Linhof Technika vs. Technikardan?

[Jim Brick]

My personal experience is that the TK is much more rigid extended than the MT is. The MT track that extends out sags with a heavy (Nikkor T* ED) lens. The TK does not.

L standards have been used for various brands of studio view cameras, 4x5 & 8x10, for decades. It is a well proven design.

The MT when folded up is like a turtle in it's shell. But you pay for it in weight and inconvenience. There is no substitute for convenient movements by feel (your head under the dark cloth) and there is no substitute for versatility in lenses that can be used and situations that can be undertaken.

The MT is a great camera. I had one for years and loved it. But I find the TK better in nearly all aspects. All of the things I didn't like about the MT are non existent on the TK.

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Jerry,

http://www.butzi.net/reviews/images/tk4.JPG

Paul Butzi's complete review is at:

http://www.butzi.net/reviews/linhoftk45s.htm

You can click on any of the photos that accompany the review to see a bigger ver sion.

Kerry

[Bob Salomon]

"How do find the rigidity of the TK45S versus the MT? I'm considering either a MT2000 or a TK45S, but I'm concerned about the rigidity of the Technikardan when extended to the limits. "

You can't make this comparison.

At the extension of a Master the TK is as solid. At the maximum extension of the TK the MAster can't extend that far.

Apples and oranges.

If you are at or near full extension the TK offers a solid accessory rail when using heavy lenses if you find it necessary.

As for pictures Linhof has a beautiful full color 8 page brochure that shows the camera open/closed and every way in between + all accessories.

We mail them at NC to anyone in the U.S.

Of course it also has specs.

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Bob wrote:

"Of course it also has specs."

Have they ever updated the brochure to show the correct weight for the TK45S? T he one you sent me a couple years ago (dated August, 1996) incorrectly lists the weight as 6.6 lb. (3000g). I believe this is the weight of the older non-S ver sion. The actual weight of my TK45S is 7 lb. 8 1/4 oz. (3410g). Ironically, th e instruction manual that came with my camera (dated November, 1994) lists the w eight as a much more accurate 3400g.

Kerry

[Jerry Gardner]

Bob,

Do you have the specs/brochure on a web site somewhere? Sending them by postal mail is so 20th century!

[Jerry Gardner]

I found a review of the TK45S on Paul Butzi's web site (thanks Kerry). This answered a lot of my questions.

Anyone care to comment on the TK45S versus the Arca-Swiss FC 4x5?

[Brian Ellis]

Well Bob, I guess you're right as always and I'm just wrong. Gee, I could have sworn I read, studied, and followed those instructions (both sets) but since you tell me it's simple if you read the instructions, and since it wasn't simple, I guess I just didn't read the instructions after all. Thanks for letting me know that. Let's see . . . you say you sent out five cameras, four came back with wrinkled bellows. Hmmmm.

[Bob Salomon]

"Do you have the specs/brochure on a web site somewhere? "

No mail only or pickup at a show like Photo Plus East next month.

[Ellis Vener]

TK45s = center axis tilts , not yaw free (this isn't an issue until you do a combination of tilt and swing and are tryingto keep your rear standard vertical). Bob Saloman will shortly point out that if you tip the camera over on it's side it will act like a yaw free camera.

Arca-Swiss Fc camera. A yaw free base tilt design. Some people don't like base tilts.

Both are terrificly well made and handling cameras that have radically different design philospohies behind them. you might also want to compare prices, but you'll be hard put to go wrong with either. Having said that l confess; I love using the Arca-Swiss F-line.

[Bob Salomon]

"not yaw free "

So what?

The vast majority of all large format photos ever made were on yaw prone cameras.

And Ellis, in case you were wondering, the very first yaw free large format camera was the huge, original version of the Linhof Kardan introduced in 1952.

The name Kardan is derived from the German word cardanic which was the knuckle type joint on the Kardan (not the later Kardan Color) this joint allowed for yaw free movements as the tilt and swing were at the same point rather then the later designs which usually have 2 tilt points and was much simpler to produce. The yaw free Kardan was discontinued in 1956. Well before any other yaw free design was even introduced.

the demise of the yaw free kardan and the introduction of the yaw prone Kardan Color was virtually unnoticed.

For the vast majority of view camera users yaw free is so what.

And yes, you are right, any yaw prone camera becomes yaw free when used 90? from right side up. As the TK is so small an additional bubble level was added to it for use when it is on its' side.

Virtually no one takes advantage of this.

Now if you have base tilts and do a simulltaneous tilt and swing with an inclined camera yaw could be problematic. But then the TK is not a base tilt camera.