Show off your Large Format camera!

[neil poulsen]

Ever since I purchased my Classic F 4x5 in about 1996 for $450, I’ve had a love affair with Arca Swiss equipment.

But with thanks to Kumar, a new love has entered my life. It’s my Japanese style, Linhof Technikarden. Of course, I’ve always been aware of Technikardan cameras. But the collapsing rail of a Technikardan 45 or a 45S has always appeared to me as more of a negative than a positive. So, I’ve never been particularly interested.

But, the Japanese version of a Technikardan replaces the collapsing rail with a very solid, sturdy, single expanding rail. I was indeed interested, and the camera still being available, I purchased it on the spot.

It’s truly an elegant camera. The first photo shows the camera with it’s bag bellows. I’m death on flare, so I also purchased a wide-angle compendium bellows hood from a seller in the UK. (Photo 2.) As Kumar had warned in the listing, the double-pleated bellows supplied with the camera was full of pinholes. So, off they went to Custom Bellows in the UK for replacement. (Photos 3, 4 & 5.) Photo 6 shows the camera at it’s full, 19 inch expanded length. That’s plenty for me, since both my 360mm and 500mm lenses are Nikon telephotos. What’s neat is how easily the two sets of bellows can be removed and switched.

The camera offers full front and back movements. Front rise extends from 20mm fall to 50mm rise. Front axis tilt and swing are limited only by the bellows. Front shift extends from 25mm left to 40mm right. Rear axis tile and swing are bellows limited. The rear standard has 50mm rise (no fall), and shift extends to 50mm in either the left or right directions.

While the expanding, solid rail has an adjustable tripod hole for a plate, I really like the fact that the rail itself attaches directly to my Arca head without any kind of quick release plate. To stow the camera, I make minimal adjustments to slant the bellows, and it then goes directly from the tripod head into my backpack. (Photo 6.) This can be accomplished without any negative impact to either the pleated or the bag bellows.