Linhof Technica back movements

"Mark Baylin" wrote in message
...

Hi there, I'm considering purchacing a technica camera
(probably a IV). [...]
Does anyone know if the camera does in fact have levels
on the back standard??

(I hope you mean the Linhof TechniKa) If you mean a bubble-level, then No,
the Technika IV has no bubble-level on either the front or rear standard.
It's on the top of the body. Nor does it have guide lines on the ground
glass. While the Technika has a lot of movements, they are each maxed out at
about 15 degrees. You can combo them for much greater movements, of course,
but it's far more of a hassle than a freemoving view camera. The Technika
was designed to be a strong, collapsible shell camera, as well as a
press-camera type. It may not be what you want for strictly architectural
work.

Perhaps I should go for a more modern wooden camera...?

Why wood? Consider finding a Sinar Alpina if you want a view camera with
great levels on both standards, a standard grided ground-glass, and a very
reasonable price. The Alpinas are inexpensive largely because they use a
rail that none of the other Sinars can use, but other Sinar components are
interchangable. I'll bet you can get one for about $200 without lens.

I don't understand what you mean when you say "its own independent level, so
far the ones I've seen do not appear to have any levels . . . it seems to me
that I need to know if the back part of the camera levels independently from
the front part." I assume you aren't referring to spirit levels but rather
have something else in mind, I just can't figure out what it is. If by
chance all you're talking about is spirit levels, the V (and I think the IV
also) has a small "target" level on the top of the back standard but it's
pretty much useless since you can't see it with the camera at eye level or
higher on the tripod. That's easy enough to remedy by just buying a small
level at Home Depot and laying it on top of the back.

FWIW, the back movements are independent of the front. You can tilt the
back, you can swing the back, or you can do some of both. However, if back
movements are really important to you I don't think the Technika would be
the first camera I'd suggest. I owned a Technika V for three or four years
and presently have a Master that I like very much. But back movements aren't
one of the strong points of the Technika line of cameras IMHO. It's
something of a pain to use them since that involves turning four knobs four
times each from the time you loosen the back to the time you close it up.
Also when you use the back movements the back kind of "floats" in space,
i.e. the swings and tilts aren't operated independently of each other. The
movements are better than nothing and I do use them occasionally but if I
used them a lot I'd probably look for another camera, one that had more
extensive back movements that were more convenient to operate and that had
independent swings and tilts.

"Mark Baylin" wrote in message
...

Hi there, I'm considering purchacing a technica camera
(probably a IV). I'm moving up from a crown graphic camera
which I really like, but am now finding that I really need
back movements. I'm aware that the technica does have back
tilt, but on the photos I have seen, I cannot tell whether
the back part of the camera that tilts has it's own
independant level. So far, the ones I have seen in photos
do not appear to have any levels... For the kind of work I
want to do (photographing buildings and walls) it seems to
me that I need to know if the back part of the camera
is level independantly from the front part...

Does anyone know if the camera does in fact have levels
on the back standard??

Perhaps I should go for a more modern wooden camera...?

Thanks very much for any help!!

Mark
--
p

"Sandy" wrote in message
...

Sandy, please don't TOP POST.

I don't understand what you mean when you say "its own independent level,
so
far the ones I've seen do not appear to have any levels . . .

Too bad! It's not always necessary, but nice to know the steady-state -
where your camera is upon setup before you make adjustments. The Sinar has
levels on the front and rear standard. I find it helpfull in setup.
Whatever.

the V (and I think the IV
also) has a small "target" level on the top of the back standard [...]

We must be talking about different cameras. What, exactly, are you refering
to?

FWIW, the back movements are independent of the front.

Duh.

"Sandy" wrote in message
...

Sandy, please don't TOP POST.

I don't understand what you mean when you say "its own independent level,
so
far the ones I've seen do not appear to have any levels . . .

Too bad! It's not always necessary, but nice to know the steady-state -
where your camera is upon setup before you make adjustments. The Sinar has
levels on the front and rear standard. I find it helpfull in setup.
Whatever.

the V (and I think the IV
also) has a small "target" level on the top of the back standard [...]

We must be talking about different cameras. What, exactly, are you refering
to?

FWIW, the back movements are independent of the front.

Duh.

In article ,
"jjs" wrote:

Nor does it have guide lines on the ground
glass

The standard ground glass on a Master Technika is the grid ground glass.
Yours can be easily changed to one.

