Building the "Sinar Norma Handy" camera!

[Daniel Unkefer]

Suggest using a 4x5 graphmatic to get six sheets of 4x5 film in a small package if a 4x5 film version is used. This is much easier and more convent than lugging around a stack of 4x5 film holders.

Thank you for your thoughts and contributions, Bernice! I think I will use Graphmatics with this camera, Yes that is the way to do it.

I've considered the 50mm Mamiya, I remember Sinar using that one in their catalog, but it might have been with the 75mm 4x5 Handy.

I'm rather excited to give the 43mm Mamiya 7 viewfinder a go. Just wish the finder wasn't made of plastic

[EdSawyer]

Dan, nice that you got one of the Mamiya 7 43mm viewfinders. That is a steep price, no doubt. The 2 I have I got on ebay I think, one for only $80 or so, the other was maybe $120? One needed a new bubble level, which was a $20 part from MAC (at the time). The eyecup can probably be found, I am sure they are still around - MAC doesn't handle mamiya spare parts anymore unfortunately, so they are tougher to source.

the viewfinder does have a subset of framelines for close-focus, they are shifted slightly lower than the main framelines.

Hope it works out well for you, I use it on my 65mm cambo wide and the viewfinder matches what that sees pretty well. The bubble level is really handy too.

-Ed

[Daniel Unkefer]

Hope it works out well for you, I use it on my 65mm cambo wide and the viewfinder matches what that sees pretty well.-Ed

Hey Ed,

The finder is here and it is great!. It does have rubber on the rear, just not much. But enough to keep it from scratching my new eyeglasses. Now looking forward to testing this baby. I will do a viewfinder to groundglass comparison shortly. I'm sure this will work. Yay!

Sinar Norma Handy Completed! by Nokton48, on Flickr

Super wide angle super lightweight hand holdable 4x5" Something new to me
Left hand holds the wood grip, right hand works the focus, f/stop and shutter release.
To get a vertical, simply turn the camera 90 degrees.
If I remember my Sinar stuff this is like a 17mm or 18mm rectilinear lens on 35mm. Or thereabouts.

[EdSawyer]

The aspect ratios are different between 4x5 and 35mm, but I find a 65 "feels" like about an 18-21mm does on 35mm. Generally on 4x5, things seem wider than they "should" be according to the specs, so a 90mm feels a lot wider than what it would seem like it should (approx 28mm on 35mm format). 65mm is even more like that. Although the 65mm has a lot of DOF, I find that using the one on the Cambo Wide I have, focus is still critical, and you need to go to at least f/22 or even f/32 if you really want everything to be in focus.

[Dan Fromm]

Ed you are or the fellow behind this https://www.photrio.com/forum/thread...camera.147586/ is a dangerous heretic. Since my 35/4.5 Apo Grandagon has to be focused OR ELSE I think you're ok and he isn't.

[Daniel Unkefer]

Although the 65mm has a lot of DOF, I find that using the one on the Cambo Wide I have, focus is still critical, and you need to go to at least f/22 or even f/32 if you really want everything to be in focus.

I know exactly what you mean. For 4x5 (when I was doing it every day) my go-to stop was F/22. Sometimes F32 as you say. I once hand calculated my own hyperfocal charts for large format, using critically small circles of confusion. I will have to dig out the 65mm chart. The 65mm Sinar Norma cone board, with Schneider 65mm F8 Super Angulon helical, is marked for focus in feet, but no DOF markings. So I will consult my hyperfocal chart for best results.

Essentially then it becomes a light weight smallish point-n-shoot 4x5". Something new to me. And it fits right into my Norma collection in my studio. YAY!

Gonna need to use FAST film in this baby. Maybe pushed hp5+ in Acufine??

One more thing; I am contemplating changing it out to a Linhof Technica Hand Grip. Stay tuned.

[Daniel Unkefer]

It turns out that Sinar used the grip from the Graflex XL on their "Handy" cameras. That is great news to me, 'cause I have this "complete" one coming my way. Modifying it from Graflex XL to Sinar Norma Handy should be quite easy. Then I have an authentic complete "Norma" era Handy that is vintage correct in every way.

Graflex XL Left Hand Grip by Nokton48, on Flickr

I will need to have a Norma-era circular chrome sticker made for this grip. As a final touch to Norma nostalgia.

[EdSawyer]

I use the Linhof side-mount (left hand side) grips on a lot of cameras. They are superbly ergonomic. The only downside is on some cameras, hanging the weight off the side can be a bit of a strain. I have them on a trio of speed graphics and crown graphics so far. I want to put one on an RB super-D but not sure if it would work well, those can be rather heavier than the speed/crowns. I have one on the Cambo TWR also, but that really needs grips/support on both sides.

Tmax 400 in XTOL (or portra 400 c-41) should be fast enough to shoot in varied light @ F/16 - 22 and still be hand-holdable. You likely won't need a center filter so that won't rob any light.

-Ed

[Bob Salomon]

I use the Linhof side-mount (left hand side) grips on a lot of cameras. They are superbly ergonomic. The only downside is on some cameras, hanging the weight off the side can be a bit of a strain. I have them on a trio of speed graphics and crown graphics so far. I want to put one on an RB super-D but not sure if it would work well, those can be rather heavier than the speed/crowns. I have one on the Cambo TWR also, but that really needs grips/support on both sides.

Tmax 400 in XTOL (or portra 400 c-41) should be fast enough to shoot in varied light @ F/16 - 22 and still be hand-holdable. You likely won't need a center filter so that won't rob any light.

-Ed

Weight should not be an issue. Linhof made them to hold up to the 5x7 Technika as well as the 45 Aero Technika EL. So a Super D would not challenge it.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I use the Linhof side-mount (left hand side) grips on a lot of cameras. They are superbly ergonomic. The only downside is on some cameras, hanging the weight off the side can be a bit of a strain.

I use Linhof grips: left side, right side, and bottom mount. (My typical use of the bottom mount here.)

Right hand Linhof grips are of two types of mount. One mounts on the rangefinder top (or the same mount modified to fit w/o rangefinder). The other right grip uses a robust single-point mount such as that on the Aero model, also the late Technikar. The Aero model uses the same single point type of mount for their left grip.

Left hand grips with the correct mount has the two fasteners separated well to assure a sturdy mount. Most Linhof left grips on the Bay are missing the mount!