LINHOF MASTER TECHNIKA CLASSIC (01) PDF MANUAL

Treat the camera as a precision instrument. Make it a habit to protect your camera from dust, sand or spray, and avoid rough handling. All movable parts are free from the necessity of continuous servicing. Keep gliding parts, such as the upper track, always clean. You may apply a very thin film of chemically pure vaseline to the upper track. Under no circumstances should oil be used. After long years of continuous intensive use, periodic inspection and servicing may become necessary. In this case, return the camera to Linhof or an authorized Linhof service station for inspection.

To open the camera, push the drop-bed release catch down. Let the drop-bed down 90° until the bed struts click into the first notch.

When closing the camera after use, ensure it is in the same position as before you started using it.

1. All swings and tilts must be returned to zero.

2. The lens standard must be pushed back all the way into the camera body.

3. The focusing tracks must be all the way back in the infinity position.

4. Lenses of extra long constructional design (such as telephoto lenses) must be removed from the camera before closing.

5. The cable release must be separated from the shutter. This can be done by operating the rapid cable release socket.

6. The camera can be closed without a coupling cam inserted (e.g., after groundglass focusing or using an extreme wide-angle lens) without danger to the rangefinder linkage.

7. The normal 150 mm lens mounted on a recessed lensboard can remain in the camera.

Infinity stops secure quick shooting availability. One pair of parallel fold-up stops belongs to each lens used. Different colors aid identification: Red for normal, black for wide-angle, green for telephoto. Additional colors like yellow or blue may be used if more lenses are installed. The colors correspond with distance scales and rangefinder coupling cams (Master Technika classic).

1. Fold up the pair of infinity stops corresponding to the lens being used.

2. Press down the red and blue release lever to release the upper track.

3. Grasp the lens standard by the pull-out grips (11), press them inward, and pull the lens standard out on the upper track against the folded-up infinity stops.

4. The camera is now set for infinity.

When using different lenses: Press down the red or blue release lever (12 and 16) to adjust the notch/release combination. Pull the lens standard out to the fold-up stops using the spring-tensioned grips.

The following combination is recommended for initial fitting of fold-up stops:

Notch 0: Standard position, normal lens (e.g., 150 mm).

Notches 1 and 2 (Release red): Wide-angle lenses (push back upper track).

Notches 4 – 0 (Release blue): Telephoto lenses (pull out upper track).

These are only examples and can vary based on the specific lenses used.

Distance scales assist focusing control for unadjusted cameras. The index should be located on the infinity mark corresponding to the lens used. The scale stage holds up to 3 scales (wide angle, normal, telephoto), color-coded to match infinity stops and coupling cams. For telephoto and long focus lenses, use the scale near the front edge of the drop-bed. If more than three lenses are used, the scale stage can be exchanged by pulling it off its dovetail.

The detachable folding focusing hood includes a depth-of-field table for lenses from 90 to 300 mm. Based on the selected distance, you can determine the depth-of-field for the necessary aperture. The data is valid only for a camera that is either totally unadjusted (basic position) or adjusted parallel. When using adjustments according to Scheimpflug, the required aperture might be considerably higher (lower f-stop number).

1. To focus closer than infinity, rotate the focusing knob (14a,b).

2. For more extension, first disconnect the cable release from the lensboard socket and detach it from the anatomical grip (if present).

3. Hold down the track catch (16 and 12) and pull the upper track forward using the pull-out grip (10) until it clicks into position.

4. If more extension is needed, hold down the track catch (16 and 12) again and pull the track further until the second notch.

5. For even more extension, hold down the front track catch (12 = blue).

6. To pull the lens standard out completely on the upper track, the infinity stops must be unfolded (disengaged).

7. Use the focusing knob (14a,b) for fine focusing on the groundglass.

8. Reconnect the cable release.

9. After focusing, it is recommended to operate the track locking lever (13), especially when using the camera vertically.

Hold down the catch (12) while you slide the track back until it clicks into place.

