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Thread: Linhof cameras before 1945

  1. #81
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Linhof cameras before 1945

    now I see, you started 2 threads

    this old man forgot this one
    Tin Can

  2. #82

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    Re: Linhof cameras before 1945

    Well thought this would be the place to put it but didn't get any responses, but thanks!

  3. #83
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    Re: Linhof cameras before 1945

    Quote Originally Posted by Xipho View Post
    Hello,

    I am doing the research for the pre-war Linhof cameras. This means Technika I (34?) and II as well as the Linhof Standard (without the Technika back movements)

    The Technika was invented and patented by Nikolaus Karpf in 1934.

    Unfortunately all the Linhof company documents were lost in WWII, so it is difficult to gain some information.

    I would like to invite all pre-1946 Linhof owners, to post here (part of) the serial number and some photos od the camera details.

    I will soon get a Technika 9x12 (I oder II, dont know yet, Ser 19xxx) and will then share some pictures here.

    Does anyone know how to distinguish Technika I from II, I did not find anything until now.?

    Maybe someone has a old linhof in his shelf and can help.

    Thank you very much in advance!!
    Were you ever able to come up with any more definitive information about the Pre 1945 cameras?
    The Pre-1945 Technikas are difficult for me to find out much info on.

    Valentin Linhof was a talented inventor who came up with various shutters from 1887 and was making the Linhof all metal camera by 1910. Linhof made folding cameras from as small as 6x45 to 10x15.
    In the 20-30's Perka and Silar were also making the same cameras as Linhof in Munich. Whether partners or used for outsourcing or due to mergers is unclear to me.
    By 1930 Nikolaus Karpf was at work at Linhof inventing the articulating back and the Technika was born from this invention.

    Proto-Technika / Ur-Technika 1934
    was it two cameras or one with two names... and was it a prototype only?

    Standard 1936-
    without articulating back

    Technika 1936-
    The first Technika that I have seen marketing material for

    Technika II ??? The most mysterious of all to me...

    The Technika II is not mentioned in any literature of its period of 1940's Germany but it is often referenced in later Linhof materials.

    The differences seem to be in the different size lensboard as reported here on an earlier message and the hardware on the swing back locks appears to have changed over the 1936-1945 period.

    I have found reference to Linhof of Munich tasked with making munitions during the war so it is curious if they were able to maintain camera making as well at this time...

    One thing that seems to have evolved over the 1936-1946 period is the Linhof label/logo... initially engraved at the head of the bed at the latch it evolved into an early style script in the bed followed by the Linhof Munchen football shape that carried into the Model III's of 1946...

    Click image for larger version. 

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  4. #84
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    Re: Linhof cameras before 1945

    I imagine WWII Linhof was top secret

    perhaps even when confiscated after VE
    Tin Can

  5. #85

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    Re: Linhof cameras before 1945

    Quote Originally Posted by Tin Can View Post
    I imagine WWII Linhof was top secret

    perhaps even when confiscated after VE
    They were bombed to the ground just before the war ended.
    The factory had been built on Rudolph Meyer Strasse to resemble a farm house. It took the allies some time to discover it.
    The front entrance still resembles a farmhouse.

  6. #86
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    Re: Linhof cameras before 1945

    They made cameras for years before that

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Salomon View Post
    They were bombed to the ground just before the war ended.
    The factory had been built on Rudolph Meyer Strasse to resemble a farm house. It took the allies some time to discover it.
    The front entrance still resembles a farmhouse.
    Tin Can

  7. #87

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    Re: Linhof cameras before 1945

    Quote Originally Posted by Tin Can View Post
    They made cameras for years before that
    Of course they did. Originally just shutters, then cameras and tripods. But all of my records are post war and these are the records the factory had. Records from before and during the war were destroyed.

    Visiting the factory there is a back stairwell where they have pictures of the exterior of the factory from before and during the war. Towards the end of the display is a picture of the bombed out factory followed with a picture of the rebuilt factory.

    It was a very strange feeling viewing these with the former export manager knowing that our army Air Force were the ones that bombed them!

  8. #88

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    Re: Linhof cameras before 1945

    Quote Originally Posted by billtrevaskis View Post
    Adding to this very cool thread! Just got this Linhof (Perka/Silar/help identifying more specifically?) from my wife's grandfather's collection. I did some work on the lens shutter, which was a bit slow. Seems to be much more accurate, but I'm not expecting perfection. I'm new to large format, so this is a fun adventure for me!

    Attachment 172441

    Attachment 172442

    Attachment 172443

    Attachment 172444
    nice one, I had a Perka ' Präzisionskamera München ', the Perka and the Silar looked very much like the Linhofs, as they both were manufactured at the same factory then.

    http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Perka
    http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Silar

    I didn't have a Silar but a Perka, it had a square aluminium body with turnable back ( horizontal to vertical) , triple extension rails, front has horizontal/ vertical shift and also backwards. Drop bed.
    Focussing knob on the right like yours. standard ( vintage) film sheet holders from Linhof ( 'millionenfalz', flat sides ) do fit.
    Last edited by Bessa72; 2-Dec-2020 at 00:36.
    stay healthy!

  9. #89
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    Re: Linhof cameras before 1945

    With in large part the help of this thread and other sources these are the notes I have about the Perka camera company. If anyone can add to the info or correct me please do.

    Perka
    (1922 – 1931)
    Perka Precision Camerawerk Munich, likely began as an independent camera company around 1922 and had become a part of Linhof Munich when they were last made about 1931.
    It seems the Linhof brand still-picture cameras disappear around WWI and Perka arrives following the war about 1922.
    Linhof made a couple of movie cameras in the 1920’s the 17.5mm (split 35mm film) Linhof COCO from 1921 and the 35mm Linhof AMATA from 1925.
    Linhof branded still-picture camera advertisements reappear in the late 1920’s. The same time Perka is supplying cameras to German retail giant Porst who sells them under the Silar house brand with with the high quality and expensive Triple-Convertable Meyer-Plasmat lens.
    Perka also supplied cameras to the Optical Werk Dr. Staeble. Just like the Porst arrangement Perka is supplying the Staeble Unoplast branded camera for Dr. Staeble to sell their own lenses on it.
    According to the Linhof 50th anniversary catalog of 1937 the Perka name was retired in 1933, shortly after Nikolaus Karpf began running the company. It is not uncommon to see cameras with both Perka and Linhof names stamped in the leather or engraved in the metal.
    Fun Fact: The original Linhof ''Technika,, prototype was made from a Perka body.

  10. #90

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    Re: Linhof cameras before 1945

    I spent a week with the Linhof "team" at their factory back in 2003 while they were considering my then-latest (L-1) camera design. Such a great bunch of folks...lots of lively discussions, great energy and camraderie. While my camera ultimately did not make sense for them to pursue as its "DNA" was/is so very different from theirs (same thing happened with Sinar in 2011 with the L-45A) - I still had a wonderful time. Most impressive were the old, extremely hefty, and very precise machines on the factory floor, as well as the rows of freshly made parts and assemblies.

    Interesting note: I do have what I believe is a pre-WWII 5x7 Linhof Technika (a yard-sale find from years back), and ended up cannibalizing this (keeping track of everything of course in case I ever want to reassemble it!). At any rate...this old camera's focussing bed has become the focussing mechanism on my DIY horizontal enlarger, while I've grafted the rotating back and bellows onto my (latest) L-45A to make it a 5x7!

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