Hello,

I finally found the correct Linhof recessed lensboard for my 75mm Biogon, not an easy task! The lens board has the quick release, thus the lens is positioned accordingly (there are four screws on the mounting flange so the lens can only mount in four positions). I have several ebay pictures along with Linhof catalogs and "Large Format Photography" for references. I know the Lens is mounted in the correct position.

OK here's my problem: The aperture ring has a knob on the lower half of the lens for easy adjusting. As the ring is turned clockwise (widens the aperture), the knob hits the base of the front standard and won't allow the aperture to open fully (I think it stops at around f/8). If I raise the front standard it will clear. According to the instruction book, the bed does not have to be lowered and of course, the front standard should be in "zero position" for swings/tilts/shift/rise. What's going on? Does anyone have a Biogon mounted on a resessed board with quick release??? If so, could you please check this out. Thanks for your help!

One more interesting note: I bought a 95mm Heliopan rubber lens shade and it fits on the lens mounted on the camera...it JUST clears it! Of course I will have to use it collapsed due to the extreme wide angle, but any shading is better than none! Quite a sight!!! It looks like a piranha ready to attack!

J. P. Mose

-- J. P. Mose (j.p.mose@lmco.com), January 25, 2002

Answers

Hello J.P. I have recently purchased the same lens.Zeiss Biogon f/4.5-75mm with Synchro Compur Nr: 4118376 and would like to know more about it. I generally make B&W landscape and would appreciate very much to hear from you. Kind regards Bulent Ozgoren bozgoren@veezy.com

-- bulent ozgoren (bozgoren@veezy.com), January 25, 2002.

I have the same set up. Mine is all Linhof. The knob touches the bottom on mine too. You just can't use that apature unless you have some rise. Mine is also so heavy that if I use the rise, it sinks like the Titannic. I have to put a cloths pin under it to hold it up. Is there a rise lock on a Technica IV?? I sure can't find it.

I wrote Zeiss on the lens. They don't have current information on it, on their web site but they say it is just a scaled up 38mm. He said that "proformance wasn't very much improved beyond F8.

Neal

-- Neal Shields (Shields@ftw.com), January 25, 2002.

Neil,

I don't know how a Technika IV locks. On the V and Master there is a ratchet device, which is operated by an arm on the right side of the front standard. Mine (Technika V) has the strength to hold up the Biogon as I tried it over the weekend. I did speak with Marflex in NJ about the Biogon aperture knob not clearing the base of the front standard. They said that one has to raise the front standard in order to accomplish this. Inasmuch as the lens doesn't have a lot of coverage (170mm I think), this doesn't leave much margin. Plus, if this setup was intended for handheld use (whether impractical or not), than the Optical viewfinder would only match up with the front standard set at zero adjustments. When the lens was released in the mid to late fifties, the quick release for the cable didn't exist. Therefore, the lens could be positioned to best serve the controls on the shutter. Since the quick release is in the upper lefthand corner of the lensboard, the lens/shutter configuration has to be placed accordingly. If the arm that the aperture knob is attached to is bent (OUCH!!!), it would probably clear, or simply unscrew the knob and adjust the aperture by turning the ring. The later is probably what I will end up doing so I can leave the front standard in zero position and make use of the optical viewfinder as it was intended (although I don't know how many hand held shots I will be attempting with this beast!!!). Good luck.

JP Mose

-- J. P. Mose (j.p.mose@lmco.com), January 28, 2002.