Sinar F: How to make fine adjustments to height + focus ?

[Drew Wiley]

Yeah, but there were different options over the years for the front std. I'd imagine that
a "C" made up with an 8x10 P rear and the thin clampy 4x5 multipurpose std adjusted
all the way up would have be very susceptible to vibrations, esp with a big plasmat.
But I've seen em done that way.

[Bob McCarthy]

With a 8x10 rear, only a F2 front end will work. The early F's didn't have enough rise to work. The rise rod's (?) were lengthen to allow the C conversion or use with the 8x10 F2.

B

[Drew Wiley]

There was an 8X10 F front used with the 8X10 C, then later one could use the longer
f2 4X5 rods, which were so long as to be an actual annoyance on 4x5. I trimmed em
down to fit my pack better.

[Jerry Flynn]

I would just add to Drew's comment that there was a special fron standard for the "F" series that was fitted to the 8x10 and 5X7 (yes, there was actually a 5X7 F2 offered). I only used an 8X10 F2 once, and i believe the support rods were thicker and spring-loaded to support heavier lenses. This was a long tim ago and I have only seen 1 or 2 for sale over the last 10-12 years.

The original f and f+ as well as the F1 cameras used the multipurpose standeard as the front standard - no focusing drive. The focusing drive is a differentiator of a F2 from an F1.

I can also verify that the regular F front standards do not rise high enough to center on the 8X10 back.

[Drew Wiley]

The early 8x10 C configuration used alum rods on the front std. The true later f2 8x10
used larger diameter steel rods on the front, which were much more substantial than
those on the 4x5 and 5x7. Somewhere I've got a very fat early catalog with all this
info in there.

[rdenney]

The F-series front standard for 8x10 use is different in many ways from the 4x5 and 5x7 applications. The clamp mechanism for the rise columns is different, with a different centering and clamping approach. The columns are also longer, to allow the front standard to rise up more with respect to the center of the 8x10 rear frame.

The F front standard is a clamp-on standard that is also used as a multi-purpose standard for the P series. It does not include geared focus, but it does have a real advantage as an intermediate standard: It can be mounted on the rail without sliding over the end, and therefore it can be mounted between the front and rear standard without removing either. There were changes, from looking at the service manual, but these are at the repair level. The F1 front standard differs in more ways, but mostly in the clamp screw for the rise lock. It's still the multipurpose standard for the P series. There was, during the F period, a "multipurpose standard II" that included a geared focus. But it was identical to the F rear standard--it uses the same parts diagrams in the service manual.

The F2 front standard uses a solid front block, like the rear standard, but opposite hand. It provides geared focus. There were a few changes in it over the years that matter at the repair level only, except for the introduction of the independent shift lock in 1990.

As Ken has discovered, none of the F-series or multipurpose standards have geared rise and fall.

Rick "looking at the service manual right now" Denney

[Armin Seeholzer]

but it does have a real advantage as an intermediate standard: It can be mounted on the rail without sliding over the end, and therefore it can be mounted between the front and rear standard without removing either.

This I like the most because it saves much time, for an extention and aditional bellows for macro work etc.

[Ken Lee]

"This I like the most because it saves much time, for an extention and aditional bellows for macro work etc."

... and that's what I intend to use it for: an intermediate support. I'm spoiled perhaps, but I really like being able to control front tilt and rise from behind the camera in quick time. After all, the P does stand for "perfection" so I'll put the P front standard back where it belongs.