Advice on lense (comparing 2 options)

[AnetteB]

Hi Neal, thanks for the tips. When you say 'a basic Toyo', I presume you mean a monorail then? I have already, stashed away in a big box in a photo studio, a Sinar (P, I think), collecting dust to be honest. I am planning to do portraits in different parts of town, 'travelling' by bicycle (I'm based in the Netherlands...), ie gear in backpack, tripod attached to the bike.. So, the Sinar will stay in the box/be used in the studio only (or not). It was the mobility and ease of using the Linhof MT, that got me into LF.

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.