How to decide for a set of three lenses for a Linhof Technika IV

[Bob Salomon]

Modern wide angle lenses do not vignette. Vignetting is caused by mechanical cutoff of the lens coverage.
What you and some others are calling vignetting is actually fall off which is an optical effect, not a mechanical effect.
Almost every lens has falloff over its coverage. But with wide angle designs it is much greater, hence the center filter to correct it.

[Two23]

Recessed boards are a pain to change aperture or shutter speed on. Hard to see numbers, harder to change settings. I'm also thinking it will be difficult to find center filters for lenses out of production for 15 to 20 years. They aren't cheap either. You would have been better off with a monorail like a cambo, but you can probably do what you want with a 90mm that has big image circle for rise.


Kent in SD

[Bob Salomon]

Recessed boards are a pain to change aperture or shutter speed on. Hard to see numbers, harder to change settings. I'm also thinking it will be difficult to find center filters for lenses out of production for 15 to 20 years. They aren't cheap either. You would have been better off with a monorail like a cambo, but you can probably do what you want with a 90mm that has big image circle for rise.

Learn what the Linhof Comfort recessed board is. It is easier and more convenient that lenses mounted on a flat board.

Heliopan, Rodenstock and Schneider either currently make or recently stopped making CF. They are not difficult to find.
Kent in SD

[hiend61]

A 105 is not a wide angle. Recent wide angles cover a circle around 100 to 105°. A 100 or 105mm is in the 68 to 70° range. Those don’t need a Caf but they also don’t cover 45.

Hi Bob, Fuji made the Fujinon SW 105/8 with a coverage of 100º, and of course needs a Center Filter to mitigate fall off.
Heliopan Center filter 77mm, very very difficut to find, suits perfectly this lens.

[Bob Salomon]

Hi Bob, Fuji made the Fujinon SW 105/8 with a coverage of 100º, and of course needs a Center Filter to mitigate fall off.
Heliopan Center filter 77mm, very very difficut to find, suits perfectly this lens.

There were three different Heliopan 77mm center filters. The most recent one and the two older ones. One was 4 stops!

[hiend61]

There were three different Heliopan 77mm center filters. The most recent one and the two older ones. One was 4 stops!

That´s right Bob, I forgot to mention the version Ww ND 0,45. I also know a Ww ND 0,90 version exists, and probably a Ww ND 0,60. I had no idea about a 1,2 version (4 stops).
Heliopan filters are very uncommon in Spain, because there was not an importer. Briefly, 2013-2015, there was an official importer. Most of my Heliopan filters came from Germany.

[Bernice Loui]

Ig Nacio;1521202
Hello Bernice,

Thank you for your message : ) !!!

~Reply

The camera needs to be portable;
as compact as possible; and as
light as possible. I can't carry a
heavy camera.

~Linhof Technika is not light weight, some where in the 6.5 pound range. There are metal and field cameras that are lower
Weight with more camera movements, easier to deal with for wide angle lenses and over better design in many ways available today.
Know the Linhof Technika and cameras of this style were press cameras originally intended to be used with no or minor camera movements.
Having owned and used various Linhof Technikas in the past, they are precision made, very durable, reliable but has very real camera movement
an other what some would consider serious limitations. Having been there, done that Linhof Technika style cameras are never again.

~There are light weight monorail cameras that will serve FAR better for architectural images.

~Again, types of prints-images as the prime consideration, then lenses required to achieve these images and camera last. This is fact due to LF
the vast majority of LF cameras use a lens board. Long as the lens board is large enough, camera strong-rigid-stable enough most ANY lens can
be fitted to a LF camera. Second factors is bellows, will there be enough bellows for longer focal length lenses, can a bag bellows collapse short
between front and rear standards to allow using very short focal length lenses. Third, does the camera have enough flexibility to accommodate
bag bellows, standard bellows, precise and stable camera movements, durable-reliable, broad range of accessories to meet image making demands?

I don't use telephotos. Neither in
the other formats. In large format,
I have almost ruled out any lens
longer than 210mm.

~Don't rule out any lens focal lengths until these focal lengths have been tried and well used.

Is it possible to make 'architectural
landscapes' without many movements?

~Sure, there will be trade offs and limitations in the images produced. One of the prime reasons for LF is camera movements and removal of
nearly all lens on camera limitations. If you're not fully exploiting the capabilities of what LF can offer as a image making device.

Imagine yourself standing on a street
with a field camera. These are the
streets where the photos would be
made:
http://www.lemonpage.de/Fotoseiten/potsdam-fotos.html

~Been there done, this. Camera movements applied as needed no exceptions.

These photos would be for archival
purposes. I may not be able to
control all the movements in the
camera but I'll be able to record
and/or documents the buildings
as they stand today.


I will not be shooting buildings taller than three
or four storeys high.

~To do this properly, front rise or rear drop will need to be applied. This will be discovered as architectural images are made.

~Previous experience using 5x7, 8x10 & 4x5, use a moderate wide angle lens with a bag bellows on a monorail camera all on a VERY stable tall tripod.
Some architectural folks will use a ladder with a camera mount on the ladder. Difficulty with this is keeping the camera set up and image maker still
as there are times when exposure times will become extended with any camera movement during exposure producing image faults. This is why
using a BIG_TALL_Stable tripod with a ladder is ideal, but not always do-able. Alternative to this is to apply a LOT of front rise-Rear Drop or tilt the
camera up then correct for the camera tilt angle by moving both front & rear standards until the image has the least amount of distortion.

