Cheap 4X5 Cameras are Everywhere

[Bernice Loui]

Emotions are extremely powerful in ways some might not fully appreciate or understand. Emotions are also what memories are made of, thus the connection to Nostalgia...

Memories that are the results of emotions can be directly tied to cameras in various ways due to the power of still images produced by any given camera. This could be partly why cameras hold their value in various ways..

As for the Sinar P, it is and always be a modular system, NOT just a camera in any way. The front and rear frames can be removed then replaced by various image making devices to allow far more versatility than being used as a camera alone.
Not long ago, the Sinar P2 was used as a digital camera positioning device combined with a compendium lens shade to do art copy work. The ease, stability and precision repeatability greatly eased setting up digital camera to art being copied into a digital file. The compendium lens shade was mandatory due to the lighting involved. All this was set up using the Sinar P2 with various Sinar system bits and home made up bits.


Another image making need where the Sinar P/P2/ ... Sinar system excels at is Marco-close up work in conjunction with a digital or similar image recording device. Exampled here in this YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU8ozo1ubfc

BTW, been there done this decades ago with a Sinar P. If this need comes up again, The Sinar bits will simply get built up from modular form to meet the image making needs.

Ponder how perfume bottles can be creatively imaged using the modular Sinar system and your current studio lighting rigs_?_

Some time ago on LFF there was a request from a film maker (cinema) for a monorail camera that can be adaptable for producing cinema scenes of a view camera ground glass as part of their film production. After plenty of typical LFF verbiage from the usual cast of personalities, this film maker settled on using a Sinar P built up from Sinar modules to meet this film making need. Inspiration and idea came from this "lash-up".


Sinar modularity at play.


The Sinar P/P2 can be easily altered to adapt a digital camera DSLR or Mirrorless into a camera with movements (ala: Sinar P3) as currently being marketed by Cambo Acts-G by replacing the front-rear frames with digital camera and lens adapters in place of the front-rear frames as needed.
https://www.cambo.com/en/actus-serie...g-view-camera/

This results in a digital camera with view camera movement capability with the ease of adjustability, stability, precision baked into the Sinar P/P2.

As for market demand for Sinar in general, their market prices have gone up. IMO, partly due to a new generation of sheet film folks that have come to realize just how versatile, capable, modular, reliable-durable the Sinar system is. Know the current sheet film view camera user consists of folks from a digital or roll film history. Many appear to want to continue their style of outdoor/natural light image making style with a sheet film camera, secondarily outdoor image making can often become an outdoor adventure beyond the photography. Personally, that is not my view camera history as it began as studio image making centric (powerful studio strobes with light modifiers and all that) with all the demands and needs of producing commercial art and similar. That is simply a very different world than doing outdoor landscape images while out hiking-camping. This has become one of the primary markets and users of light weight field folder cameras. Another segment of view camera users today are alternative process images, from wet plate to dry glass plates, carbon prints and LOTs more Image making methods that demand sheet film as part of their image making process.


Bernice

Nostalgia is a powerful emotion. We attach to things that allow us to recall pleasant experiences. Nothing wrong with attachment, which seems somewhat to be expected as we age.

But really, is there a market for a P2? I can’t imagine many potential buyers given its excessive weight and bulk in comparison to say a Shen Hao.

Pricing for used 4x5 is all over the place, even for the same model (eBay). The biggest hurtle by far is obtaining new bellows (and at a reasonable cost); a real issue for otherwise inexpensive LF models.

Over the last 3 years there have been perhaps a half dozen occasions where I felt LF was warranted, both from an aesthetic and practical perspective. Is it worth holding on to gear when you might use it occasionally and for which there is no ready market for prints? I am torn on this.

I’ve scaled my LF lenses down to just a few, and there still seems to be a market for the big 3 (or is that waning also?)

[Pkiler]

http://largesense.com/index.php/prod...ital-back-ls45

Hello Maltfalc, Thanks I appreciate the gesture, but the paltry resolution of this sensor does not warrant the use or price of it. So this is not a viable option for me.

[Pkiler]

Hi Bernice, thanks for the information, the reminders, and the method to redeem the equipment for new project possibilities.

