The elusive Linhof Technika electronic rangefinder?

[Jac@stafford.net]

Auction site item # 131266745670

It is rare for a good reason. Linhof pulled it from the market due to issues.
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[nm39131]

I saw this too. How does the electronic system work and what were the issues?

[Corran]

How ugly.

[Tony Lakin]

Vorsprung durch Technik

[Bob Salomon]

The issues were that it did not perform to its' specifications, long lens focus accuracy was not good (over 210mm or so), some patterns that you might have tried to focus on could fool the rangefinder, like a picket fence - especially at an oblique angle to the camera. Additionally it required a PC with a very obsolete OS by today's standards that had to be dedicated to programming the unit for each lens that was to be coupled. I still have the operating and programming instructions in my office but will not be there till I return on the 20th.
All that we sold were recalled and returned to Linhof except for one that the owner decided to keep.

How it worked was via IR. The cameras that were designed to use it had a rectangular port on the top housing that was exposed when the covering was pulled back. A part of the RF system dropped down into this port. A second part plugged into the two holes on the top of the front standard.
The RF sent an IR beam that the rangefinder used to set the proper distance (in theory). On the left side was a knob calibrated with settings from 72 or 75mm (I don't remember if the 72 was available back then) to 360mm. You selected the proper setting for the focal length you were using (and that had been coupled on the computer at service) and a projected frame appeared in the finder window. The frame grew or shrank as you focused to compensate for field size and moved to correct for parallax. Arrows inside the finder indicated the direction to turn the focusing knob to set the proper focus and a readout indicated the distance to the subject.
In order to mount the EMS unit the cameras made for it had no locking knobs on the top of the camera for the back movements. So if you have a Master or a 2000 with the lock knobs on the top of the body this item could not mount onto the camera. All of the back locking knobs had to be on the side of the body housing.
But, it did not work properly. And, if you buy this one you will not be able to program it.

[Sal Santamaura]

Very interesting history Bob. I just asked the seller some questions based on what you summarized. Let's see his responses.

[Bob Salomon]

Very interesting history Bob. I just asked the seller some questions based on what you summarized. Let's see his responses.

He is selling the proper 2000 for it and the three lenses appear to be properly coupled to it but that 240 could be problematical.

[Sal Santamaura]

He is selling the proper 2000 for it and the three lenses appear to be properly coupled to it but that 240 could be problematical.

Here's the exact question text I submitted:

"Has the rangefinder unit been programmed for each of the three lenses you're selling in this listing? If so, how have you found its accuracy to be, especially with the 240mm? Are there any subject types/situations where the IR rangefinder has trouble accurately focusing?

Thanks in advance for your answers."

No reply yet.

[Richard Johnson]

Are you in the market for a Technika 2000 or was that just a public service ~ police action?

[Sal Santamaura]

Are you in the market for a Technika 2000 or was that just a public service ~ police action?

The latter. As of this moment, there's still no reply from the seller, either privately or posted with the listing.