~Keep in mind, images made with lots of camera movement is not the same as the same image made on a tall tripod with the image maker
on a ladder.

~What are your plans for post camera film processing and finished prints?


Bernice

[Ig Nacio]

Hello,

Thank you very much for your posts : ) !!!

@Bernice - I'll open a new thread for film processing and finished prints!

Very kind regards,

Ig

[Tobias Key]

Hi,

Thank you to all of you for your messages : ) !!!

This thread has been very helpful because
I already know which middle and long lens
I'll be getting.

It is through your help that I will be doing
a better and more informed purchase and
that helps me a lot!

I just need a bit more information in order
to know which wide angle lens to get.

@Brian (Corran) - But in 35 mm happens the same, doesn't? One uses the wider wide-angle lens available even if things are a bit slanted, (no movement capability in 35mm, remember?). That way one gets more information on the picture. If chosen properly, in 35mm. format, one finds lenses with little or no vignetting at all. Will the 90mm. and/or 75mm. have a strong 'vignetting' using them without any movements?

@linhofbiker - Was there a lot of vignetting present? I am ok if the movements are limited, as long as there is less or no vignetting.

@Steve K (Labrat) - Yes, I'll use a ladder or go on the roof of low buildings. The 135mm. is already in the kit ; ) !!!

@Kent in SD (Two23) - I may live with a 75mm without much movement, but I could hardly live with it if the vignetting is very strong. How strong is vignetting with your 75mm. and no camera movements?? Are recessed lens boards better to keep compact lenses inside the camera? Why you don't like the recessed lens boards? The camera I'll use is a Linhof Technika IV.

@Tobias Key - I'll definitely take a look at the 125mm. lens. Why a 210mm. and not a 180mm.? Have you or anyone you know used both the 180mm. and the 210mm.?
Why are recessed lens boards a pain to use for you too - (Kent in SD seems not very fond of them too)? Wouldn't recessed boards allow you better to keep compact lenses attached to the camera? Perhaps a sometimes valued feature at the moment of closing and setting up a field camera like the Linhof Technika IV. What would you find compelling enough to add a 90 or 75mm. lens?

@Bob Salomon - Yes, it is a good idea, but because I live quite far away from shops and so, it is perhaps to get at least a couple of lenses. That's why I am very grateful for all the information you and the other members here have given me : ) !!!


Thank you again, kind regards!

I bought the 210mm because I got it very cheaply. At the time I had a 165mm Calumet-Ilex lens so 180mm was too close to this for me to consider. It's also the longest focal length in a No.1 shutter and a 5.6 aperture, after that long lenses are in No.3 shutters with 1/125 top speeds.

I don't like recessed board because I have to use an angled cable release adaptor. It's hard to see the shutter speed and f-stops marked on the shutter and harder to adjust them, even with quite a big board. I do have bag bellows for my camera and this is a much better solution.

[linhofbiker]

Hi,

Thank you to all of you for your messages : ) !!!

This thread has been very helpful because
I already know which middle and long lens
I'll be getting.

It is through your help that I will be doing
a better and more informed purchase and
that helps me a lot!

I just need a bit more information in order
to know which wide angle lens to get.

@Brian (Corran) - But in 35 mm happens the same, doesn't? One uses the wider wide-angle lens available even if things are a bit slanted, (no movement capability in 35mm, remember?). That way one gets more information on the picture. If chosen properly, in 35mm. format, one finds lenses with little or no vignetting at all. Will the 90mm. and/or 75mm. have a strong 'vignetting' using them without any movements?

@linhofbiker - Was there a lot of vignetting present? I am ok if the movements are limited, as long as there is less or no vignetting.

@Steve K (Labrat) - Yes, I'll use a ladder or go on the roof of low buildings. The 135mm. is already in the kit ; ) !!!

@Kent in SD (Two23) - I may live with a 75mm without much movement, but I could hardly live with it if the vignetting is very strong. How strong is vignetting with your 75mm. and no camera movements?? Are recessed lens boards better to keep compact lenses inside the camera? Why you don't like the recessed lens boards? The camera I'll use is a Linhof Technika IV.

@Tobias Key - I'll definitely take a look at the 125mm. lens. Why a 210mm. and not a 180mm.? Have you or anyone you know used both the 180mm. and the 210mm.?
Why are recessed lens boards a pain to use for you too - (Kent in SD seems not very fond of them too)? Wouldn't recessed boards allow you better to keep compact lenses attached to the camera? Perhaps a sometimes valued feature at the moment of closing and setting up a field camera like the Linhof Technika IV. What would you find compelling enough to add a 90 or 75mm. lens?

@Bob Salomon - Yes, it is a good idea, but because I live quite far away from shops and so, it is perhaps to get at least a couple of lenses. That's why I am very grateful for all the information you and the other members here have given me : ) !!!


Thank you again, kind regards!

With the Technika IV you have to drop the bed to the lowest setting to use a 90mm or less lens. I had a 65mm SA on one of those special focusing devices - what a pain! The 75mm SA was a good compromise and there was no vignetting only the natural falloff towards the outer image circle. This can be corrected with the expensive center filter, but I never bothered with this.