Fastest Speed of all 4x5/9x12 Sinar Norma

[Daniel Unkefer]

5x7 and 4x5 Sinar Norma TLR's by Nokton48, on Flickr

"Construction Unit Design" allows me to upsize the camera to 13x18/5x7. Nice to have the larger format, I am just getting going with 5x7. 240 Componons on the left, 250 Imagon pair on the right.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Daniel,

I am curious to what extent you have found variation in focal lengths in lenses of the same nominal length, make, and mount? Years ago I tried to do something similar to this using two 8" f2.9 Pentac lenses (same 1940s Air Ministry mount, but may have been made by different manufactures), and found that I needed to shim one of the lenses a few millimeters to achieve focus for both. Have you seen this?

[Daniel Unkefer]

Daniel,

I am curious to what extent you have found variation in focal lengths in lenses of the same nominal length, make, and mount? Years ago I tried to do something similar to this using two 8" f2.9 Pentac lenses (same 1940s Air Ministry mount, but may have been made by different manufactures), and found that I needed to shim one of the lenses a few millimeters to achieve focus for both. Have you seen this?

Hi Jason,

So far I have not had to shim any of my lens pairs. If I was mounting an f2.9 I might have to Anyway I align the focusing plane of the two lenses, using the rear base tilt, using a 10X printer's loupe, and so far I've not had any focus issues. I have about sixteen different pairs so far and they all seem to be perfectly usuable in this way. I do have a 200mm Imagon barrel and shutter combo coming up that might need a shim for the barrel one. For that setup I'm using a bubble level to get the front of the lens mount and the rear cell into agreement (as well as the board) for the two lenses. That may take some additional metalworking, I'll have to see how it goes. Maybe I'm just having really good luck My fastest lenses are the F4.5 Xenars and they are all fine.

[Daniel Unkefer]

Over the weekend I made 13x18cm test negatives on Fuji HRU XRAY, all of which I managed to scratch. The emulsion is so delicate, very frustrating. Perhaps Kodak 3 1/2 gallon deep tanks is the way to go with this stuff.

So I switched to 5x7 Ilford Ortho Commercial and finally got a nice clean negative. I cut this down from 8X10 sheets. Used twin 240mm Componons, shot wide open at F5.6 and exposure (250W halogen modeling light in Broncolor Pulso Softbox) was four seconds, timed with the Sinar Automatic Shutter. Processed in a tray under super deep red safelight with straight Microdol-X.

[Daniel Unkefer]

5x7 Sinar Norma Twin Lens HRU Ortho+Mic-X by Nokton48, on Flickr

Left is Ilford Commercial Ortho+ 5x7 Schneider 240mm f5.6 chrome Componon Sinar Norma Shutter 4 seconds. Lighting was 45 left Broncolor Pulso Softbox in close. Ambient lighting 250W modeling lamp only no flash. Silver fill panel 45 left just off camera. Shooting wide open with 5x7 Sinar Norma early version film holders

Right is 5x7 Fuji HRU XRay film 1/2 second F5.6 Schneider 240mm f5.6 Componon wide open. Sinar Norma Automatic Shutter

Good to have a choice of negatives.

[Daniel Unkefer]

4x5 Twin Lens Sinar Norma Binocular Reflex Magnifier by Nokton48, on Flickr

I repaired my Sinar Norma Binocular Magnifier, the interior front surface mirror shattered. I ordered an exact measured replacement on Ebay for $25, and installed it very carefully with JB Weld. Good as new now and it's preferred by me for the viewing (bottom) lens on the 4x5 Norma Twin Lens. A Norma 4x5 Bag Bellows and Norma Monocular go on the taking (top) lens. Easy to switch back and forth between top and bottom lens, and it's very comfortable as well as hands-free which is important. I added the elastic Sinar Band and it holds the Binocular Reflex Viewfinder tightly against the rear standard. I have some portrait sessions coming up and I think I will go with this setup for now. Here I am viewing my test stand-in test dummy using the 250mm Imagon pair with H5.8 disc petals closed. So a central stop minimizing the "Imagon Effect". It's a lovely lens I have not used enough in the past.

[Daniel Unkefer]

Balloon Head Impact 41 4x5 Norma TLR 250 Imagon by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here I have switched out the Pulso Hazylight for the Broncolor Impact 41 with "Balloon Head". Totally -shadowless- utterly soft lighting. Notice the new Viewing System on the 4x5 TLR. Norma Monocular Bellows on top, Reflex Binocular Sinar on the bottom. This camera is now a true in every way TWIN LENS -REFLEX- 4x5. Viewing the image right side up through the bottom lens, and being able to move the mirror around to scrutinize every mm of the viewing screen, is a great luxury. This works GOOD very direct super user friendly studio portrait camera. I made two more exposures Impact 41 set at 1/4 power, f5.6 on FM2 incident flash meter. Yellow green filter added, so exposures on Fuji HR-U of, 2 pops, and bracketed also for four pops at H5.8 on the 250 Imagon taking lens. I know you are supposed to use sharp pincer-type lighting with Imagons, but I am breaking some rules here. Looks cool on the ground glass, can't wait to develop it hopefully later today.

[Daniel Unkefer]

Sinar 5x7 & 4x5 TLR 200mm Imagon Pair 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here is another matched pair of lenses for the 5x7/4x5 TLR Sinar Norma. The bottom viewing lens is a barrel 200mm Imagon, the top taking lens is a 200mm Imagon forward mounted in Compound shutter. This covers 5x7 for this application and is a lovely addition to the lens bank.

Sinar 5x7 & 4x5 TLR 200mm Imagon Pair 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I have decided to leave one TLR Norma set up as a 5x7, then use 4x5 Norma Reducing Backs to shoot 4x5 and 9x12. Here the top camera is 5x7 and the bottom is 4x5. I am waiting for another 4x5 Reducing Back to arrive from overseas.

Studio Renovation Phase 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I've been working on fully equipping my studio. I have eight Norma cameras now!

[Rod Klukas]

How about the Gowlandflex 4x5 which in a more compact form does similar to your camera:



4X5 GOWLANDFLEX GLAMOUR CAMERA
Gowland's most popular camera, the 4x5, 30th anniversary model in lighter weight, all metal, black anodized. It uses matched lenses in shutter from 180mm to 300mm. With the 180mm it focuses down to 18", 210mm 28", 240mm 39". Its back takes all film sizes up to 4x5.
This camera can be used horizontally or vertically. Viewing can be from the top with vertical hood or from the back or side with the reflex hood.

Lenses were matched so focus would match taking lens.

[Daniel Unkefer]

Thanks Rod for your contribution. I have heard that Arca Swiss made a lot of Norma parts/components for Sinar
Very much the same in some ways to the Gowlandflex but also different in some ways in terms of form and function.
I think I would really enjoy having a Gowland but really I'm a die hard Norma Guy.
Do you consider the Gowland to be a one lens camera? Just asking since everything had to be set up just so.