The primary tripod socket is typically located on the base of the camera body. To avoid potential camera vibration with long bellows extensions, it is recommended to use the second tripod bushing located in the middle of the drop-bed. For mounting the camera upside down, use the additional tripod socket (46) located on top of the camera housing underneath the accessory shoe.

Groundglass focusing is required when camera adjustments are necessary.

1. Set the lens to infinity.

2. Open the between-the-lens shutter.

3. Push the snap button (41) towards the center of the focusing hood cover; the hood will snap open by spring tension.

4. Observe the image on the groundglass. The hood prevents stray light.

5. For critical sharpness, use a Focusing Magnifier. Before using the magnifier, fold away the focusing hood.

The focusing hood frame is held by a snap button. Open it by pulling the grooved tab (43). After opening, the focusing hood can be removed entirely by pressing the focusing hood frame to the right, disengaging it from its spring-loaded hinge.

The Fresnel Screen 45 (Code 002522) provides uniform brightness.

1. Place the Fresnel Screen over the groundglass with the grooved side towards the lens.

2. Rotate the top and bottom retaining clips (37a and 37b) sideways.

3. Place the Fresnel Screen over the groundglass.

4. Return the retaining clips to their original position to secure the screen.

For precise focusing without interference from stray light, use the Focusing/Metering Bellows 45 (Code 002503) or the Right Angle Reflex Attachment (Code 002628). Both are exchangeable with the standard focusing hood.

1. Press the track lock button (16) just long enough to release the track.

2. Slide the upper track towards the camera body until it clicks into position.

3. If using rangefinder focusing hand-held, the film back must be in horizontal position to avoid vignetting from the drop bed’s front edge. For vertical shots, turn the entire camera 90°.

4. For exceptional cases (vertical composition on tripod without rising front), you can lower the drop-bed 30°: Remove the rangefinder coupling cam, press down on both bed struts while lowering the bed to the third notch, loosen screw (1), press tilt knob (3), tilt lensboard fully back, retighten knob (1). Then push the upper track back. Note: Infinity stops will not be accurate in this tilted position; focus manually on the upper track.

Attention: Remove the rangefinder coupling cam before lowering the dropbed into the wide angle (30°) position.

This combination may cause slight vignetting, even with the groundglass in the horizontal position. For rangefinder focusing with 72 mm lenses, a slight lens rise is recommended to counteract this.

1. To slide the lens standard onto the wide-angle track (C), push it back into the camera housing, pressing the two spring-tensioned grips (11a and 11b) together.

2. Focus by moving the focusing lever (D) sideways. This slides the wide-angle track with the lens standard smoothly for convenient and critical focusing.

3. The position of the lens standard on the wide-angle track determines the basic extension and focusing range.

Attention: Before closing the camera, the focusing lever of the wide-angle focusing track must be moved completely to the right.

Most wide-angle lenses, especially with 4×5 inch film, require a baseboard drop of 30° (third notch = B) to avoid vignetting. Depress the dropbed struts (17a and 17b) simultaneously, which allows you to lower the dropbed until it clicks into the third notch (B). Note: Even with the 30° drop, extremely short wide-angle lenses might cause vignetting in vertical format; use the groundglass back horizontally and rotate the camera 90°.

These lenses are mounted on standard flat Technika 45 lensboards.

1. Push the upper focusing track (32) of the dropbed back to the wide-angle position (depress track lock buttons 16 and 12 just enough to release the track, then slide it towards the camera body until it clicks).

2. The dropbed stays in its normal 90° position.

3. If using standard lenshoods or compendium bellows, check the groundglass carefully for vignetting.

The Master Technika body has a flap on top of the camera housing (45).

1. Ensure the upper track is pushed back into the camera housing for wide-angle use (press track lock 12).

2. Unlock the two sliding catches (29a and 29b) on top of the housing.

3. Lift up the top flap (45).

4. Raise the lens standard by operating the lift lever (31) as usual. This permits up to 55 mm off-axis rise.

5. The dropbed should be lowered (usually 15° or 30°) to avoid vignetting when significant rise is applied.

Wide-angle lenses used near their image circle limit naturally exhibit light fall-off at the edges. To achieve more uniform density, especially with color transparency film, use a precisely matched graduated centerfilter.

