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View Full Version : Making a Sinar F into an F2 sort of...



Frank Petronio
5-Sep-2006, 22:25
I have either a Sinar F or an F Plus. If I take a second Sinar F Rear Standard -- with the geared focusing -- and replace my Sinar F's Front Standard with it -- then do I basically have the functionality of a Sinar F2?

I have yet to see a concise listing of the differences and eras for the various Sinar F models. I think there was the original Sinar F, then the F Plus, then the latest F1 and F2. With the F1 and F2 they went to the all black color and added beefy knurled kobs and a metal tripod mount? Wheras the Sinar F has a squat little plastic mount and the F Plus has a tall plastic handled mount?

Or did a miss an F something or other in there?

One cool thing I found is that a Crown Graphic folding focusing hood slips right into the older Sinar F ground glass back assembly. But it ain't too easy to remove (tight little springs).

Any other tips for setting up a Sinar F as a nice bulky field camera? I am already on the look out for a nice Norma tripod mount.

Jean-Marie Solichon
6-Sep-2006, 01:18
Don't know about the F Plus.
F1/F : F1 has angle and dof calculators on the rear standard (no calculator on the F)
F2/F1 : F2 has gear focusing on both standards (F1 only on the rear) and separate locks for swing and shift on both standards (F1 has same lock for swing and shift on both standards)
There may be other diferrences I am not aware of.
I believe that a rear standard cannot work as front standard and vice versa.

David A. Goldfarb
6-Sep-2006, 05:07
I didn't know about the F+ either.

A rear standard can work as a front standard, but I think the knobs will be on the left instead of the right from the back of the camera (or the swing scale will be under the bellows, if you turn it around to have the knobs on the right).

The F has the tilt/swing calculator on a flat scale on the side of the standard bearer, and the F1 and F2 have the drum-type calculator that can be read from the back of the camera like the DOF calculator without having to look at the side, and we all know how many hunchbacked photographers there were with cricks in their necks from staring for hours at the old style tilt/swing calculator on the side of the F.

Ron Marshall
6-Sep-2006, 05:37
I used to either pack both standards onto a six inch extension to save space, or detach one side of the bellows, raise one standard slightly then fold both standards inward.

The weight is no problem with a good pack.

Bill Stice
6-Sep-2006, 08:03
Frank, one thing I did was to get a conversion board to allow mounting all of my lenses into Wista type lens boards instead of the larger Sinar or Horseman boards. Saves a lot of space in my camera backpack. I use both an F1 and an F2 and love both of them. S.K. Grimes sells them brand new and they do a teriffic job with them.