I like this short base rail for use on either the original Sinar F or Norma 4x5 for three reasons:
> It compacts the camera into a small space in a backpack. In fact, I doubt that the camera could be made any more compact.
> Assuming one has a quick release plate attached to the bottom of the clamp, mounting the camera onto a tripod head can be accomplished in a single motion.
> Once the camera is mounted onto the tripod head, adding length to the rail is a simple matter of appending additional 6" rails to the shortened base rail and expanding the camera onto that extended rail. Quick-and-easy.
The assembly in the opening post shows the shortened base rail with a 1.5" cap on the rear. This added length was needed to use the shortened base rail on a Norma 8x10.
But, the same can be accomplished without the cap on the rear, which makes the shortened base rail about 1.5" shorter. (A total length of 6.0", excluding the red knob.) This is what was used on the 4x5 shown at the bottom of the first page of the thread. Again very compact.
Years ago, I considered the possibility of using a Sinar F. But the huge size of the "collapsed" camera, and the clumsiness of breaking it down, made me look further. I ended up going with an Arca Swiss Classic F that I purchased at a swap meet for $400.
But fast forward to the present, for me, this shortened base rail helps to bring the Sinar F (or the Norma 4x5) into it's own as a viable field camera.
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