Originally Posted by
fishbulb
I've only had my Sinar F a few days but I find it very portable. You can fully disassemble them - remove the front and rear standards from the rail - and put it in a backpack. However I have spent several hours hiking with it on a tripod, over my shoulder, with the dark cloth as a shoulder pad. With the tripod duly extended and a long monorail, you will look a bit like Christ carrying the cross, but it balances pretty well.
I have a Manfrotto 055 carbon fiber tripod that works well and isn't too heavy. I have an Acratech large leveling base on order, which should fit both the tripod and the bottom plate of the Sonar F perfectly. With a small bag for the light meter, film holders, etc, its really not much different than going out with the same tripod and my D800 DSLR and lenses.
In general, monorails can accommodate more focal lengths than field cameras. However it varies depending on a lot of things, primarily how big the bellows and how close you can move the front and rear standards together. For long lenses, you need long bellows. For short lenses, you need short bellows like a bag bellows. Typically a bag bellows is needed for any lens shorter than 100mm but it varies by camera. Many field camera have difficulty with lenses 300mm or longer but again it varies. It helps to know the specs of the specific camera and also the lenses in question.
All of your lenses could be used on the Sinar F but you'd need a bag bellows for the 75mm. You've got some really nice lenses by the way, that Xenotar 150/2.8 is worth a pretty penny. You would have a tough time using the 300mm on many field cameras due to the weight and focal length but it can be done. A 300mm f/9 might be a better choice due to the lower weight though.
Definitely consider the weight before going into field cameras. The metal Linhoffs and Toyos are rather heavy, but also more stable and durable than lighter wood cameras. Horses for courses. Also one other note, the Sinar F is indeed one of Sinars lightest models, but the Sinar Alpina/A1 was even lighter. However, to keep weight down, the Alpina/A1 uses a different rail and is less interchangeable than the F/F1/F2/F3/X/P1/P2/P3 models, which came in 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10. Parts are readily available, plentiful, and inexpensive, which is what attracted me to Sinar personally. Plus, I love having all of the movements of a monorail!
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