Sinar Norma Owners Manual

[Marie Dohoney]

Where can I buy a Sinar Norma owners manual, or a copy of one?
Thanks,
Marie Dohoney

[chi cheung]

Finger Lakes Photo Books, P.O. Box 1002, Elbridge, NY 13060. sell a copy of them on e bay for $11.90. they were called photobooksonline

[Frank Petronio]

http://www.king-platypus.com/sinar/index.html

[Frank Petronio]

And on eBay right now:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15247&item=3849933973&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15247&item=3849933973&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW)

[Marie Dohoney]

Thanks!

You people always help out!

[Felix Ackermann]

if you are interested I will scan and post mine...

[Marie Dohoney]

Thanks!
I found one on EBay.
I am interested in staying connected with people using a Norma. I am very much a beginner and appreciate any advice.
Also, however, quite pressed for time.

[Felix Ackermann]

you made an excellent choice; the Norma is an absolutely wonderful instrument, and i would never trade mine for a modern Sinar.

If you need technical advice, i would try my best...

My experience is still limited, but i have the best teacher and advisor i could imagine; a distinguist professional who worked with his Norma for decades and illustrated many prestigious books. I see him regularly and we talk about photography for hours...

He gave me his whole equipment, a Norma 4x5 + 5x7 + 8x10 with many accessories and 14 lenses.

[Marie Dohoney]

My experience is similar. I bought it from a gentleman who was selling all his photo/darkroom equipment. What he asked for the Norma made it almost a gift. He even had class notes from 1952 to share with me, so you can imagine what kind of care his equipment has had! I feel very humble, and motivated to learn to use it well. I saw just a little of what he as done with it, and I'm even more humble. But time . . . .
I've used a little Polaroid, but will be spending some time with a mentor in the darkroom this coming month to learn to develop negatives. I'm going to start with 35 mm. I've used paper negatives with pinhole, and was just starting to print from 120 (Mamiya c33 TLR, also an older treasure) developed commercially when the Norma came my way. I need to learn what good exposure looks like with everything I do. I practice taking imaginary pictures whenever I have spare time. And I try to be patient with my limitations. I'll gladly come to you with technical questions when I've made time to make a few more mistakes. I took 15 Polaroid pictures with the 545 holder put in from the wrong side before I reasoned out where the light leaks were coming from. And that after 3 days of thinking about it!

[Felix Ackermann]

... so you know how special it is to work with the equipment of a higly distinguished first-hand-owner ...
Knowing what has been done with your camera makes you feel humble an proud at the same time ...
I send you by mail a photograph of "my" equipment at work...

I'm not a photographer, but for about 16 years now i'm the eager student of a great master, and i felt sort of "ennobled" when he gave me his whole equipment (he is 75 now and only shoots small format any more; but i hope that i can motivate him to restart when my darkroom is functional).

4x5 b/w-polaroids are a good thing to get practice - i did the same thing.

When i do complicated work, i can call the former owner, who watches me closely and tells me when i could do better.

I still have to wait some time before i can really get serious with the Norma: I had a small darkroom with a 6x6 enlarger. Some time ago i had the great luck that i could buy very cheaply a Durst Laborator 184 with complete accessories. So i have to build a new darkroom; and there is still much work to do. But i hope that next year i will be able to make enlargments from 8x10 negatives.

15 years ago a large commission permitted me to buy a Zenza Bronica SQ-A with 4 lenses. But because i'm shooting mainly architecture an objects the Sinar meant for me a completely new freedom of all limitations of a rigid camera.
I never had the budget to buy a large format camera, because i'm mainly shooting on my own account (i'm an art historian) and only occasionly on commission.

The Large Format Photography Forum should open a section for exchanges between Norma-users... ;-)