--
To reply no_ HPMarketing Corp.

In article ,
(Mark Baylin) wrote:

I cannot tell whether
the back part of the camera that tilts has it's own
independant level. So far, the ones I have seen in photos
do not appear to have any levels...

Linhof has a shoe that can be mounted to the center of the groundglass
hold down clamp on the back. This "shoe" holds the 2 axis Linhof
Accessory Level directly on the groundglass. The level is a shoe mount
type and is easily detached to be placed against the front standard to
check positioning there. It is stored during travel or storage on the
accessory shoe on top of the camera.

This arrangement gives the user one level to measure settings on both
the front and the back so the errors in multiple levels are eliminated +
a level on top of the camera in the shoe for leveling the body prior to
set-up.

--
To reply no_ HPMarketing Corp.

"Bob Salomon" wrote in message
...

Linhof has a shoe that can be mounted to the center of the groundglass
hold down clamp on the back. [...]

Thank you for the correction to my post, Bob.

I have not found a source for Linhof Technika accessories, and I did check
the HP home page. Did I miss it, or is there one we can buy from HP
Marketing? I am very interested in the goodies you have mentioned.

Sandy, please don't TOP POST.

I "TOP POSTED" because I quoted the relevant part of the message in the
first line of my response and saw no reason to say it twice.

the V (and I think the IV
also) has a small "target" level on the top of the back standard [...]

We must be talking about different cameras. What, exactly, are you
refering
to?

I'm talking about the 4x5 Linhof Technika IV and V cameras, the peson who
posted the original question was talking about the 4x5 Linhof Technika IV
camera. The "target level" is the small round bubble level that is built
into top of the Technika V back housing (and that I thought was also built
into the Tech IV back but I've never owned a Technika IV and haven't looked
specifically for it on the Tech IVs I've seen so I don't know for sure that
it's there on the IV that the person who posted the original question was
considering). Some owners of Linhof cameras call it a "target level" because
it's circular like a bow and arrow or darts target and the idea is to get
the bubble in the center of the circle just as one tries to get the arrow or
dart in the center of the target.



"jjs" wrote in message
...

"Sandy" wrote in message
...

Sandy, please don't TOP POST.

I don't understand what you mean when you say "its own independent
level,
so
far the ones I've seen do not appear to have any levels . . .

Too bad! It's not always necessary, but nice to know the steady-state -
where your camera is upon setup before you make adjustments. The Sinar has
levels on the front and rear standard. I find it helpfull in setup.
Whatever.

the V (and I think the IV
also) has a small "target" level on the top of the back standard [...]

We must be talking about different cameras. What, exactly, are you
refering
to?

FWIW, the back movements are independent of the front.

Duh.

Linhof has a shoe that can be mounted to the center of the groundglass
hold down clamp on the back. This "shoe" holds the 2 axis Linhof
Accessory Level directly on the groundglass.

Is this something different from just slipping a double bubble level of the
kind that can be purchased from many camera stores in the camea accessory
shoe?

"Bob Salomon" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Mark Baylin) wrote:

I cannot tell whether
the back part of the camera that tilts has it's own
independant level. So far, the ones I have seen in photos
do not appear to have any levels...

Linhof has a shoe that can be mounted to the center of the groundglass
hold down clamp on the back. This "shoe" holds the 2 axis Linhof
Accessory Level directly on the groundglass. The level is a shoe mount
type and is easily detached to be placed against the front standard to
check positioning there. It is stored during travel or storage on the
accessory shoe on top of the camera.

This arrangement gives the user one level to measure settings on both
the front and the back so the errors in multiple levels are eliminated +
a level on top of the camera in the shoe for leveling the body prior to
set-up.

--
To reply no_ HPMarketing Corp.

In article ,
"jjs" wrote:

"Bob Salomon" wrote in message
...

Linhof has a shoe that can be mounted to the center of the groundglass
hold down clamp on the back. [...]

Thank you for the correction to my post, Bob.

I have not found a source for Linhof Technika accessories, and I did check
the HP home page. Did I miss it, or is there one we can buy from HP
Marketing? I am very interested in the goodies you have mentioned.

Linhof is available from any camera store listed on our web site.

Repair parts from Marflex.

--
To reply no_ HPMarketing Corp.