6x12 Backs - Horseman or Sinar Zoom or ?

[Frank Petronio]

Thinking about a 6x12 back for the Technika for travel... I rarely see Linhof Techno 6x12 backs and fear I probably can't afford one, but what about the Horseman and Sinar Zoom I and II backs?

I am disinclined to want a Chinese back, call me a xenophobe if you will. I've had Horseman 6x9 backs in the olden days. I think there are some general cautions about the Sinar Zooms or why did they make the "II"? And is the Linhof Techno 6x12 better somehow, other than superb build quality?

Also, for handheld work, what would be the best viewfinder solution for a 4x5 Technika V? I would probably be using a 90 or 150 lens.

Thanks,

Frank

[Oren Grad]

In addition to the Zoom and Zoom 2, there was also the Vario, which was the predecessor to the Zoom, and the Panorama, which is a fixed-format 6x12 back. I had a Vario briefly and a Panorama for a while. On the plus side: all of them share a pre-film-gate path that's very flat. The worst vices from my perspective are the size, weight and shape - it's big and heavy, and would be extremely unwieldy for hand-held use - and the fussy loading - the film goes into a separate cassette (something else to lose!) but also has to be threaded through a very long winding path. Among the variable-format holders, the Zoom 2 is less mechanically complex than the Vario and Zoom, but IIRC it lacks grooves for Graflok sliders, which means it can't be locked to the camera back as securely. Between the cassette and the long film path I think the Sinars are also a bit more difficult to keep really clean.

On theoretical grounds I like the flatter pre-exposure film path, but if I were buying a 6x12 back today I'd probably just go for a Horseman, unless I got a screaming deal on a Sinar Panorama.

[Old-N-Feeble]

I bought a Horseman 6x12 RFH and, IMHO, its very well-made. I don't think I'd like a zoom RFH because, IMO, changing formats mid roll seems clumsy. I'd rather just shoot 6x12 and crop if I need to.

[Mark Sampson]

Calumet offered, for a while, a 6x12 roll back based on their C2 6x7 back. Since they were asking $800 for them in the '90s, I didn't buy one. I suspect they didn't sell very many, but perhaps one could be found.

[Frank Petronio]

Oh but those C2 backs curled the film horribly.... well not that bad but enough to dissuade me from spending nearly the same money for one as a better back.

Heck the crude Chinese backs are $384 and I'm seeing the Horseman for $550, seems like it would be reasonable to go for the name brand.

[Joseph Dickerson]

Hey Frank,

I have used/owned the Calumet 6x12, the Horseman 6x12, and, currently the Sinar Zoom. Firstly, I found the Calumet, a rental, very difficult to load, and I have lots of experience with the Calumet 6x7 and 6x9 versions. The problem seems to be that there is very little excess leader on the 6x12 due to the large film gate. Some films wouldn't grab the take up spool at all and needed to be taped.

The Horseman was: 1) easy to load, 2) solidly built, without being heavier than it had to be (think Chinese here) and, 3) great as far as film flatness was concerned. Essentially one of the best backs I have ever worked with. I switched to the Sinar only because I got tired of having to remove the gg back.

The Sinar is not as easy to load, although it gets more tolerable with practice, and I really like the ability to change formats, although 6x12 is what I shoot most of the time. Film flatness seems equal to the Horseman. Both the Sinar and Horseman are well built and, used at least, can be had for about the same price. I sold my Horseman for $500 and bought the Sinar Zoom off Ebay for the same amount.

I really like the Sinar variable format mask that came with mine although you can probably find them separately as well.

If I were shopping for one now, which would I choose...honestly, I'm not sure. I really like the Sinar, but it is bulkier than the Horseman though the weight seems about the same. I need to use the Sinar more, maybe a lot more, before I can say with 100% certainty which I consider "best".

The short answer, Horseman or Sinar, either is a good choice but they both have pluses and minuses (life's just like that, huh?). Calumet...not so much.

Hope this doesn't add too much confusion.

JD

[Frank Petronio]

Am I right in assuming the Horseman is simpler and therefore maybe more reliable? I think I remember reading complaints about the Sinar, although being a slide-in makes it more attractive to me.

[Oren Grad]

Am I right in assuming the Horseman is simpler and therefore maybe more reliable? I think I remember reading complaints about the Sinar, although being a slide-in makes it more attractive to me.

Simpler, yes. More reliable, who knows? Cheaper to repair if necessary, probably yes. The variable-format Sinars have a more complex film advance mechanism, and the Vario and original Zoom have a somewhat delicate built-in dark curtain. IIRC the Panorama and the Zoom 2 have a traditional, simple darkslide.

Re weight - I think the Horseman is in the range of 650g, the Sinars more like 900g or so.

[Joseph Dickerson]

I pretty much agree with what Oren has to say, I no longer have the Horseman back but I just weighed a similar Wista at approximately 1.5 pounds and the Sinar weighs right at 2 pounds. This was measured on my fishing scale so take it with a grain or two of sodium chloride.

JD

[Sevo]

The variable-format Sinars have a more complex film advance mechanism, and the Vario and original Zoom have a somewhat delicate built-in dark curtain.

Well, delicate or not, I haven't damaged mine in something like 25 years, and treated them rough. While closed they seem to be fairly hard to destroy. Arguably they may be more at risk in third party cameras, where the holder with slide opened might be removed from the camera - opening the back flap in that state is a safe method to rip out the roller blind slide, I've seen one destroyed where someone had attempted to load film while the slide was open. But in Sinars that cannot happen by accident - the holder is locked into the back while the slider is open, and protected by a locking pin when outside a camera.