Is this a good buy?

[moizak]

Hey guys,

Firstly, I am a newcomer to LF photography with my little experience having been almost exclusively in the 35mm film and digital arena. I have not touched film for about 5 years (during which time my dad decided to clear storage and get rid of all my darkroom stuff!) but have recently had a revival since I made myself a pinhole camera a few weekends ago, bought some chemicals and trays, and have started making pictures on Harmans Direct Positive paper.

I have enjoyed the slow down and the thought process and so would like to have a little bit of LF equipment with which to play and relax. I would mostly be photographing around the house, portraits of kids and other family members, and the occasional landscape (I may pack the gear into the car when we go camping but would never be carrying the gear very far, I don't intend to hike with it, I have enough to carry with 4 kids in tow!)

So, I have been reading and reading and trying to see what sort of thing would suit me best and I think I am pretty much settled on a monorail, mostly because it has all the movements and I would like to have them all to start with, learn what they all do and then decide whether I need them or not.

So, I have seen in a shop what looks like Sinar Norma, with a 75mm f8 Super Angulon, a 150mm Schneider Symmar f5.6, 4 DDS, hood and shutter release. The website (it is a reputable camera store with a few shops) says it is in good condition. I have seen 3 photos of it and it looks in decent enough condition.

The whole lot is on sale for £500......my question to you all, is this a good deal and is it the right sort of thing for me to start my LF journey with?

Many thanks in advance for your replies.

Moiz

[mortensen]

- sounds perfect to me!
I haven't used it, but everyone in here positively loves the Norma and two schneider lenses at those focal lengths would be a great start kit, which you could easily and cheaply expand with a Caltar 210 (rebranded Rodenstock Sironar-N's mostly). Go for it... before someone else in here snatches it in front of you ;)

[Nguss]

That does not sound too bad at all. Does it come with bag bellows for the wider lens / do you need bag bellows for it? I have a 90mm and 135mm with my Sinar and they are fine, though I do use bag bellows for the 90mm lens. As above, a 200mm+ lens might also be useful for portraits.

[moizak]

Thanks for the replies.

As far as I can see it doesn't come with a bag bellows, just the standard bellows that's in the photo. But I can call them tomorrow and ask them.

[Nguss]

If not you could always pick them up later.