What to do about a really ugly Linhof Technika...

[Noah A]

So I found a ridiculously low price on a beater Linhof Technika IV. The camera works perfectly, all of the movements are smooth and lock down, the thing is as rigid as my newer MT2000, even the bubble level still has fluid and seems accurate.

It included a grip, and frankly what I paid for it is less than what used grips go for on Ebay.

The leather was shot, so I removed it and am working to remove the glue so I can get new leather from cameraleather.

The main problem with the camera is that the chrome on the body is peeling. In some cases the metal below is exposed and has started to corrode slightly (or something, there are dark spots showing through the chrome). Any ideas on how to deal with this?

I've considered the following options.

1. Leave it alone. According to Bob S. it's from around 1958. I'm sure it has more life left in it, and it will scare away thieves.

2. Try to polish up what chrome is left and (somehow) remove the dark spots, maybe give it a clear coat or something to preserve the metal.

3. Take it to a shop and have it either re-chromed or powder-coated. It would cost a bit, but in that case it could be a really beautiful camera and it would still have cost me far less than a mint Tech IV would have.

I got it to use as a backup and/or a camera to use in rough conditions when I don't want to worry about my MT2000. For travel I can throw it and a lens in my checked bags and use it as a backup in case my main kit gets ripped off. For home I can leave it in the trunk of my car and not worry. However, in my brief time playing around with it, I think I prefer the rise knob to the newer ratchet system. and I could actually see using this one as my main camera, at least for everyday stuff.

Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions?

[Richard Wasserman]

I don't know what kind of metal was used, are they cast (molded) or solid? If they are cast from your description it sounds as if they are white metal which I think will be problematic to re-plate in chrome. Powder coating could work well, if the chrome is removed first, but are you up to disassembling the camera and then putting it back together without any leftover bits? If you leave it alone, and ugly, nobody will want to steal it, but will it's looks bother you?

[Bob Salomon]

Get it painted at a shop. You can't replace that missing chrome without removing all of it and recoating it. And that would require a complete disassembly and re-assembly.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

It sounds like the perfect beater camera for bad weather and bad neighborhoods just like it is, provided it's light tight and everything works.

A humble camera can be a good check-and-balance that it's the photographer and not the camera doing the photographing-- an antidote to gear acquisition syndrome.

Should you try to restore/rechrome it you may have regrets taking it apart if a part breaks or a thread strips in the process (you say it's already corroding?) and there's no ready replacement for a Tech IV... or the part costs more than you've got into it or more than you could get back out of it repaired.

[Frank Petronio]

Carefully dip the side panels, one at a time, in PlastiDip - the stuff you use to fix bellows and create handles for metal pliers, etc. You could have a rubber coated Technika - the ultimate off-road machine!

[Bill_1856]

Leave it alone or sell it on ebay. Technikas don't need a backup body.

[E. von Hoegh]

They were cast of some sort of alloy, I think it has a fair amount of zinc in it. Peeling chrome is fairly common, my otherwise near-mint IV has it in 2 or 3 spots. I painted over the spots with a couple coats Humbrol silver model paint about 1987; it stopped the peeling and the paint is still there.

[Peter De Smidt]

I'd shoot with it as-is. Why does it matter what it looks like?

[E. von Hoegh]

I'd shoot with it as-is. Why does it matter what it looks like?

There's that, as well.

You could have a t-shirt made that says "My other camera is a Linhof, too".

[Frank Petronio]

Sand it down, spray a matte clear lacquer or nail polish in spots.