resale value used, I bought mine used from Ken Mar Camera for about $250.

[gary mulder]

I think the ground glass is to tiny for the focusing bellows. I use the reflex finder. It 's not that big compared to a 4 X 5
gary
www.roosnoreengary.demon.nl

[Bob Salomon]

Greg,

First there are at least two versions of the Focus/Meter bellows. The old one had a fixed in position, non-removable 2x magnifier in the eyepiece.
The one they have been making for the past dozen years or so has two 2x loupes. One fixed and one removable. Use them both and you have a 4x loupe for critical focusing. Remove the top one and you have a 2x loupe with which you can see the entire groundglass. When used as a 4x you can get to any part of the GG. If you want to meter the GG you remove the top loupe and place any meter with a microscope adapter attached to it into the eyepiece. You can now accurately meter any spot on the Gg the size of a quarter or the entire GG. To use the Focus Meter bellows you will also need a fresnel screen.

As for removing it to use a loupe it first is not necessary as all Linhof viewing devices are hinged onto the back and swing away so you can reach the GG to use a loupe.

Secondly the eyepiece on the Focus/Meter bellows is designed to accept a microscope adapter from an exposure meter. That hole is quite a bit larger then the eyepiece on any 35mm and probably and MF SLR or rangefinder camera. It is much larger then the eyepiece on a Technika rangefinder.