Sinar f rail extension!

[mob81]

I assembled my Sinar f and when I try to get focus to my subject I can't, I have to stay way far and the rail (I guess that what's called) is short! You can see it in this picture

Sinar F parts by Mohammed Basamh, on Flickr

My nikkor 210mm f5.6 will only focus really far....would 18" rail extension do the job or should I look for longer rail? The bellow seems good enough (if not I'll look for longer bellow)

Regards,
Mohammed

[Ari]

It's not clear how close or far away you are from your subject.
The lens should normally focus at infinity with an extension of about 8-9 inches (~210mm); anything closer requires more extension.

[Greg Lockrey]

How close do you want to focus to? How long is that rail?

[Brian K]

Sinar makes all sorts of rail extensions, 6", 12", 18". There should be a million of them on e-bay. Most likely a 12" will work for most things. You may want to get a 6 as well as you can add that to the 12". If you get an 18" then you are always stuck with too much rail. just make sure you get extensions and not another base rail.

BTW your carpet is making me hallucinate.

[mob81]

It's not clear how close or far away you are from your subject.
The lens should normally focus at infinity with an extension of about 8-9 inches (~210mm); anything closer requires more extension.

Thanks ari,
I thought I needed rail extension....I'm not trying to focus at Infiniti, I'm trying to focus closer (around 1 meter!)

[mob81]

Thanks guys,
Brain thanks for the advice (I found at KEH much cheaper than eBay)

[Ari]

Maybe others can chime in with precise information, but at one meter, you'll need at least 18" of extension, and maybe a little more.
After that, you'll need to adjust your lens-to-subject distance for critical focus.
Start by seeing what you can focus on at full extension by sliding the rail back and forth in front of a stationary object.

[Drew Wiley]

I'd probably look for a 12-inch EXTENSION rail (different than the 12" BASE rail you
already have). That will give you more than enough extension for a 210 lens. Anything more than that and you'll have to add an extra standard with another bellows.

[Allen in Montreal]

I'd probably look for a 12-inch EXTENSION rail (different than the 12" BASE rail you
already have). ......

Mob81,

In case you don't know Sinar parts that well, heed Drew and Brian's words, another base rail will not attach to the rail you have.

Normally, an extension rail has one red end and an open end at the other side.
A base rail has 2 black ends.

The 18 inch never leaves the house, it is just too long for anything but Macro.
A 6 inch is great for general shooting and is smaller in the bag, but a 12 inch extension is the most logical and versatile overall choice if you are going to get only one extension rail.

[rdenney]

I prefer to buy 6" extension rails, so that I can tailor the length precisely. I can throw a 6" rail on, and if I still need more, I can throw another 6" extension on.

I need a 6" extension for a 240 focused at any distance, and for a 210 focused more closely. I need both extensions for the 12" if I want to focus closer than infinity. Two 6" rails are easier to accommodate in my case than one 12" extension.

Rick "strictly personal preference, colored by years of being poked in the chest by 22" Calumet and Cambo rails" Denney