New to LF via inheritance!

[David Crumrine]

Hi All!
I have inherited two Linhof cameras from the early 1980s with various attachments and lenses - one is a Kardan Super Color 4x5 and the other is a Super-Technika 23 6x9. The Kardan was hardly used before he passed away, but he enjoyed the Technika. I am trying to decide whether to get involved with this as a hobby, so looking forward to reading up on the original brochures I have and learning more on this forum.
Thanks,
David Crumrine

[John Kasaian]

Wow! whomever left these to you must have loved you very much!

[Roger Cole]

Do you have experience and interest shooting other formats of film? If you do, it's possible to follow up with some more questions and get an idea whether you'd like 4x5. If not - well, the question becomes much harder, and it is, honestly, harder to imagine the answer being "yes." There's so much to it, LF is a pretty big learning curve even for an experienced 35mm/medium format film photographer. None of it is exactly difficult, there's just a lot there. If you don't already do darkroom work you'd need to either start or find a commercial lab that handles 4x5 - now that often means sending it out, and it won't be cheap regardless.

Where are you located? That bears on the answer too, if you have to have commercial processing.

[Robert Oliver]

try it... ask questions. have fun with em!

[John Kasaian]

First, get a copy of Steve Simmons Using The View Camera. Its a superb primer and well worth having

[Alan Gales]

I second John's recommendation on the Steve Simmons book and like John said, "Someone must of loved you very much!" :)

Welcome to the Forum!

[Andrew O'Neill]

Congratulations on your inheritance. If you have no large format camera experience, you could practice on the 6x9 before tackling the 4x5.