I built a case that held a Sinar P 4x5 upside down by the rail out of thin plywood, glass fiber cloth, and epoxy. I made a rubber gasket to go between the lid and the main body. It was ugly as sin, but it was cheap, sturdy, light and highly water resistant. I used to bungie it to an aluminum external back pack frame for day hikes.
These days I use a Toyo AX in a Photobackpacker backpack for that sort of thing.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
I have 2 monorails that I've hiked with. 4x5 Horseman LE & 5x7 Cambo SC. Both are roughly 10lbs. Each fit into my P1 backpack.Originally Posted by stradibarrius
+1000...
There is not an ideal camera, there are cameras that can meet a specific set of individual needs.
Sinar offers great system flexibility, versatility, functionality and all that at the trade off of size weight and all that.
Field cameras offer low weight, portability with trade offs of rigidity, flexibility (bellows draw, use of extreme wide angle lenses), camera movements and ...
It is better to match the imaging needs to a specific camera rather than believe there is one ideal camera. This similar to different lenses that fit a specific imagine need.
Bernice
I retired my F2 for an Ebony to have an easier camera to carry. But the F2 did everything I need, and handles very wide lenses much better than my Ebony that is designed for them.
Ed Richards
http://www.epr-art.com
Thanks Ed, This is the type info that someone that has had both can provide. I know one camera will not do everything, but understanding the pro's and con's helps with a decision if the difference is important to me.
Generalizations are made because they are Generally true...
Peter this may be a solution for carrying it for day hikes. I have carried a backpack for years and I may try this and just carry my F2.
Generalizations are made because they are Generally true...
I have a Sinar Norma and a Toyo 45A. I vastly prefer the Norma, even in the field.
Movements are easier to apply, and I appreciate the flexibility of having full movements and focussing on the front and rear standards.
Several have said that monorails are more flexible with wide angles. I mostly shoot with longer lenses (240 and 420 mm), and a monorail is more stable and easier to use with them too.
On a couple of occasions I have told myself that my preference for Norma was just a question of habit, and have forced myself to use only the Toyo (leaving the 420 mm lens at home, as it won't work at all on the Toyo). I found that the only benefit was size, and that was marginal. The weight difference was not significant to me, and even after practicing setup and strip down, I didn't find the field camera any faster than the monorail - the precision and alignment of the monorail counter-acted the need to add a rail extension and the lack of a viewing hood.
The only circumstances where the Toyo wins is when I know I will only need (or be able to carry) one lens. Then I can fit a basic kit in a small shoulder bag. The Norma requires a larger bag or a schoolbook-sized rucksack. The difference is small, but it's easier to bicycle with the Toyo kit and a tripod. Neither camera is as compatible with family outings as MF or a DSLR, as both need a tripod, and both take a couple of minutes to set up.
I also have a Super Speed Graphic and setting it up and making adjustments is certainly more difficult compared to my F2.
Generalizations are made because they are Generally true...
I think I can offer valid perspective because I shoot both systems, even under analogous conditions. The Sinar is going to be way for versatile and a lot faster to set up shoot if you learn how to properly transport it. In actual use it's not as heavy as you might think because you can totally dispense with any kind of tripod head and just use the rail clamp, and balance the rail anywhere along its length. It is obviously a system camera that can be reconfigured many ways, with a very wide range of potential components, and is especially nice when you want to shoot either very long or very wide lenses. I did literally hundreds of backpack trips with various Sinar F configurations under all kinds of weather conditions, and it did in fact go up quite a few mountains over the years. It is also going to be the obvious choice if you need to replace or repair parts quickly - the camera is rugged and there are jillions of used Sinars out there. But I currently prefer to use the older Sinar Norma system which is a tiny bit heavier, offers a superior tapered bellows in 4x5, and is fully interchangeable with modern Sinar parts. ... Now for the Ebony. It's superbly made but obviously wooden, so potentially more fragile, the titanium hardware is excellent, the fresnel gets condensation between it and the ground glass (I removed it and installed a modified Sinar glass). I have the simplified version with the"universal" bellows, which accepts lenses from about 80mm to 360mm without need for tophat, recessed board, or telephoto. Very compact for backpacking andairline travel, so my favorite rig where lightwt and compactness are the
priority, and only a few ounces heavier than far flimsier ultralight 4x5 folders. The Chamonix is a nice little rig based on the Phillips design and in my opinion a good value, but certainly not in the quality league of Ebony or Sinar. Ebony is expensive right now, Sinars a real bargain, except for old Normas where condition can be
an issue - but lovely examples of them do turn up. With Sinar you want to read the fine print and ask current users when shopping anything used.
Drew, thanks...this is a great post with great information. It will be much cheaper to try carrying the Sinar first. If that doesn't work for I can always buy a folder of whatever type. Since my experience with my LF in the field has been limited to "close to the car" Trying the Sinar really out in the field will let me know rally what kind of shooter I am out in the woods. Heck the Spuer Speed Graphic may be all that I need...
Generalizations are made because they are Generally true...
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