I had Camera Bellows make my TK45 Straight Taper Bellows out of the Canham synthetic bellows material because it is very light weight and is a durable material. That being said I do have a bag bellows for wide angle lenses that I carry with me for photographs that could use some camera movements.Originally Posted by LFLarry
I bought a TK45 years ago as an all purpose field camera - with the ability and agility to photograph buildings. The camera has a lot of movements available. The bag bellows allows about any wide angle lens without a recessed board. I presently have lenses from 75mm to 450mm that I use on the TK. As stated previously - the bellows are expensive to replace - I just take the standard bellows off and put in a container - easy. The TK combines the flexibility and movements of a view camera and the rigidity of a field camera - and it is Linhof quality.
Last edited by Robert Opheim; 14-Sep-2020 at 13:01.
If I were thinking about getting a TK, I'd also seriously consider an Arca F.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
Why?
They are less fiddly to use, and they can be expanded/reconfigured is myriad ways, with different standards, rails, bellows, formats.....They are just as stable and easy to pack. They use bigger boards, which allows bigger lenses, but one can still use an adapter board for smaller lenses to keep things compact. Plus, features like Orbix are available...
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
I used a TK45S for about twelve years. It was a wonderfully solid camera with excellent portability. I was able to travel lightly and get to places other 4x5 cameras would be too bulky.
I never had a problem folding the unit with the pleated bellows and it remained light-tight the years I owned it.
If I were to get back into 4x5 I would get another TK45S.
Bill McMannis
Thanks!
There a lot of points for the Arca...
I have the older TK 45 and it´s a wonderfull camera with a lot of movement´s. But sometime i think, she is a little bit to heavy...
My favorite subjekts are Architecture and Landscape, and therefor she is perfect.
Hi Bill, I received the camera a couple of weeks ago and I have been very impressed and happy with the camera. The build quality is evident the moment you lay your eyes on the camera and I find it incredibly easy and versatile to use. I couldn't be happier.
Thanks for commenting.
Tried out the TK45 and TK23 back when they were new at a Linhof dealer. The TK45 appeared flimsy to me once the rails were fully extended, movement locks worked sort of ok, the camera was pricy, limited adaptability and too small a front lens board as it uses Technika lens boards, no camera specific shutter. IMO, the TK23 is a better camera for the mechanical design Linhof did for the TK series. It was intended to be mixed hybrid of Technika & monorail. Based on the dealer trial, the Arca Swiss with folding rail or Sinar is a better camera in many ways.
That said, the TK45 could be the ideal camera for your needs. Only usage over time and many boxes of film later will tell if this camera works for your print making needs.
Bernice
The original TK utilized a 1 piece L arm bent into an L shape. This had several problems. If the bends were not exact the piece had to be thrown out. The rear and front L standards were the same width and that meant that the rear one was too springy with long extension and heavy lenses.
2 years later they brought out the improved TKs series. The L arms were changed to two straight pieces joined by a coupler piece and the rear standard was now double the width of the front L. 0 detects were added to the tilts and it became a more robust and precise camera.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks