Do's and Don't's of Linhof Technika IV

[Pieter]

Read the manual?

[wyofilm]

Read the manual?

I have read the manual. There are some grey areas and perhaps omissions. For example, the manual doesn't state to slide the rails back towards the lens before sliding the lens out. But others have mentioned not doing so could cause damage. Regarding, the cams the manual gives the impression that one can drop the bed to the center position without damaging the cam, but dropping to the bed to the bottom position will damage the cam. This was always confusing to me, because with a 90 mm lens (for which I have a focussing cam) I believe I might need to drop the bed under some circumstances, but did that mean I had to take out the cam?

[Bob Salomon]

I have read the manual. There are some grey areas and perhaps omissions. For example, the manual doesn't state to slide the rails back towards the lens before sliding the lens out. But others have mentioned not doing so could cause damage. Regarding, the cams the manual gives the impression that one can drop the bed to the center position without damaging the cam, but dropping to the bed to the bottom position will damage the cam. This was always confusing to me, because with a 90 mm lens (for which I have a focussing cam) I believe I might need to drop the bed under some circumstances, but did that mean I had to take out the cam?

As I pointed out before, remove the cam before dropping the bed, replace the cam after you drop the bed.

The factory instructions for opening the camera on page 10 describes how to set the front standard to the infinity position. It is not necessary to slide the rails back to do this. But if you pull the front out of the camera and use a lifting motion at the same time you might take that front standard off the rail. So some users find that sliding the rail backwards helps them. Whether or not you do that is up to the user. Personally I never slid the rail back when either using the camera or demonstrating the camera.

[ChristopherMarv]

Read the manual?

I would, but none is available.

[Bob Salomon]

I would, but none is available.

Most of the operation of the current MT cameras are the same as your IV, other then how to do a front rise, the amount of movements and lens cramming instructions and how to install a fresnel.
Go to the LInhof factory web site, click on service, choose manuals from the drop down menu, select the Master Technika manual and download it and most of your questions will be answered.

[LabRat]

Try to find a bare 90mm cam somewhere, to leave on the camera, as you can drop bed and close it with this cam holding everything in correct position... The longer cams cause trouble if the bed drops (remember that RF use + bed drop don't work together)...

I don't use a Tek as a hand camera, so the RF is useless, so the 90mm cam keeps trouble out of the way, and even the grip and finder are large and makes the camera large when packed... For me, it's camera and it's movements that goes right onto a tripod... I use a lighter press camera to handhold (without wrist-wrecking)...

Steve K

[wyofilm]

As I pointed out before, remove the cam before dropping the bed, replace the cam after you drop the bed.

The factory instructions for opening the camera on page 10 describes how to set the front standard to the infinity position. It is not necessary to slide the rails back to do this. But if you pull the front out of the camera and use a lifting motion at the same time you might take that front standard off the rail. So some users find that sliding the rail backwards helps them. Whether or not you do that is up to the user. Personally I never slid the rail back when either using the camera or demonstrating the camera.

Bob - This clears up a lot, thanks. The incompatibility/contradiction was removing the cam before dropping the bed AND meeting the requirement of having the rail abut the 'home' lens position. Once the bed is dropped, the lens can't be brought out if the rail is moved all the way towards the box. I understand now that having the rail towards the box for lens deployment, while it might be good, isn't the Linhof stated procedure.

[Daniel Casper Lohenstein]

I have read the manual. There are some grey areas and perhaps omissions.

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Regarding the bending of the cams: I have observed that something like this can happen when the tripod mount of the focusing base is loose and sticks out from the top.

Another observation: if you fold up a formerly folded down camera base and if the standard is not standing completely on its rail, there will be an "Unglück".

[ChristopherMarv]

I'm making the "jump" to the rail without moving it back. I haven't had an issue with it, after many years of use.
Don´t know if the proper method is the one you describe, I actually never do this.
I cannot remember the last time I used the cam, I think I removed it after a week. Cannot say about it.
I use to put special care when closing the camera.. the front standard should be not compressed at all in the "first rail".
All the controls must move smoothly without being overlubricated; if there is some rigidity (usually dry grease or dirtiness), the camera must be serviced to avoid damage. Specially the gears on the front standard.

Curious to know how you close the camera without the cam. If I take my cam out, a spring pushes the socket that it fits into all the way to the left hand side, and I'm pretty sure that I couldn't close the camera without damaging it.

[Bob Salomon]

Curious to know how you close the camera without the cam. If I take my cam out, a spring pushes the socket that it fits into all the way to the left hand side, and I'm pretty sure that I couldn't close the camera without damaging it.

See posts 9 and 16 in this thread.