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Does anyone out there know of a list of what Sinar equipment post the Norma that is not compatible with the Norma?
Am trying to help a friend put together a Norma from parts, newer and older. In my experience, once purchased an P 8x10 bellows that had to be modified to be used with my 8x10 Norma's back standard.
thanks
The LFPF links at the bottom of the page (the last one?) may give you (some) answers.
My recollection is that the square lens boards are standard across the entire lineup up to and including the P2. Anything that fits on the rail itself, including rail sections, are all series-compatible. Bellows are unique to the Norma, as are any of the monocular viewers.
I found them to be pretty nice cameras that do most everything a late model Arca Swiss does at a fraction of the price.
I had a later Norma from about 1968 that accepted other Sinar and even Horseman 4x5 bellows; I used a cheap synthetic bag bellows. Can't tell you about 8x10 or 5x7 bellows. Too, could be that some of the earlier bellows frames were a little different–after all, they made Normas from about 1948 to 1973 IIRC. While there were many unique parts (like the lever-locks, removable fresnel frame) most of the major assemblies and mechanisms do freely interchange with other Sinar cameras. I'm thinking rails, standards, different sized backs, (and, as mentioned, in my case the bellows). Norma Compendium was unique or the rails for it were keyed differently, maybe, from memory.
A user Norma might still be an economical choice because if something breaks you can substitute a great many other much newer pieces instead of having to scrounge 45 year-old or even much older parts. But a collectible Norma System needs to be intact to be worth any premium price. With so many parts that readily interchanged, the real challenge might be finding a Norma system today that's original and not a Frankencamera. I've know I seen any number of cameras listed on eBay that didn't have original Norma backs, or were pictured with the intermediate standard instead of the front one.
I have a black Norma w/focus locks that accepts both recent Sinar and Norma bellows. I'm also selling a Norma w/out focus locks for a friend that accepts both types of bellows.
The Sinar corner clips with the hexagonal rods that hold a bellows as a compendium lens shade don't work on Norma cameras. They can be attached. But, the clips are at the wrong angle to hold a bellows corner.
However, the rods can be used on Normas to hold the glass filter holders.
Some third party accessories may not work in both cameras. I have an "MC" reduction lensboard that works only in Sinar Norma cameras.
Not that this helps at all, but I had a chance to try both bellows (Sinar P and Norma) on both Sinar P and a Sinar Norma 8x10's. As you suggest, it just does't work either way. I didn't consider this at the time, so I didn't take measurements. But if you have a scrap Sinar Norma 8x10 bellows, it might be possible to salvage the rear frame and attach it to the more recent Sinar P 8x10 bellows.
I kept the Sinar P and combined with a Sinar Norma front standard. Works very well. Indeed, the Norma front has some advantages over using a recent Sinar front standard.
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...00#post1391300
As I did, sometimes you can find an 8x10 P conversion kit for a reasonable price. Mine was purchased on this site for about $500. But, KEH recently had the entire P rear 8x10 assembly for sale as a bargain for less than $200.
Some of the later cameras have a slot in the back to accept a light meter probe (MB). The bellows for these cameras don't fit the Normas. I used a 4x5 F2 while at Kodak, and it had the metering back (which we didn't use). Later I bought a 4x5 Norma (from Ivan Eberle, above- thanks Ivan!) and while its bellows looks similar to the F2's I never had a chance to compare them. But it sounds like a similar situation to the bellows issue mentioned by the OP.