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legacy
10-Jan-2011, 07:39
I just picked up this awesome Linhof. I am trying to locate more about her, but info on the net is scarce. Does anyone have any recommendations for any meatspace books that I could go and read? She came with a case, tripod, 3 extra lenses, a rail extender, a viewfinder, and a stack of film holders. I attached a couple of pictures of her.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_o_h6NPkwwf8/TSpT3A0YYvI/AAAAAAAADlg/YPVESzUxUBY/s512/IMG_2600.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_o_h6NPkwwf8/TSpT6OIy2sI/AAAAAAAADlw/lnKOxQ7FBEI/s512/IMG_2607.JPG

B.S.Kumar
10-Jan-2011, 07:43
Looks like a "he" to me with all those knobs :D

Kumar

legacy
10-Jan-2011, 07:58
Looks like a "he" to me with all those knobs :D

Kumar

With as much as I have had my hands on the camera, she had better be a she.

William Whitaker
10-Jan-2011, 08:10
I think she's "Bi". ;)

Frank Petronio
10-Jan-2011, 08:20
That's one of, if not the, finest made and most solid set-ups ever made. It's not for backpacking but if you want sharpness without excuses, this would be the one to use.

It's a Helluva tripod too.

Sometimes the bellows will dry out and develop pinholes in the creases since they are made of leather. You can go into a darkroom with a bright LED flashlight, remove the back and peer inside with the bellows extended and the flashlight outside to see how it's doing. There are simple home repairs and you can also have a new bellows made using the older frames, this place is the best: http://www.custombellows.co.uk/. Search this forum for advice.

Everything else on the camera is straight-forward mechanical and common sense. Unless it has been abused, it will last forever. It's also not worth anything close to it's original price because all the hobby photographers insist on buying these flimsy wooden toy cameras "because they're pretty" -- pussies that they are.

As for books, Jim Stone's, "A User's Guide to the View Camera" is the best written and most accessible. http://www.abebooks.com/9780130981165/Users-Guide-View-Camera-Stone-0130981168/plp.

None other than Ansel Adams wrote a series of books called, "The Camera", "The Negative", and "The Print" that are worthwhile too.

Otherwise, this would be the forum to come to for first hand advice from a few hundred shooters and a several thousand lurkers.

legacy
10-Jan-2011, 08:29
None other than Ansel Adams wrote a series of books called, "The Camera", "The Negative", and "The Print" that are worthwhile too.

I think I may have heard of that guy somewhere. Thanks for all the info. The camera is so so pretty. She was stored in the case and rarely used. I feel privileged to own her, even for a short time.

Steve Hamley
10-Jan-2011, 08:58
That's one heck of an outfit. I'm envious.

Cheers, Steve

Bob Salomon
10-Jan-2011, 11:30
Everything that attaches directly to the front and rear standards; bellows, ground glasses, fresnel, lens boards, compendiums, viewing accessories,rise extendors (3.3"), Hasselblad Digital and film back adapter are current items from the current re, GT and GTL cameras.
Anything that attaches directly to the rail; extension rails, auxiliary standard, rail caps, tripod mounting block are out of production and no longer available.

The one item that you might look for that is no longer available is the Polaroid Spacer to move the gg frame back so a tilt in the Horizontal format will clear the uprights and allow you to pull the darkslide when doing center tilts. That item is no longer made as the uprights are positioned differently on later models. This was only a problem with the center tilts not with the base tilts.

Michael Kadillak
10-Jan-2011, 11:42
I have the exact set up including tripod - a 4x5 and a separate 5x7 Linhof bi.

I have a sales brochure of the original camera that folds out. I may be able to scan it and give you some information in the camera.

Question for Bob that I always wondered and while we are on the subject I would go ahead and ask.

When you are focusing either the front or the rear standard gearing from the side knobs it seems to me that there are no lock down arrangement for this. I am assuming that the focus gear is intended to stay where you leave it on its own when you are finished. Is that correct or am I missing something?

Bob Salomon
10-Jan-2011, 12:27
I have the exact set up including tripod - a 4x5 and a separate 5x7 Linhof bi.

I have a sales brochure of the original camera that folds out. I may be able to scan it and give you some information in the camera.

Question for Bob that I always wondered and while we are on the subject I would go ahead and ask.

When you are focusing either the front or the rear standard gearing from the side knobs it seems to me that there are no lock down arrangement for this. I am assuming that the focus gear is intended to stay where you leave it on its own when you are finished. Is that correct or am I missing something?

Linhof described the locks as "self arresting" which would mean self-locking. On the current cameras using this movement there is a seperate lock for the focus. But you can adjust the tension on the brass block to make them self-locking. In fact, you can make it so tight it becomes non-adjustable should you want to lock it down to keep others from adjusting it. This is sometimes done in duping and copying set-ups where everything copied or duped is the same size.

kpphoto
10-Jan-2011, 13:50
I recently picked up parts for an 8x10 Bi with an extra 5x7 rear standard and reg bellows. It did not come with a rail.

