Use of slots on a Sinar's standard?

[Greg]

On my Sinar X's standards and on the Multipurpose standard, there are long open slots with a larger round "opening" at one end. To me it seem obvious that these were meant to be used for attaching things to. But in my SINAR CODE booklet and in my Sinar edition of CREATIVE LARGE FORMAT book, I have yet to see one illustration of these slots being used for anything. I can insert a small bolt into the round hole end and run the bolt up and down the slot, securing it with a wing nut. Now am trying to figure out how to make use of this feature. "Solution in search of a Problem". It's almost seems like these were features in the original design, but then never exploited by Sinar. Currently am trying to fabricate an accessory shoe to attach to the front standard. Can then easily attach a flexible rod with a card to act as a simple sunshade. I believe Ebony had this feature in some of their cameras.

Welcome comments and/or suggestions on how to use these slots in some way.

Greg

[Drew Wiley]

Ditto. I've similarly used these slots to slip in a small pan head screw to jerry-rig attachments, but otherwise don't know if they had some dedicated purpose originally or not.

[Leigh]

I've similarly used these slots to slip in a small pan head screw to jerry-rig attachments...
You may (or may not) find the inside width of these slots is the proper size to restrain a hex-head bolt from rotating.
Of course, this would be a metric bolt, not a US bolt.

That would allow tightening a nut or threaded fixture on a hex-head bolt from outside without super-human effort.

- Leigh

[Greg]

You may (or may not) find the inside width of these slots is the proper size to restrain a hex-head bolt from rotating.
Of course, this would be a metric bolt, not a US bolt.

That would allow tightening a nut or threaded fixture on a hex-head bolt from outside without super-human effort.

- Leigh

I believe that the inside of the slot is wider than the round hole, so thought of removing the side piece of metal (held in by 12 screws at each end). Then fileing the hole into a hexagon to allow a maximum sized hex bolt to be inserted. Would probably have to also file down the head. In that way the bolt wouldn't be able to rotate. Then screw on a female accessory shoe, possibly needing a shim to orientate it to be on axis with the rail. Keep wondering though if it's worth all the trouble.

[Drew Wiley]

It just occurred to me that this is how the optical finder to the handheld Sinar Handy could have been attached.

[mgeiss]

One of it's "official" purposes is to attach the lensboard holders (Sinar No. 531.41) which help to prevent accidentally dropping a lensboard when chaning lenses.

https://www.qualitycamera.com/ebay2/LFAccessories/Sinar/C4D0B326-D4C4-4A27-9A56-B9CB580DB3AA.jpg

[Drew Wiley]

That doesn't make sense. One generally changes lenses by changing out the board itself on which they're mounted, unless an adapter board is involved for accepting smaller boards like Technika. Those little clips aren't even shown in my Sinar catalogs or "Codes". Maybe the product # is buried in an old price list somewhere; but I'm not going to bother digging it out of some ancient pile! I'm not saying that's not a reason for that slot configuration, but surmise that it was a multi-usage provision "just in case" this or that kind of thing needed to be attached. But not every accessory Sinar came out with worked as planned, even if they did charge an arm and a leg for the silliest little things you could easily make yourself. That was the day! Some studios seemed to have no limit in terms of how much debt they'd go into to have the latest. Their loss, my gain - I was out with my Sinar Norma yesterday, kept pristine in someone's studio all those years, destined for me to take it out in the wind and rain, where it's now finally happy, just like a Labrador Retriever!

[Jac@stafford.net]

One of it's "official" purposes is to attach the lensboard holders (Sinar No. 531.41) which help to prevent accidentally dropping a lensboard when chaning lenses.

https://www.qualitycamera.com/ebay2/LFAccessories/Sinar/C4D0B326-D4C4-4A27-9A56-B9CB580DB3AA.jpg

Those clips are helpful for stabilizing a board with a heavy lens lest it fall off. Here is a candidate.


185416

[Drew Wiley]

I don't know how even a heavy lens could fall off unless the locking lever is lifted. Maybe I'm lucky, but I've toted Sinars thousands of mile through the mtns without losing a lens that way, though I'll admit to a few near-misses by accidentally bumping the lever. The nylon cams inside the top, attached to the lever, do wear over time, causing the locking mechanism to get looser. They're easy to replace. The Norma series is different, and uses a traditional sliding bar. But yeah, I could make a set of those clips in the shop myself quite easily.

[Phil Hudson]

I use mine to secure an AWB wind stabilizer for long lenses.....

[Keith Pitman]

Also, the Sinar meter holder would attach to the slots:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sinar-Meter-Holder-Plate-462-96-001-SINARSIX-digital-PROFI-select-TTL-METERS/332818062395?hash=item4d7d809c3b:g:E~0AAOSw3YNXYZtu

[Tin Can]

My faith in Switzerland has recovered!

[Drew Wiley]

Indeed. Who ever heard of a complete Swiss Army Knife without a Sinar camera folded somewhere in it, attached via the standard slot?

[LabRat]

I don't know how even a heavy lens could fall off unless the locking lever is lifted. Maybe I'm lucky, but I've toted Sinars thousands of mile through the mtns without losing a lens that way, though I'll admit to a few near-misses by accidentally bumping the lever. The nylon cams inside the top, attached to the lever, do wear over time, causing the locking mechanism to get looser. They're easy to replace. The Norma series is different, and uses a traditional sliding bar. But yeah, I could make a set of those clips in the shop myself quite easily.

You gotta watch it with the letter series models as the board locks can develop a "false positive" locking position over time... Everything would seem like it locked, but the strip that engaged the board would barely slide over the board... (As a studio assistant, I have take a few dives to catch a few lenses that started falling and saved the day...) I would paint or white tape over the locks at different studios an indicator that if you didn't see the white strip past the board edge, it was unsafe to hold the lens...

The bellows could also not be totally locked on, causing leaks... And the levels were almost totally useless...

Other than that, good cameras, but you have to watch for the above...

Steve K

[Greg]

You gotta watch it with the letter series models as the board locks can develop a "false positive" locking position over time... Everything would seem like it locked, but the strip that engaged the board would barely slide over the board... (As a studio assistant, I have take a few dives to catch a few lenses that started falling and saved the day...) I would paint or white tape over the locks at different studios an indicator that if you didn't see the white strip past the board edge, it was unsafe to hold the lens...

The bellows could also not be totally locked on, causing leaks... And the levels were almost totally useless...

Other than that, good cameras, but you have to watch for the above...

Steve K

Also have had that same experience of the front latch on my P "false positive" locking on a non OEM (Sinar) lens board. Never happened on my Sinar Norma in the 45+ years that I have been using it. Also painted, in my case fluorescent green paint, on my lens boards under where the locks came down. In my case if I could see the fluorescent green paint, I had a problem. Paint wore off in time but never fully. The levels on my former P seemed to be regularly in need of recalibrating. Finally just used the Sinar P's levels to roughly level the camera, and then use a small level to accurately level the camera. Not doing architectural photography any more, so the levels on my Sinar X suit me fine.

[Drew Wiley]

I used a pendulum clinometer instead of those tiny levels. Better yet, align to a screen grid. But film doesn't necessarily fit dead square in a holder anyway, so correction is inevitable during printing, for those subject like architecture where it might really matter (or be just plain deceptive, since the dude who built the kitchen you photographed used a bad level himself).

[Wishegan]

Here’s a picture (https://sklep.dicam.pl/mobile/pl/p/Uchwyt-do-plytki-obiektywowej-Sinar-p%2C-p2%2C-f1%2C-f2%2C-c%2C-x/3054) of it (third picture has a drawing of it in use). Easy enough to 3D print.