Sinar-F in the field

[Mark Sampson]

I use a Sinar F2 at work,and not long ago I tried taking it out into the field. The only carrying choice I had was the cheap suitcase that came with the camera. That doesn't work; bulky, meant only to carry the camera one way, can't get the whole kit inside, generally an impractical pain in the butt. I was wondering, does anyone here actually use a Sinar-'field' in the field? I don't backpack great distances in the mountains, but I do like to get away from the car... and it would be interesting to find out what kind of one-pack setup you have to carry that camera and the rest of the hardware. I've used wooden field cameras for decades and have worked out a nice portable kit, too heavy of course, but I'd like to find something as practical as that for the much bulkier Sinar. Thinking ahead to another camera? Sure.

[Ed Richards]

I use an F2 in the field. I mount it on a tripod with the Sinar pan/tilt adapter, and I carry it over my shoulder. I keep the rest of the gear in Kinesis belt pouches. While I will go farther than Weston, I am in his school of photography near the car. I also live on flat ground. I use a metal tripod with spikes because it is good for dealing with gators and wild pigs.

[Peter De Smidt]

I built a wooden case which'll hold the camera suspended by the rail. I fiberglassed the outside. I strap it to a metal backpacking frame to go any distance. That said, it's very easy to take the standards off of the rail, and removing bellows is quick and easy. Why not use a regular back pack and disassemble the camera for long hikes. I bet it'd still be faster than setting up a folding wooden field camera. You can always do what Ed does when shots are close together.

[Jerry Flynn]

I sometimes use an Eddie Bauer backpack that I got at Target for about $30.00 a few years ago.

It holds the f2 camera (collapsed, but not disassembled), my meter, dark cloth and a few lenses (2 or 3). I have the lenses in lens wraps. There are a few exterior pockets that I do not use, but I suppose you could.

I use Grafmatic film holders. I can fit six holder (36 sheets) in a Red Wing film holder pouch I got from Calumet years ago. The pouch hangs from my belt.

[Joshua Dunn]

I use my Sinar F2 in the field all the time, just this morning in fact. I am getting a larger pack but for now all my lenses, light meters etc. are in the backpack. I carry the camera and tripod as I hike (never with a lens on it), sometimes with the camera on the tripod, sometimes I just carry the tripod over my shoulder and the camera in my other hand. Eventually I do want a “One Pack” system but with everything that I carry that means one big (and expensive) pack.

I have a Zone VI but with the wide variety of shooting I do (I might shoot a landscape and then an architectural interior in the same day) it’s not versatile enough for my needs. I use lenses from 38mm to 600mm, which a great deal of will not work on the Zone VI due to bellows and movement restrictions. I also use a 6x17 roll film back and my Zone VI does not have a Graflock back. Sometimes when I travel I take the Zone VI and just two lenses if I can’t take a large kit.

If I get the new pack I will post how it works out.

[Frank Petronio]

Six Grafmatics on my belt and you'd be seeing serious crackage...

There is a Sinar illustration of how you detach the bellows from the rear, lower the rear all the way and fold the rear standard forward 90 degrees flat, against the normal 10-inch rail. Then you raise the front standard all the way and fold the front backwards, with the bellows inbetween the rear standard on the bottom. This protects the ground glass and allows to leave a lens attached if you are brave. It then becomes an awkard but compact shape that you could wrap in a darkcloth or XL lens wrap (which can work as your darkcloth too!) and toss into a pack.

The other option is to move everything to a 6-inch rail and tightly compress. If you take a folding metal focusing hood from a Graflex press camera it is a perfect fit on the older Sinar backs up to the F2-P2 era -- they even have a purposeful notch for the Graflex opening tab.

And leave the rail clamp on your Sinar pan-tilt, use it like a quick release for your camera (nylon insert left on the rail.)

[Jerry Bodine]

Like Peter, I too built a rectangular case that holds any of three Sinars from 4x5 to 8x10, hung by the rail, and strapped it to one of my old Kelty external pack frames. It holds customized compartments for whatever accessories and lenses I choose for short jaunts up to a mile or so. It's not extremely compact and has spaces to stuff darkcloth, etc. It is undoubtedly a little heavier than Peter's since I made it out of thin aluminum sheet metal and angles and has a hinged/braced top lid with seal to minimize dust. All in all not too pretty but very functional. Below the case are strapped-on film holders (padded pouch with cushy shoulder strap) and aluminum Series 4 Gitzo with Sinar Pan-Tilt head ... a balanced load. Total weight is kept down by selecting only gear needed for the jaunt. I feel the 8x10 is pushing the limit of stability/rigidity of the Series 4 Gitzo for shooting straight down, but it works (with caution). The Series 5 Gitzo is reserved for working reasonably close to the truck. BTW neither Gitzo has spikes ... no gators or wild pigs in the Pacific NW.

[Frank Petronio]

If you were a Swiss alpinist you could strap the old Sinar Norma system case to your back using the leather backpack straps per the illustrations in the old Sinar product literature! But you need lederhosen.

[erie patsellis]

I use a padded cooler that was a giveaway at a boat show, camera, 2 lenses, light meter and holders fit perfectly.

[Jerry Bodine]

Frank, I have that case & straps only because it came with the 5x7, and never used it for anything other than storage. I still cringe when I see that pic in their literature of the guy hauling that thing on his back up the stairs, wearing a suit, and hand-carrying the tripod in a case ... not a very salient pic. I never had lederhosen and can no longer quite fasten my climbing knickers at age 74 'cause I can only suck it in just so long.