Hi: I have been offered a Linhof Kardan Color camera. This looks like a technika on steroids if I can use a hackneyed phrase. I do not know much about this line and have ben unable at present to find a specification etc for it. The camera is excellent conditon; there is Symmar Covertible lens, and a reflex viewer. The monorail apprals tosplit into two segments to reduce space.

If anyone has any observations, comments etc on this I would appreciate them Thanks Tim Broadley

-- Tim Broadley (tbroadley@ispchannel.com), April 20, 2001

Answers

This camera was made from 1964 to 1975 (we can tell you when from the serial number)

It basically had a Technika front standard connected to a back similar to the Technika but with rise.

No repair parts are available but the camera uses the lensboards and accessories from the Master Technika/Technikardan.

For questions please call us at 800 735 4373

-- Bob Salomon (bobsalomon@mindspring.com), April 20, 2001.

The best of these are white in color, versus an almost deep creme or flesh color. They are "cut in", or open at the top, analogous to the flap that lifts up on a Linhof master to allow for shorter lenses. When complete, they have a short 5"-6" end piece to extend the monorail to about 16" so that the camera can accomodate 14" lenses. Even if one didn't use a long lens, the short rail could be used on which to load the camera so that it could be easily backpacked.

I had one and liked it a lot, except that it had a persistent problem w/flare. I would get flare even when I had a bellows lens hood attached the lens. I finally decided that the nature of the bellows was reflecting light onto the surface of the negative, and that it was made worse by the fact that the bellows were tightly packed around the 4x5 format. So, I sold it.

-- neil poulsen (neil.fg@att.net), April 21, 2001.

Neil,

Color is not important. The 2 piece rail is. The 1 piece rail version is the Kardan which came before the Kardan Color model.

-- Bob Salomon (bobsalomon@mindspring.com), April 21, 2001.

See Linhof Technika Kardan 4x5 Monorail camera (Item #1231651090) on EBay for an example of the best of these cameras. The photo shows how the camera is open at the top, permitting the use of movements with short lenses, and it shows the monorail extension.

-- neil poulsen (neil.fg@att.net), April 22, 2001.

To add one more comment, I don't see how these cameras are different optically than a Linhof Master, and a lot of people get great results with the latter.

-- neil poulsen (neil.fg@att.net), April 22, 2001.

Neil it isn't a monorail extension. It is a monorail that breaks down into 2 parts.

Alos there never was nor is there a camera called a "Technika Kardan" as it is being offered. It is a Kardan Color as indicated in the picture of the instructions.

We can only assume that he is aware that his listing applies that this might, to the unknowing, be a Technikardan as we have informed him of the listing error.

Just like we told him the Heliopan filters are not a division of Zeiss.

Yet he prefers posting misleading information in his offers and never adds corrections or changes.

-- Bob Salomon (bobsalomon@mindspring.com), April 22, 2001.

Tim,

I figure this camera is really under-rated, so check the review of it and see what you think:

http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~qtluong/photography/lf/linhof/kardan-color.html

Good luck!

-- Jimi Axelsson (jimi@earthling.net), April 22, 2001.

i always wish ebay would show a warning (THIS DESCRIPTION IS MISLEADING) on the countless items unscrupulous dealers push on what must be a legion of suckers and the uninformed. it's good to hear bob is trying in that arena in addition to his assistance on this forum.

-- adam friedberg (asfberg@hotmail.com), April 23, 2001.