These lensboards offer greater comfort with short focal lengths, allowing the use of more extreme wide-angle lenses (down to 35mm) and providing more adjustment facilities. They integrate helical focusing, enabling easier focusing even when the lens is positioned deep within the camera body. Mounting of lenses is done at the factory only.

1. Remove the cable release: slide down the red button of the rapid lock cable release socket or unscrew it if no rapid lock is provided.

2. Hold the lens by its shutter with one hand.

3. Lift the lensboard lock (4) with the other hand.

4. Remove the lens-shutter-lensboard assembly from the lens standard.

5. Insert the new lens by placing the lower edge of its lensboard into the retaining brackets.

6. Push it back into the standard frame while lifting the lensboard lock (4).

7. Release the lensboard lock (4) to secure the lens.

Note: Inserting lenses with long construction or large rear elements is easier with a longer bellows extension.

Use the pertaining distance scale mounted on the interchangeable scale stage: black engraving for wide-angle, red for normal, green for telephoto. If more than three lenses are coupled, additional color codes are used. The scale stage should contain scales only for the lenses coupled to the camera. You may need to exchange the scale stage for one with the correct scales.

When focusing with the multifocus rangefinder, it is required to exchange the coupling cam whenever you change to a different rangefinder-coupled lens.

Before closing the camera, lenses of long construction (like telephoto lenses) must be removed from the lens standard.

Operating the shutter, aperture, and pre-view levers on lenses from 38–90 mm with large front elements can be difficult on classic lensboards due to space constraints. The new lensboard (001015) offers more comfort for these operations and includes an additional front-visible aperture scale for easy reading.

Yes, since the actual lensboards 001016 (classic flat) and 001015 (comfort) are identical in size and design, a modification kit (Code 022512) with the new operating elements and aperture scale is available to upgrade older 001016 boards.

Each rangefinder-coupled lens (72mm to 400mm) has a matched coupling cam engraved with lens serial number and focal length.

1. Push the lens standard all the way back into the camera body.

2. Extend the upper track of the drop-bed using the focusing knob (14a,b) until the coupling cam is freely accessible.

3. Lift the coupling cam slightly and pull it straight out from the cam shoe.

4. When inserting a new coupling cam, ensure it is pushed fully into the cam shoe until it reaches a positive stop.

5. Pull the lens standard out to the required infinity stops for the new lens.

Focusing with the rangefinder:

1. Look through the rubber eye piece (25) of the rangefinder at your object.

2. Operate the focusing knob (14a,b) until the double image seen in the rangefinder coincides completely. Looking straight through the center of the finder is important.

Composing the image:

Use the optical Multi-Focus Optical Viewfinder (28, codes 001377 or 001447) and the corresponding format mask for composition (vertical or horizontal format).

No. When using the Multi-Focus Optical Viewfinder with the coupled rangefinder, no camera adjustments can be applied. Adjustments require groundglass focusing.

The anatomical grip with a cable-release inserted is a very valuable accessory for hand-held work (Code 002549 left grip with 17 in. cable release, Code 002552 right grip).

When using camera movements (rise, fall, shift, tilt, swing) for perspective or depth-of-field control, only groundglass control (focusing and composition on the groundglass) is applicable.

Rising the front is done using the lift lever (31), operated with the cubic front grip. The grip can be rotated after pulling out: white dot on top = front rises when lever actuated; rotate 180° (green dot visible on top) = front lowers when lever actuated. The action is self-braking. (For significant lowering/fall, see below).

Loosen the locking lever (identified in ill. 2, page 23/24, likely lever 15 from page 7) and push the lens standard right or left. Maximum and intermediate positions are locked by the same lever. The zero position is marked by red triangles. Note: Vertical displacement (rise/fall) should generally be done before lateral shift. If using both upward and sideways dislocation, apply upward adjustment first.

Turn the lever (9) in the direction of the arrow shown (ill. 3, page 24). The lens standard can now be swung 15° to each side. Returning the lever (9) to the zero position locks the standard in its normal position.

