Advice on lense (comparing 2 options)

[Bob Salomon]

Thanks again for advice!. A follow-up Q: I decided on, and got hold of, a Fujinon 250 mm 6.3. I am now wondering where to put the little infinity stops (on the Linhof MT thus) - at 250mm from the filmplane? Is that a 'short cut' or is it by simply testing?

Be careful with the infinity stops. The screws in them have a sharp point which will dimple into the rails. Put the stops in the wrong place will leave dimples in the rails. If you don’t know how to install them let a service center position them correctly.

[maltfalc]

Thanks again for advice!. A follow-up Q: I decided on, and got hold of, a Fujinon 250 mm 6.3. I am now wondering where to put the little infinity stops (on the Linhof MT thus) - at 250mm from the filmplane? Is that a 'short cut' or is it by simply testing?

keep the focus rails all the way back and locked then adjust your front standard while focusing on the moon or something else really far away.

[Bob Salomon]

Be careful with the infinity stops. The screws in them have a sharp point which will dimple into the rails. Put the stops in the wrong place will leave dimples in the rails. If you don’t know how to install them let a service center position them correctly.

Linhof supplies a test chart that you tape to a window, then set the camera on a tripod a specific distance away. You then compare sharpness on the gg and the rangefinder until they agree ad that is where the stops go.

[Neal Chaves]

Range finder press and view cameras like the Technika, Graphic and others, do not have focus on the back, so they are awkward to use for close portraits with ground glass focusing and composition. Successful portrait use with RF cameras requires an accurate, parallax-correcting viewfinder and a lens that produces a good head size without a lot of extension, which makes the camera cumbersome to handle. Telephoto lenses are suggested. I tried a 240mm lens on the Technika that was great for tight headshots on a 4X5 monorail and found it required too much extension and was unable to focus close enough with the Technika RF. Which ever longer than normal lens you choose for the Technika, you will still need a camera that focuses from the rear for tight portraits. A basic Toyo or other with a Technika adapter board would add only a small investment to your kit but greatly expand your capabilities.

I tried to set the Technika (a Master) up for "Big Shot" use that can be easily done with a Graphic, but it is not practical. Photo below is full frame 4X5 with 210mm lens RF-focused and accurately composed with open frame finder. The TRF Graphic is immediately ready for RF focus from 8 ft. to infinity on the same cam simply by setting the lens back on its infinity stops, rather than in the Big Shot configuration.

[Neal Chaves]

Here's how you can make some nice head and shoulder compositions with the Master Technika. Get a Super Rolex Back for 6X9 on 120 film. Your 150 becomes a portrait length, and a 90mm or 100mm your normal. The finder on the Technika will be very accurate with the 6X9 mask, vertical or horizontal and you will be able to RF focus much closer and fill the frame. Print quality will be very close to 4X5 sheet film because the film is thinner and held flatter in the holder.

Working with a portrait subject, you could do three quarter and full length compositions on 4X5 sheet film with the 150mm, then just change the viewfinder mask and switch back to the 6X9 roll film.

[maltfalc]

Here's how you can make some nice head and shoulder compositions with the Master Technika. Get a Super Rolex Back for 6X9 on 120 film. Your 150 becomes a portrait length, and a 90mm or 100mm your normal. The finder on the Technika will be very accurate with the 6X9 mask, vertical or horizontal and you will be able to RF focus much closer and fill the frame. Print quality will be very close to 4X5 sheet film because the film is thinner and held flatter in the holder.

Working with a portrait subject, you could do three quarter and full length compositions on 4X5 sheet film with the 150mm, then just change the viewfinder mask and switch back to the 6X9 roll film.

if your advice to someone asking about large format photography is "shoot medium format", you might be on the wrong site.

[Neal Chaves]

Maybe someone can show some close portraits made with a Technika on 4X5 with a lens of 210mm or longer using the cam-coupled RF and the multi-focus finder, on or off a tripod, I'd like to see them and be happy to learn how it was done. The IP asked a question about making portraits with a Master Technika, a large format camera, with which I have had a great deal of experience. I shared that experience and don't feel that this is the "wrong site" on which to do that.

[Corran]

For a little while I used a 270mm Tele-Arton on my Technika IV, matched cam and RF focused, handheld. Just for fun.

I found the parallax-corrected viewfinder to work well. I actually like the design of the older finder compared to the newer one, but the newer one is more compact. Anyway, I know this isn't super close, but it's about as close as I generally wanted to shoot:



As a telephoto, bellows draw was reduced. I prefer a 150mm and full-body or 3/4 portraits more, so that's what I've used more (at the time, my 150mm was in the shop, so I used the 270).

[Neal Chaves]

A 270 tele is nice focused on the ground glass of a view camera when you get even closer, or even with a Technika which has plenty of bellows.

[AnetteB]

Thank you Corran, for advice and for sharing the photo (nice). I don't need to make tighter portraits than this - at least not for the project I now planning. I will start the project with the 250mm I recently bought (perhaps also the 150mm for comparison). I don't have cut cams for the lenses and will use a tripod (didn't buy the MT specifically for the rangefinder actually - I had been looking at several options for a field camera and this particular camera came up for sale in my neighbourhood, so jumped on the occasion..) . Now that I have 2 lenses I will send one to have the cam cut though as it seems practical, as an option. I have an old viewfinder but kind of use it just to get an idea of the scene and how to frame before I set the camera up. Then only work on the ground glass, but then again, I am still quite new to LF and am still finding my ways and routines are not set... About routines, I got a Q also on using ANR glass on the scanner, but will post that in the right forum..

For a little while I used a 270mm Tele-Arton on my Technika IV, matched cam and RF focused, handheld. Just for fun.

I found the parallax-corrected viewfinder to work well. I actually like the design of the older finder compared to the newer one, but the newer one is more compact. Anyway, I know this isn't super close, but it's about as close as I generally wanted to shoot:



As a telephoto, bellows draw was reduced. I prefer a 150mm and full-body or 3/4 portraits more, so that's what I've used more (at the time, my 150mm was in the shop, so I used the 270).