Mismatched Technika cams - ebay

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Large format photography : One Thread

There are people who have been selling mis matched Technika cams either with or without the lens they were originally cut for.

Unlike some other cameras Linhof cams are matched to the actual focal length of the lens they are matched to. that is why they have that lens's serial number on them. Additionally, since on the III and the IV, the ground glass placement was not standardized the cam for these cameras also carries the serial number of the camera it is mated to.

Should you buy a lens that is mis cammed or buy a pre-cut cam it will not work properly throughout the entire focusing range and the ground glass focus and the rangefinder focus will not agree.

Frequently when this occurs the user re-adjusts the placement of the infinity stops for that lens. Since the screws for the stops are pointed they will leave small pit marks on the chrome rails after they are moved.

Should you be offered a used orphan cam or a mis matched lens/cam set you should be aware that the camera will not properly adjust for the improper cam/lens combination.

-- Bob Salomon (bobsalomon@mindspring.com), June 18, 2000

Answers

Yes Bob, I agree with you on "Subject: Mismatched Technika cams - ebay" but you still can file the cam to make it match the focal length. I bought a 150mm lens cam for my Master that I set on my camera and obviously it was not giving me focus all along the focal length. I adjust the infinity stops at the beginnig of the cam and then file away some of the metal from the cam's edge as I moved the focus closer and closer. At the end, it turned out to be extremely precised from infinity to the closest focusing point. The only thing is that you have to be very careful and delicate and just file little after little.

-- Roberto Lara (roberto_g_lara@yahoo.com), May 11, 2002.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