I've been through this exact form of gyration.
I've had the Linhof Tech V, and various Graphics. I ended up staying with the Crown Graphic with top RF and a 135mm Xenotar that just happened to focus perfectly with my existing 135mm Xenar cam. I don't know the equivalent weights, but the Linhof felt like a ton of bricks in my hand vs. the Crown.
I've thought about switching to either a Super Speed, for which cams seem to be easier to make, or a Kalart side rangefinder so I can use my 180mm. Although, I know from experience with the Aero Ektar, that the Kalart can either be adjusted for near or far focus but not both with that focal length.
maybe, but who shoots an AE at infinity? beyond say 50ft doesn't matter with that lens, IMNSHO.
It's too bad you need to use Grafmatic holders. For one lens work I use a flyweight Printex 4x5 with a 135 mm Fuji lens. You can google it.
is the printex lighter than a crown? I'd be surprised if so.
The Super Graphic was meant to be used handheld, has a revolving back, superior to a Crown for most everything but coupled wide-angle work. I bought one for $250, decided I liked it better for cheap roll film used instead of shooting on the fly with Grafmaticss at more than $30 per loading... And found I was getting much better results with a Pentax 645N because of the vastly superior viewfinder. Sold it here for what I'd paid. Equipment can be virtually a free rental like this, but not if you have custom cameras built, or buy new.
Hasten to add that the cammed balls-in-a-tube TRF Kalarts like on the Super Graphic (&Crown & Speed) TRF are very, very consistent in accurate focus. It's just that they haven't been made in about 50 years so there never were cams made for modern Plasmats-- you either use lenses that had cams commonly available for them (Tessar Optar Raptar Xenar 135mm, most often) or else have to get creative
Thanks Jac! I have a couple crowns, but no printex (yet).
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