Sinar Hasselblad Plate Help ...

**scrichton** · 11-Apr-2007, 14:05

As usual a manufacturer's website is pretty low on information.

What I am trying to find out is whether I will need a seperate ground glass screen for the hasselblad back plate sinar made. This plate takes a single A12 back and has a crank lever on it.

As far as I have been advised is that I just swap out the full back plate once focussed.

I'm looking forward to getting the sinar and the super angulon is itching for an outing :-D

Steven

**Rob_5419** · 11-Apr-2007, 15:24

It's really stretching my memory - as far as I can recall, you need to use your 5x4" ground glass masked down to 6x6cm to view the Hasselblad's impression on the Sinar. I've never seen a 6x6cm dedicated screen for the Sinar - not to say it doesn't exist. It could just be that I'm blind.

Then when you have composed, you remove the ground glass by undoing the Graflock back and and insert the Hasselblad plate.

Trying to visualise movement shifts of the image plane over such a small area on a marked down 5x4" plate isn't much fun. It's a very bulky way to carry 6x6cm with movements. One alternative is the cheap Graflex Speedgraphic/Century option with a 6x6cm roll film back. Hope that doesn't sound too pessimistic - although I love square format, I'd rather shoot 4"x4" sheet film knowing that the movements across the plane are easier to detect, than on a smaller 6x6cm area...

**Gene McCluney** · 11-Apr-2007, 23:20

I have, for my Sinar, the Hasselblad body adaptor, which allows one to place a complete Hasselblad body+magazine on the back of the Sinar. In that case, one just composes on the Hasselblad ground glass. This seems like the "easy" way to do it.
The adaptor looks like a Hasselblad extension tube mated to a Sinar flat plate.

**Struan Gray** · 11-Apr-2007, 23:44

Hearsay says that the factory adapters are made so that you can focus on your (masked) ground glass, swap in the adapter and take a focussed image. There is no way to adjust the system if, for example, the plate part of the adapter is warped. I don't know if the accuracy is good enough for, say, a 150 f2.8 wide open, but with normal view camera lenses at f22 I don't think you'll have a problem.

If you want to check focus, or if you don't want to carry and swap two backs for the Sinar, Hasselblad made focussing screens that clip onto the magazine lugs. They were sold for the SWC line of cameras, but should fit any Hasselblad camera. Here's one that just failed to sell on eBay.de:

http://cgi.ebay.de/Hasselblad-41050-...QQcmdZViewItem

You can use your normal loupe, or slide any Hasselblad viewer into the screen adapter. The chimney finder is usually recommended, but others will do.

**scrichton** · 12-Apr-2007, 01:35

Thanks guys, the thought of the plate being swapped out is fine with me. I'm used to an MPP with a 6x12 on graflok bars that are troublesome in movement at the best of times.

I must admit the 6x6 screen will be small, but it means I can easily mount a digital back if I ever need to. Along with the fact when I goto see my parents in france I can take two cameras that will share each others bits. For instance ... Shoot architectural on the F1 with the hasselblad as my walk around camera , both using the same mag. Perfect.

Thanks again for everyone's help

**Rob_5419** · 12-Apr-2007, 04:34

I must admit the 6x6 screen will be small, but it means I can easily mount a digital back if I ever need to.

Control Panel ---> User Options ---> Ignore User ---> Block posts from Digital User

**scrichton** · 13-Apr-2007, 08:45

"Control Panel ---> User Options ---> Ignore User ---> Block posts from Digital User"

I take it then, you've never scanned a neg in your life then ? This system has in one day got me the year contract for the regional Fire Services for all their photography inclusive of the Scottish exec. Why ... I can shoot technical on digital as well as film :-D

I hate to say it Largeformat is partially kept alive by digital. 2 reasons the ability to do this back adaption and also the price of LF gear going down and the adoption by a wider market as idiots sell perfectly good cameras to go 100% digital.

Sorry if I sound harsh, but the film / digital battles are really a joke now. The two live together and will continue to as long as they make silicon from sand and dig silver from the earth.

He he ... rant over. :-D