First, loosen the locking screw (1) (ill. 4, page 24). Then, press the knurled locking knob (3) (ill. 5, page 23) against the lens standard. Now the lens can be tilted 30° forward and backward through its horizontal axis (near the nodal point). Tighten the locking screw (1) to lock maximum and intermediate adjustments.

Turn the camera by 180° (upside down position). Then loosen the knurled screw on the inside of the camera housing and detach the accessory shoe (38). This reveals another tripod socket. Mount the camera upside down on a tripod head using this socket. The standard ‘rising front’ mechanism now functions as ‘lens fall’.

The swing frame allows omnidirectional adjustments up to 20° for perspective and depth-of-field control.

1. Loosen the four knurled locking knobs (18) located around the camera back.

2. Press down the two spring-tensioned locks (22) on the sides of the main body.

3. Pull the camera back (swing frame assembly) away from the camera housing.

4. Adjust the swing/tilt of the back as needed while observing the groundglass.

5. After focusing and composing, lock the swing frame in position by tightening the four locking knobs (18).

Before working again with the Multi-Focus Rangefinder (Master Technika classic), the swing frame must be returned to its zero position. Press the camera back against the housing until it clicks back into position (ensure locks 22 engage).

The focusing hood snaps open after pushing the sliding button (41) against the center of the focusing hood cover. For critical focusing with a magnifier, the closed focusing hood (42) can be swung back by pulling on the grooved tab (43) to loosen the snap button. If necessary, the focusing hood frame can be removed entirely by pressing it to the right and unhooking the spring-tensioned hinge.

The swing back is equipped with a revolving groundglass frame (24). To change format, unlock by pressing the locking button (39), then rotate the frame to the desired horizontal or vertical position. It is provided with click stops in these two positions. Release the button to lock.

Cutfilm Holders (9×12 cm or 4×5 inch) are inserted between the ground glass frame and the revolving frame of the camera back. Slide the holder in until it positively engages in the groove on the small side of the back frame. Detailed operating instructions are enclosed with every holder.

1. Remove the groundglass frame: Press down its two spring-tensioned retaining arms (40) while sliding the frame up and off.

2. Place the rollfilm back onto the camera’s revolving frame.

3. Lock the rollfilm holder to the frame by pushing the two locking slides (36) in the direction of the arrow markings.

4. To rotate the revolving frame (for horizontal/vertical orientation), unlock the lateral knob (39).

This holder is inserted between the groundglass frame and the revolving frame of the camera back, similar to inserting a cutfilm holder.

Use the Hasselblad Digi-Adapter (001693). Insert it into the camera’s International Graflok-type back (this usually means removing the standard groundglass frame first). The adapter accepts Hasselblad V system compatible digital backs. No refocusing is needed after groundglass viewing when using this adapter system. Groundglass masks are available for specific digital formats (e.g., 24×36, 37×37, 4×5 cm).

Front Adjustments:	Lens center tilt 30° fwd. and bkwd. Dropbed adjustment 15° and 30° with click-stop Lens rise 55 mm Lens standard shift 40 mm to either side
Back Adjustments:	Swing / tilts 20° in all directions
Lenses:	38, 47, 58 mm with Special Technika lensboard with helical focusing mount 72 – 400 mm can be rangefinder-coupled Front standard accepts all lenses with a maximum rear diameter of 83 mm
Bellows:	max. 430 mm
Dimensions:	18 x 18 x 11 cm, closed
Weight:	2600 g / 6 lb. without lens

Front Adjustments:	Lens center tilt 30° fwd. and bkwd. Dropbed adjustment 15° and 30° with click-stop Lens rise 55 mm Lens standard shift 40 mm to either side
Back Adjustments:	Swing / tilts 20° in all directions
Lenses:	35 – 400 mm for groundglass focusing Front standard accepts all lenses with a maximum rear diameter of 83 mm
Bellows:	max. 430 mm
Dimensions:	18 x 18 x 11 cm, closed
Weight:	2550 g / 6 lb. without lens