I may decide to employ the Sinar to mount a Canon body for some copy work that I need to do soon.
Do you know of mounting adapters available, or should I just look around and or improvise?

Yes, I am grateful to be reminded of the modular capability, of course I did utilize that on occasion when in studio working on jobs. But I mostly forgot about it, I think.

I appreciate the pictures to look through... it is a bit ignominious to simply degrade the Sinar P2 to a fancy lens shade though. LOL!

I do appreciate your response...

[Vaughn]

I mailed off a beautiful Graphic View II to a member for the postage. It was given to me and it was a shame it was not being used.

I learned 4x5 with rail cameras. A Graphic View, a Linhof and some Calumets were what the uni had to check-out to photo students. Carried them in hard cases everywhere....oh to be in my 20s again! Eventually I went with a very packable Calumet/Gowland PocketView, a 2 pound rail camera. In the larger formats I have learned to appreciate wood field cameras.

To each their own.

[Heroique]

I learned 4x5 with rail cameras. A Graphic View, a Linhof and some Calumets were what the uni had to check-out to photo students. Carried them in hard cases everywhere....oh to be in my 20s again! Eventually I went with a very packable Calumet/Gowland PocketView, a 2 pound rail camera.

I learned on a Toyo 45c (12 lbs.) and finally settled on my Tachi 4x5 (4 lbs.)

The decrease in weight means I can climb mountains with my gear with an increase in age.

I’m surprised that used prices on the Tachis are often twice what the new price used to be, but it’s a packable camera easy to love at any price.

[Pkiler]

a very packable Calumet/Gowland PocketView,

I went in to Hollywood, and bought my Gowland PocketView from Peter himself! :-)
Before he signed with Calumet.

[Duolab123]

A few months ago UsedPhotoPro listed about 5 4x5 P2s for about $500 each. I think they got a bunch of sinars from some university photo department. Anyway all those P2s were sold in a couple days. They still have 20 or more lenses on DB lens board that appeared at the same time. So I do think there is still a market.

I bought 2 of the Sinar P2 cameras, then I bought a bunch of lens boards, all from UsedPhotoPro. I couldn't believe that I could have one of these machines. I've always used a couple Calumet CC-4xx cameras. I still love the Calumet cameras, especially the wide angle model.

I am a bit of a accumulator, but I am completely engaged, not sitting around. This stuff keeps me alive

[Bernice Loui]

After decades of using a P2 and Sinar system, it is not a lot more than an image making tool as a means to an end. The P2 being used as a fancy-dancy lens shade is not much more than what the Sinar system is capable of to fit a given need.

Sinar made a camera to P standard adapter. Seems these are not so common any more, that is what was used to set up the digital camera to the Sinar P standard. Alternatively, the standard 4x5 P frame has an extrusion that interfaces with the P standard mounting that is held on with four screws. That extrusion can be removed than adapted as needed and put back on the standard 4x5 frame as needed or get a spare 4x5 P frame for parts.


Bernice

Hi Bernice, thanks for the information, the reminders, and the method to redeem the equipment for new project possibilities.

I may decide to employ the Sinar to mount a Canon body for some copy work that I need to do soon.
Do you know of mounting adapters available, or should I just look around and or improvise?

Yes, I am grateful to be reminded of the modular capability, of course I did utilize that on occasion when in studio working on jobs. But I mostly forgot about it, I think.

I appreciate the pictures to look through... it is a bit ignominious to simply degrade the Sinar P2 to a fancy lens shade though. LOL!

I do appreciate your response...

[Havoc]

The P2 being used as a fancy-dancy lens shade is not much more than what the Sinar system is capable of to fit a given need.

I'm glad I do not seem to be the only one thinking this is not a cheap camera but a very, very expensive sunshade....

[abruzzi]

I'm glad I do not seem to be the only one thinking this is not a cheap camera but a very, very expensive sunshade....

the thing I never thought about though---a LF camera that is fully geard like the P2, could make a decent macro rail for a digital camera. The cost of a used P2 isn't that far from what really nice macro rails sell for, it has any movement you'd need, but I'd be curious if the geared movement is fine enough for digital full frame or APS-C macro use? Of course that would require finding a way to mount the camera, and as Bernice stated, that may be hard to find at this point.