OK, it might be a pain to set up, but once you get the thing on a tripod, itis ultimately flexible, no? No. The bottom line is that when I take a trip with my cameras, I end up coveringmost subjects with my Canon EOS system, a few with my Fuji 617camera, and hardly any with the Linhof. The Yashica T4 point-and-shoot camera islooking even better. That CanonEOS-5 is starting to look pretty good. So youre heading out of the car with a tripod, the camera, a Quickloadholder, a box of Fuji Quickload film (the Kodak stuff is really unreliable in myexperience), a loupe, a cable release, and a light meter on your belt. These have to be handled carefullyand require a holder that, though not heavy, is bulky. But the modern-day solution for the lazy tendsto be Kodak Readyload or Fuji Quickload film. I guess the old-time press photographers had Grafmatic backs and such that letthem whip off exposures quickly. At thatpoint, you really should flip open the back (with its nice folding focusing hood)and check composition and focus with a loupe. But in practice you wontget the depth of field you need unless you stop down to f/22 in which case theshutter speed will be slow enough that youll want to use a tripod. So in theory you can just aim, focus, and shoot. The Linhof has a rangefinder that can be coupledto various lenses and an accessory zooming viewfinder that fits into a shoe ontop. So why doesnt the Linhof Master Techika work as a beefypoint-and-shoot? Because there is simply too much other stuff you need to carryaround to expose 4x5 sheet film. (2.6kg), itis heavier than some field cameras, notably the Horseman FA, but only by a coupleof pounds. It is true that,folded, it isnt too large: 8 x 7 x 4.5" (20 x 18 x 11cm). Thecamera does not let me shoot large format negatives casually. If you want to pretend that youre a 1940s pressphotographer, e.g., Weegee, you can stick an anatomical grip on the side, acammed lens on the front, a big flash on the other side, and blast away. If you want view cameramovements and flexibility, the Technika has them and they are precise (unlikefolding wooden cameras). I own one because I keep thinking it will let me use a viewcamera in all kinds of new situations and places. So I think the Technika IV is pretty much unusable with a 90 - and that's my go-to lens.The Linhof Master Technika is a $5000 folding camera that takes 4x5" sheetfilm negatives. And the struts will also prevent any side shifts of the front. The worst problem is that when using the 90mm lens, the rise/fall knob is unreachable, behind the struts. When you've dropped the bed on the IV and tilted back the lensboard to maintain it's parallel relationship to the film, the track is still tilted forward (from the bed drop) and rising or falling movements will throw the focus out. But it doesn't work that way on the IV or V. When y ou do that with a Technika III, the rise/fall track of the front standard tilts back as well. On both the IV and the V, you drop the bed and tilt back the front standard to photograph downwards. That recess makes seeing and manipulating the f/stops and shutter more difficult. That means that you will need a recessed lens board to use a 90mm. The back of the camera is thicker than the III. But there are problems, especially if you use a 90mm lens. It avoids the fussy and overcomplicated lever of the V. And unlike the Technika V, the IV still has a simple knob for the rise/fall movement of the front standard. On the positive side, the camera is noticeably more solid and stable than the III. I have very mixed feelings about the Technika IV. When I broke that camera, I purchased a Technika IV to replace it. I used a Linhof Technika III for decades. Problematic successor to the Technika III.
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