Linhof reflex monocular fit Technika IV (Master)

[freeman2]

Hello,

I have a Technika IV (Master I believe, as it does have the rangefinder).
I was wondering if it could be used with a Linhof reflex monocular rather
than the viewing hood. (Like another person I saw asking this online, I
have concerns about having my head under a focusing cloth in the urban
environment I live in...it's just asking for trouble).

I've seen mention that the built-in viewing hood could be removed from
the back of the ground glass with a lever, but my Technika doesn't seem
to have such a thing...from what I see, the only thing holding the viewing
hood panel onto the ground glass back is the end of the hinge pin.

Is it possible to use a reflex monocular with this model of Technika?
If so, how do you remove the viewing hood to attach the monocular?

Thank you...

[Bill_1856]

Works great. The pin is spring loaded (you can see how it works by pressing down on the GG cover and slipping it off and then back on).

[Bob Salomon]

Yes, but you will need to have the Frenel lens installed when using it. Otherwise you will not have an evenly illuminated viewing surface.

The Master replaced the V which replaced th IV. All take the same accessories even though the IV was discontinued 50 years ago and the Master is still made.

[freeman2]

Thank you for the quick answers.

I've tried pushing on the pin to see if it would compress
(like the pin for a watch band) but it wasn't compressing
so I held off doodling with it any further for the time
being until I could find out a bit more...I'll try it again
with something knife-blade thin when I've got better light
than I have in this room and see if I have better luck.
(I'm very new to this...have had more than one
"ocrapivebrokeit!...wait...ok, it's supposed to do that..."
moments. Definitely a learning curve involved.)
:-)

Bob:

I believe that this one DOES have the fresnel lens on the
ground glass. I definitely see a circular pattern when
outside in the bright light. Indoors I can't see much...
the ground glass is smooth on both sides but from what I
understand that's as it should be..."textured" side of the
fresnel lens should be toward the glass. A flashlight
shined on the inside will also show a circular "pattern"
in the light, so I think I'm covered there.

I think I'll give it a try if it will work with this camera.
Worse comes to worse I can pass it on to someone with better
eyes than mine!

[Bill_1856]

You have to swing it out before it will detach.

[Bob Salomon]

Thank you for the quick answers.

I've tried pushing on the pin to see if it would compress
(like the pin for a watch band) but it wasn't compressing
so I held off doodling with it any further for the time
being until I could find out a bit more...I'll try it again
with something knife-blade thin when I've got better light
than I have in this room and see if I have better luck.
(I'm very new to this...have had more than one
"ocrapivebrokeit!...wait...ok, it's supposed to do that..."
moments. Definitely a learning curve involved.)
:-)

Bob:

I believe that this one DOES have the fresnel lens on the
ground glass. I definitely see a circular pattern when
outside in the bright light. Indoors I can't see much...
the ground glass is smooth on both sides but from what I
understand that's as it should be..."textured" side of the
fresnel lens should be toward the glass. A flashlight
shined on the inside will also show a circular "pattern"
in the light, so I think I'm covered there.

I think I'll give it a try if it will work with this camera.
Worse comes to worse I can pass it on to someone with better
eyes than mine!

You don't "push the pin". You swing out the Foldinig focusing Hood and while it is open you push the side of it towards the camera body to depress the pin. Then the pin on the user side will pop out of the hole on the ground glass frame and you can ease the opposite pin out by just pulling the hood away from the camera. Reverse the procedure to mount the reflex hood.

When one buys a new Reflex Hood it comes with a plastic bag with some very small washers in it. Those washers are to be placed under the tapered cone shaped pin in the center of the ground glass frame. This cone is what the locking lever of the reflex hood locks on to and those washers are shims to adjust how tightly and play-free the fit is.

If you are buying a used Reflex Hood it will virtually always not include the washers as the seller forgets or does not remember that they are under that stud. So a used Reflex Hood may not fit the camera properly unless you find a way to shim that locking pin.

[freeman2]

After reading your explaination, I walked over to the camera
and removed/replaced the folding hood in about 5 seconds.
That was so easy as to be embarrassing!
(And obvious too...if Linhof made it with the shaft longer on
the top I should have realized that it had to be for a reason...
no manufacturing "slop" on this camera...What a machine!)

Thank you!

Thank you also for the heads-up on the washers.
It certainly saved me from a "why isn't this fitting correctly"
post and -no doubt- an hour of banging my head trying to figure
out what I was doing wrong and another hour of online searches.
:-)

I have a "big box of parts" that has some very small/thin washers
that may be the right size. If not, then I'll start scrounging
around to find some so that if/when I locate a monocular, I can
get it fitted correctly. I suspect I'll have plenty of time.
I see a lot of Chinese knock-offs, but no original parts out there
so I'll probably have washers long before I find a monocular.

Many thanks again for all the help.
(My Technika thanks you too. It still cringes every time I walk over
and pick it up.)
;-)