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Best writeup of Linhof Techno yet!

tjv

Active member
Stumbled upon this excellent writeup of the Linhof Techno by fellow forum user Torger on LL. It's the best I've read of the Techno and highly recommend reading it if you're considering your tech camera offerings.

Review: Linhof Techno

Seems to me the Techno is a very good replacement for a Technika in the digital era but brings with it some drawbacks, namely ease of GG focusing and absolute confidence in accuracy.

TJV
 

torger

Active member
I'm here too :)

It's a very personal review from the eyes of an amateur but I have tried to be as fair and informative as I can. The big question with Techno or not to Techno is if one can handle the ground glass at a precision level which is good enough for one's own expectations.

I certainly understand the elegance and sense of absolute confidence pancake cameras with HPF rings provide, but if you feel that you can confidently work with the ground glass the Techno has a set of attractive properties.

One ideal user I think is a (hiking) landscape photographer that have an IQ160, shoot at f/11 as optimal aperture, use many focal lengths including longer ones (probably mostly Schneider Digitars) and in addition to the shifts like to use tilt in many compositions, and do occasional closeups. That description fits myself quite well, except for the part I haven't got an IQ160 :)
 

Geoff

Well-known member
While personal, its also very thorough. Most importantly, it walks carefully through the issues that a user might have with the camera. In this camera, a "tweener" operating as both a traditional view camera and something suitable (appropriate?) for a digital back, the user interface, in particular the focusing on the GG, is key. Hats off to Anders for covering this.

I wouldn't mind a bit more in the review about the sharpness of regular film lenses (although he does cover it), but its impressive nonetheless.
 

tjv

Active member
I really enjoyed the review, so thanks for putting it up.
I guess I'm thinking in terms of a hard core 4x5" Technika user wanting to make the step to the digital realm. Or, if I'm being realistic, transitioning slowly by buying a Techno / Alpa system with a 6x7cm film back as a middle way to establishing a digital setup. I think Torger's review went a long way to answering most of my questions re. the Techno. I guess the GG accuracy freaks me out, but to be honest I can't imagine not using the GG for fine composition and focusing. Years under the dark cloth has probably ruined me!
T
 

dick

New member
...but people see and use the Techno as a pro studio and interiors camera?

¿Does anyone use a "proper" MFD pro studio camera with a full range of yaw-free movements both ends?

The trouble is that no-one makes a decent solid MFD view camera (with no slop between standards).

...and no one makes a decent field camera with rear tilt?

Sinar come closest to making a decent lightweight field camera that uses the same lens boards as a pro studio camera... how hard can it be?

...and where is the GFAE CapCam?
 

Geoff

Well-known member
...but people see and use the Techno as a pro studio and interiors camera?

¿Does anyone use a "proper" MFD pro studio camera with a full range of yaw-free movements both ends?

The trouble is that no-one makes a decent solid MFD view camera (with no slop between standards).

...and no one makes a decent field camera with rear tilt?

Sinar come closest to making a decent lightweight field camera that uses the same lens boards as a pro studio camera... how hard can it be?

...and where is the GFAE CapCam?
Linhof 679 and Arca - not sure if F or M line - could they fit your bill?
 

tjv

Active member
I'm 90% sure I'm going to buy a Linhof Techno in the very near future. I'm going to use it with a 6x9cm film back at first and later upgrade to a digital setup. The deciding factor, as is often the case, sadly, that a comparable Alpa system is very expensive. This mostly due to the extra cost of the lens mount, the viewfinder, etc. The base body is about the same as the Techno, a little more expensive depending on the model.
Torger, so let me get this straight...
In your opinion, if shooting mostly at f11 on digital, the Techno GG setup is pretty easy to focus down to a 35mm lens? This is important to me because I'd never go wider than this on digital – my widest lens on 4x5" is 90mm. I'm very attached to my view camera workflow.
TJV
 
I read the review a few days back when a friend in Canada tipped me off. I found the review very thorough and practical. Very difficult to maintain such objectivity. Well done Torger.

