Linhof Technika — are Infinity Stops only for use with the Rangefinder?

[Bob Salomon]

Thanks Bob. It has 3 scales fitted at the moment - 75, 135 & 250. I haven't investigated how to remove / fit them yet. If they just slide on then so much the better.

The stage that they are mounted on slides on and off. The focus scales are screwed onto that stage from the bottom of the stage. The stage clicks into place.
Your cam is color coded to its infinity stops.

[stephenmcateer]

Each pair of infinity stops are for a specific focal length lens as is each focusing scale. Your infinity stops should be color coded to indicate which lens they are for. If you no longer have the original focus cam by serial number for your lens then a service center should reposition the infinity stops for the lens you do have.

Thanks Bob. The cam that's in the camera is for a 135mm lens but the lens did not come bundled with the body [I have a Nikkor W 135 but it's out of focus if I use the existing 135 stop on the camera]. The stops are indeed colour-coded. [I don't think I would be using the rangefinder much, so a matched cam is not a priority.]

[stephenmcateer]

The stage that they are mounted on slides on and off. The focus scales are screwed onto that stage from the bottom of the stage. The stage clicks into place.
Your cam is color coded to its infinity stops.

Thanks again Bob. I'll take a look at that.

[ic-racer]

With ground glass focus, if you tilt the back (which I do all the time) the infinity stop is not in the right position. So, on my non-rangefinder Horseman FA (with no rangefinder but with infinity stops), I place the infinity stop farther back than it would be if the camera had a rangefinder. They still do make setting the camera up a little quicker.
Essentially, if you are not using a rangefinder, you can put the stops wherever is convenient for your shooting style.

[stephenmcateer]

With ground glass focus, if you tilt the back (which I do all the time) the infinity stop is not in the right position. So, on my non-rangefinder Horseman FA (with no rangefinder but with infinity stops), I place the infinity stop farther back than it would be if the camera had a rangefinder. They still do make setting the camera up a little quicker.
Essentially, if you are not using a rangefinder, you can put the stops wherever is convenient for your shooting style.

Okay thanks for that. I'm going to look at setting the stops up tomorrow for the 135 Nikkor I have. I like to get the camera set-up as quickly as possible. [I don't plan on using the rangefinder any time soon but maybe at some point in future I will.]

[Drew Wiley]

It's a technical camera, so rangefinder focus came in handy for handheld work analogous to press camera use. My brother often used that feature for handheld 4X5 shooting, along with a Kenro gyro stabilizer. And there is someone in my neighborhood that would resort to rangefinder focus during quickie Technika shooting in the rain. Of course, that method is generally unrealistic when tilts or swings are involved.

One precaution. Lenses of even the same nominal focal length from different manufacturers might not have the same exact focal length, or even be mounted on the board with the same spacing. This constitutes a problem with cams. Double-check everything first. Perhaps Bob knows someone who can customize cams.

[stephenmcateer]

It's a technical camera, so rangefinder focus came in handy for handheld work analogous to press camera use. My brother often used that feature for handheld 4X5 shooting, along with a Kenro gyro stabilizer. And there is someone in my neighborhood that would resort to rangefinder focus during quickie Technika shooting in the rain. Of course, that method is generally unrealistic when tilts or swings are involved.

One precaution. Lenses of even the same nominal focal length from different manufacturers might not have the same exact focal length, or even be mounted on the board with the same spacing. This constitutes a problem with cams. Double-check everything first. Perhaps Bob knows someone who can customize cams.

Thanks. I had forgotten about gyro stabilizers. The rangefinder would be handy to have but it'll have to wait till I have spare cash for a new cam.