Does anyone have an extra rail..long or short, that I can buy and a 5x7 GG/film back?

legacy
10-Jan-2011, 20:50
This was only a problem with the center tilts not with the base tilts.

What is the difference between a center tilt and a base tilt? Which one do I have?

Frank Petronio
10-Jan-2011, 21:55
Bi = it tilts both ways

Michael Kadillak
10-Jan-2011, 22:40
I recently picked up parts for an 8x10 Bi with an extra 5x7 rear standard and reg bellows. It did not come with a rail.

Does anyone have an extra rail..long or short, that I can buy and a 5x7 GG/film back?

I might have an extra 5x7 ground glass film back assembly with bellows if you are interested.

Frank Petronio
10-Jan-2011, 22:44
I think someone posted a rail on eBay tonight....

Cor
11-Jan-2011, 04:55
Bi = it tilts both ways

Pardon my ignorance but, why should you want/need both these tilt options?

And in what situation would one use what option?

Thanks,

Best,

Cor

Bob Salomon
11-Jan-2011, 05:01
Pardon my ignorance but, why should you want/need both these tilt options?

And in what situation would one use what option?

Thanks,

Best,

Cor

If you do a base tilt front and back with the standards fully extended and then use the center tilts to get the front and back parallel to each other you now will have more extension then the monorail has length.

Cor
11-Jan-2011, 05:40
If you do a base tilt front and back with the standards fully extended and then use the center tilts to get the front and back parallel to each other you now will have more extension then the monorail has length.

Thanks Bob,

I now understand, was there no extension rails available, or is this option there to keep the system compact? (or is that a non issue for I guess primarily a studio camera?)

Best,

Cor

Frank Petronio
11-Jan-2011, 05:45
In some shots it is easier to tilt along the center axis, say when you focus on something "centered" and want to bring the top and bottom into focus. So center tilts. Architectural photographers might find this advantageous since they often deal with parallel planes.

Other times, like with a traditional landscape, you might focus on horizon line (flipped, near the bottom of the ground glass) then tilt the back backwards from the base tilt to bring the foreground into perfect focus.

Some people swear by one or the other kind of tilt, the Bi allows you to use whichever is going to be the most direct.

Cor
11-Jan-2011, 05:58
Thanks Frank!

(taking a slight hijack here, sorry OP)..



Other times, like with a traditional landscape, you might focus on horizon line (flipped, near the bottom of the ground glass) then tilt the back backwards from the base tilt to bring the foreground into perfect focus.


That's an interesting remark, did not fully realise that option, so what is the advantage of keeping the back vertical, and use front base tilt?

Is there less of a problem that your framing of the subject changes less than with front forward base tilt, or..?

Best,

Cor

Bob Salomon
11-Jan-2011, 06:42
Thanks Bob,

I now understand, was there no extension rails available, or is this option there to keep the system compact? (or is that a non issue for I guess primarily a studio camera?)

Best,

Cor

It's an added benefit or feature. It doesn't really replace added rails and bellows. But it does let you minize what you carry and maximize what you use. This feature works with any amount of rail and bellows so it also increases the absolute maxiximum extension possible. The current GTL does the same thing except it has a telescopic monorail.

Bob Salomon
11-Jan-2011, 06:44
Thanks Frank!

(taking a slight hijack here, sorry OP)..



That's an interesting remark, did not fully realise that option, so what is the advantage of keeping the back vertical, and use front base tilt?

Is there less of a problem that your framing of the subject changes less than with front forward base tilt, or..?

Best,

Cor

Tilting at the back (or swinging) changes image shape as well as performs Scheimpflug movements to control the plane of focus. Doing front swings and tilts also controls the plane of focus but does not change image shape.

Cor
11-Jan-2011, 07:06
Tilting at the back (or swinging) changes image shape as well as performs Scheimpflug movements to control the plane of focus. Doing front swings and tilts also controls the plane of focus but does not change image shape.

Yup,

That's what I learned and apply, changing shapes in a landscape is less appearant, still like to know if there is a benefit in the method described by Frank( keeping the front vertical, tilt back backwards) and the one I use almost always: keep the back vertical and tilt front fwd..in landscape photography that is..

best,

Cor

Frank Petronio
11-Jan-2011, 07:15
Cor, in that situation you can tilt the front forward or the back backwards, it has the same effect with focusing. Yes tilting the back introduces a distortion so you wouldn't do this with architecture but neither would you need to. On the other hand, it uses up less of the effective image circle that you have for movements, so if you already are using extreme rise or fall, it could be advantageous.

I just do whichever is more convenient at the moment.

kpphoto
11-Jan-2011, 07:20
Thanks Frank for the heads up on the rail...I'm on it.

Jim Cooksey
12-Jan-2011, 08:03
Hey! That's my old camera! What a beauty, I wish I had it now that I'm trying to get back into LF. Enjoy your kit and don't make the same mistake I did all of those years ago - never sell it!

Frank Petronio
12-Jan-2011, 08:25
It's been on eBay for a couple of days now.... good luck getting your price.