I'm also really happy having switched to a Techno. With the HR 40, it's just wonderful. Pancake tech cams were not for me, a proper field camera, however limited, is nice.

For me, I never had on-axis front tilt before the techno, I haven't yet gotten over just how fantastic it is, so I essentially traded rear tilt + crude rear focusing (Toyo 45AII) for more precision + on-axis front tilt + geared movements. It's swings and roundabouts really.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Are you folks using the sliding GG adapter? I had a chance to try a friend's Techno last week and was impressed with the brightness and clarity of the sliding adapter with the fixed loupe/hood. However, it is a very ungainly setup and I'd be concerned about damage through handling the camera.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Not sure on the size but I'd assume that it was the larger Linhof sliding back adapter. It certainly was flexible in so far as you could also use it for rear shift of the sensor vs just a central location.

I have to say that I REALLY felt the love ... very very well made and not really that heavy. The only issue I saw was having to change the bellows with longer lenses but it certainly was nice not to have to worry about mounting each lens on it's own helicoid (my Alpa glass is mounted and they charge $$$$ for the privilege).
 

Geoff

Well-known member
That is the secret joy of the Linhof: if the lenses are good enough (and that's an "if"), then its the cost of a lens board. There are lots of LF lenses floating around...
 
I put a Docter Optic 240/4.8 on mine and was blown away by how good it was with the IQ160. The whole thing was almost fully extended. Will post some tests when I get time.

Graham, exclusively use live-view on the IQ, have a cokin ND filter which I pop in and out. Required some external power to the IQ though and it gets rather warm! The P1 technician said you could fry an egg on the sensor they get that hot. Yet to try as it's never hot enough before b/fast, only afterwards.
 

torger

Active member
So, the rumour was true. Linhof just released a new ground glass for the Techno. I guess this means I must redo all my tedious focusing experiments :)

Traditional ground glass theory goes that if you increase resolution you make it dimmer. It shall be interesting to see how much of an improvement of the standard glass this is. I hope it does not cost a million, I want to try one. Now.


New Groundglasses for System Linhof M679 und Linhof Techno

The new Groundglasses are extreme fine and allows easier composition and focusing even with extremely short focal lengths.
These Groundglasses replace the no longer available Acute groundglass.

Technical details
Code 021850-S Groundglass scoring 49x37 mm
Code 021851-S Groundglass scoring 53,9x40,4 mm
Code 021852-S Groundglass scoring 56x36 mm
 

torger

Active member
Where about can I read about the ne GG?
The cited text above is the only stuff I've been able to find, and I found that in the following:

http://www.linhof.com/download_e/linhof_photokina12_press_eng.pdf

Linhof, like many other tech cam companies, are not exactly filling the internet with info about their gear :) so unfortunately I think that is all there is without talking to them or a well-established Linhof dealer directly.

I'll probably get one as soon as they can be ordered and make a comparison with the current standard glass.

If the resolution is higher than the current glass more precise focusing will probably be possible, but not without a very strong loupe. Possibly they haven't really improved resolution but instead made it brighter, integrated the fresnel. Or both... I'm very curious about it.
 

tjv

Active member
Cool, thanks for posting. I'll contact a dealer and see what it costs over and above the standard GG and fresnel.
 

tjv

Active member
With thanks to Torger's help via PM and through reading his review, plus talking with Paula at Linhof and Studio, I've ordered my very own Techno, Horseman 6x7cm back and digital ready lenses – even if one of them is really only good up to 40mp. It took a lot of research, but the Techno really does seem to be the best fit for me, especially considering I'm migrating "down" from 4x5" film – I love GG focusing – as well as have wide eyes locked on a purely digital workflow in the future. The process is very important to me and I think this route will keep things relatively intact...
 
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