I use a Phase One P25+ on a Linhof C679 which I believe has a very similar focusing mechanism and ground glass with 55mm and 90mm lenses. I don't have any focusing problems. BTW, focus tolerance is a product of the aperture, not focal length--it is related to depth of focus (not depth of field).
BTW, focus tolerance is a product of the aperture, not focal length--it is related to depth of focus (not depth of field).
If it's any help I've just spent a week with Joe and watched him using his Techno. He is slower using it than he was with his 4x5 but clearly doesn't have any problem with focus, or indeed dialing in swings and tilts. I've also printed some images for him which I can confirm are stunningly sharp at very large sizes.
As a 4x5 photographer myself I am interested in the Techno as a route into digital MF but was concerned about all the comments on focusing digital backs. Having seen Joe in action I am inclined to dismiss them , however it should be said that Joe is a master technician and has had more practice with view cameras of all sizes than almost anyone.
David Whistance
In controlled situations like the studio and perfect weather days outside, I have no problem focusing on the GG with my Arca M Line 2 and my Alpa Max, but when I do not have these situations, focusing can be a challenge. I do not own a Live View back (yet), but I have been able to work with what I have. I personally do not find it that much harder to focus on the 645 GG when compared to the 4x5". I think once I developed focusing with the 4x5" over 25 years ago, I carried the technique over to the 6x9 film backs and then to the 645 GG. Practice makes perfect?
The Techno was designed from ground up to be used with a digital back.
It doesn't make sense if you want to shoot film as I saw in the other thread.
For film you can get incredible IQ with inctredibly less money.
For a non pro if you don't have a lot (really a lot) of spare money to spend it is not really justiyable to not use film with a view camera.
I am going the same route, and for me after a lot of reading and asking it will be an Arca Swiss F micrometric orbix with three or four lenses.
You can get such a kit in good shape and with excellent lenses for around 5000 Euro if you look a bit.
For digital you can easily pay 6-8 times as much.
I didn't count in the scanner so far, but still ...
Getting a techno with IQ180 this week. With SK lenses.
Will do a few practice and test sessions and update shortly.
I have used my techno with slidingback and IQ180 for several weeks.
It is easy to focusing on groundglass with Fresnel Screen (002523).
I know I couldn't focus an Arca M2 with a 35mm on it. I ended up with the RM3Di. Jim
Another use case I'd like to work well is taking photographs of individual flowers, which is precision work of tilt and focusing to get the focal plane just right. That would not be wide angle though, but short depth of field so it is more important to nail the focus.
It does seem like the Techno may be stuck in the very very small niche for those that can afford a digital back but not the expensive lens systems of Arca R-Line and Alpa.
From the comments so far it seems like it indeed works ok, but there are some limitations with the GG. Wide angles are darker, especially in the corners and at some point it will become almost impossible to focus. Say if a 35mm only can be focused in full daylight and then only in the center of the picture, that would feel very limiting for me.
Even if the Techno works it is so much uncertainty around it that you'd choose Arca/Alpa if you can.
Someone else brought this up the last time a lengthy discussion of the Techno occurred. For the wides, why not order them with a helical focusing mount? Extra cost, maybe, but solves a lot of problems. With longer lenses, probably beyond 40mm, this would not be necessary. Spending a little extra to gain a camera with swings AND tilts, at the same time, rises, falls and shifts might be worth considering.
Bill O'Connor
Some new view camera lenses are remarkably sharp. The 47mm, 80 mm and 120 mm Schneider Digitar lenses and 180 mm Rodenstock HR lens that I use on the Techno produce very sharp images. Better sharpness than I got with Zeiss lenses on a Contax 645 using the same P-45 back. The new Schneider Digitar and Rodenstock HR lenses are a very good reason to use a view camera like the Techno.
I find using a large dark cloth like we used in film days makes the process easier. Not sure why. Could be phycological.
A question - do you buy your lenses pre-mounted on a linhof lens board, or do you get them without lens board and mount them yourself? I'm not sure if it is a big no-no to mount digital lenses (especially wides) by yourself due to precision issues, that is messing up lens alignment after separating front and rear and screw them together again, or if it is ok. I have noted that it is generally possible to get better lens deals (more dealers to choose from) if you can buy them unmounted and get a lens board separately.
And in the case of a camera like the Techno, the important factor is the difference between the position of the ground glass vs. the sensor--that is what needs to be precise.
Yep, but the adapters are not shimmable, right? So if the sensor alignment or glass is off, game over, right? Or are you supposed to fix it with shimming tape, or give the dealer an angry call and send back your stuff, even if you got your back separately and you don't really know if it is the back, back adapter, ground glass adapter or ground glass that is off?
The only shimmable adapter I've seen so far is the ones from ALPA. With the price the adapter plates have I guess one could demand 10 um precision, but the sensor could be off too, and concerning digital back sensor alignment precision I've not heard the best.
I think the problem you are experiencing is generic with non-retrofocus wide field lenses on any view camera. It's the same with film - not exclusive to digital. Basically, you get used to it. As you say, it is much better outdoors.
One thing you may find helpful - I think it is possible to fit an Arca-Swiss binocular viewer on the back of one of these cameras. Using two eyes is better than one, and the tilt in the viewer means that you can move it to view the top and bottom of the screen image very well. Not so good for sideways shift, but it helps considerably nevertheless. Linhof make an adapter for this set-up for the Technikardan etc. (I use one for film work), so it I would not be surprised if the same is available for the M679/Techno back.
HTH
focusing indoors with gg = use laser pointer
Can you elaborate?
The acute ground glass that Linhof recently discontinued for the Techno is superb - much, much brighter than the standard ground glass + fresnel. It's actually a Hasselblad Acute focussing screen in a custom Linhof holder. The holder also has slots for the Hasselblad RMFX finder which is very nice. It's so good I can't figure out why they discontinued it - perhaps there's something new on the way?
(Sorry for the small picture - the only one I could find on the net)
My guess is you point where you want to focus, so you get a red spot there and then you focus on that on the ground glass.