Milwaukee beer factories let workers drink free as long as they never got drunkOriginally Posted by Bob Salomon
Those big Germans has a large capacity
I think that ended about 1980
Milwaukee beer factories let workers drink free as long as they never got drunk
Those big Germans has a large capacity
I think that ended about 1980
This reminds me of an old soul I used to have morning coffee with. A vet who had survived being a medic on D-Day and was transferred into the then new Air Force and was stationed in the UK with his family. The camera of his dreams was a Linhof Technika and every time the subject turned to photography he'd recount the wonderous qualities of Linhof Technikas.
He passed without ever getting to own one, which is kind of sad to contemplate.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
I think I saw my tripod near the end.
Bob, would be interesting for you to tell us how the current factory differs... I believe that you once mentioned that CAD/CAM workstations replaced human machinists?
Yes, they did. But I haven’t been to the factory for several years so I don’t know what it’s like now.
What a wonderful film! Such a great era also with the very best of “hands on” craftsmanship, with human hands and hearts guiding those sturdy and precise machines.
I spent a week at Linhof in 2003…and many of those older machines were still in operation at the time of my visit. So yes…the craftsmanship lives on! Also a bit of deja-vu with the slanting walls of the upstairs assembly rooms…and row upon row of partially assembled cameras (which, during my visit, included many Technikardan cameras).
I think I will contact Linhof again soon…just to see how everyone is faring these days.
Those unprotected eyeballs closely inspecting the milling machine work were definitely cringe inducing. I was surprised to see that they did their own castings, as I was assuming that this would be farmed out. You can definitely see why they've always cost so much. CAM helps a lot when there's a lot of production volume, but I doubt if it makes much difference these days.
I wonder how many Technikas Linhof produced each year in the glory days, and how many a year they produce now.
Remarkable -O- film of the Linhof factory. This was common to how many high precision, high quality techno stuff was made. Plenty of highly skilled folks applying their highly honed skills to create an enduring product in every way.
Stuff like this back then was designed and produced to last, endure, be reliable and serviced as needed. There is an awful lot of stuff made today that is designed to be disposed of once their designed in life span is done..Not repairable in every way, specifically designed and produced to be shoved into the land-fill or "re-cycle" once their time is up.
On the topic of Linhof, currently enjoying the Linhof Technikardan 23s (second version), nice to use, nicely made view camera. IMO, superior to the fold up Technika for capability (much less than Sinar or Arca Swiss modularity) and usability. Has a nice precise feel with good stability (long as the triple rails are not full out with a sizable lens at the end), movement controls that stay put once set and equal ease of applying camera movements front and back. Highly recommended if a camera like this fits the need.
Bernice
If you’re concerned with full extension with a heavy lens they offer a macro extension rail as an accessory.
Fascinating. Wish I still remembered some German. Would be nice to have the translation. And yeah, the lack of basic common sense safety is astounding. I well remember just how non-ergonomic many expensive German power tools were when I first started selling them nearly 50 years ago, but just how superbly designed they had become per safety and sensible handling by the time I retired. American industrial tools improved dramatically too, but not quite to the same extent. It's just that so much German stuff was modeled to big hands, not little paws like mine. I think they hire huge Valkyries in horned helmets to test the grips. The Q-anon Shaman would fit right in.
But the Germans sure got their machining skills down. Early on I worked alongside a former NASA optical engineer/machinist. He repeatedly told a story about a contest between the Germans and Americans prior to WWII, to see who could draw the finest strand of metal wire. When the Americans assumed they'd won, and shipped their sample over to Germany to prove it, the Germans sent it back with a hole drilled the whole way down through the middle of it!
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