Anybody ever seen this before? Any information on it?

[hackphotographer]

This appears to be from 1990 and is definitely a specialty item but I've not been able to find out any information on it anywhere. It belongs to a client who got it at a special invitation only event given by Sinar. There was a card with it that says, "Sinar Bron cordially invites you to experience Large Format in the 90's and Beyond presented by Hans Carl Koch Chairman of Sinar AG and inventor of the new Sinar e camera on Friday May 4, 1990 at 1:00 pm at ( my clients former studio ). RSVP by April 26, 1990. I can't remember if they gave it to him for hosting the event ( it was at his former studio offices ) or if he bought it. Anybody ever seen any of this before? Any information regarding who made it etc. would be greatly appreciated.

http://www.bidnashville.com/WoodenSinar1.jpg

[Jonathan Barlow]

It looks like a Sinar PW 4x5.

[Frank Petronio]

81871

The Sinar e was kind of their low point.....

[dave_whatever]

Finally Frank can have a foot in both camps - a monorail that's made of wood!

[Bob Salomon]

The Sinar E was Sinar's attempt to computerize a monorail camera. A few companies tried this but none were really successful.

[Preston]

Finally Frank can have a foot in both camps - a monorail that's made of wood!

Excellent! :D

It does look like someone put a lot of work into these pieces.

--P

[Drew Wiley]

I think it was actually from 19.000 BC, before they discovered that lenses had to be made
of glass. Sure a cute collector item, however.

[hackphotographer]

Very nice Drew. Very nice. Thanks for the replies so far you guys. I just can't imagine who made this stuff. It is some really nice precision work. I know they have computerized machines that can cut metal into anything you want these days but I've never seen anything that could do it with wood. I'm sure it's out there.

[cyrus]

The same CnC machines that cut metal can cut wood.
This looks like they were mock-ups made by the Sinar folks to test out their camera?

[Sevo]

The same CnC machines that cut metal can cut wood.

Not really - the base robot may be the same, but you'd need very different tools, and a even more different control program, created by someone who has been through different training.



This looks like they were mock-ups made by the Sinar folks to test out their camera?

It looks more like a advertising present or trade show decorations, if you ask me - they hardly needed a wood prototype of the camera itself to test how to attach a few crude, boxy electronic bits to a already existing metal camera...

[hackphotographer]

The same CnC machines that cut metal can cut wood.
This looks like they were mock-ups made by the Sinar folks to test out their camera?

Gulp, I'm obviously a little slow. I didn't even think about that Cyrus. Makes sense.

[Frank Petronio]

I worked for a timber framer who had a German wood CNC machine. There are more factors involved, grain being the biggest one.

[evan clarke]

Chamonix copy of a Sinar..

[Drew Wiley]

Of course it's not a mock-up. Ever worked with German or Swiss engineers in prototyping?
I have. The "mockup" will typically be one-of-a-kind fully precisely machined, usable. This
wooden thing was a fun PR piece. And probably not any CNC at all. This is old-school
workworking. Somebody at Sinar might even have had a side hobby.

[Frank Petronio]

Chamonix copy of a Sinar..

+1

[BrianShaw]

perhaps a view camera designed for the youngsters?

[Michael W]

It's the new Lomo 4x5 system - "making large format fun and cool"

[Brian Ellis]

It looks like an oak tree to me, possibly an ash but ash trees are usually smaller.