Show off your Large Format camera!

[neil poulsen]

I’m kind of a latecomer to a Sinar F camera. They’ve intrigued me in the past. But their 12” base rail makes it cumbersome to fit them into a backpack.

Experimenting with a Sinar Norma system I purchased last year, it occurred to me how a 6” extension rail could be customized as a base rail. It turns out that this customized rail is idea for use with a Sinar F camera. The combined system is one that I really enjoy using.

The following link shows how this can be done.

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...-Hybrid-Camera

The customization immobilizes the red knob, and that makes it easy to attach additional Sinar extensions in the normal fashion. As the second photo shows, the 6” base rail is long enough to hold the clamp and both the front and rear standards. The combination can be easily stowed in a backpack. See the fifth photo in the next post.

Adding a Manfrotto hexagonal, quick release plate to the clamp, set up is a simple matter of removing the camera from the backpack and placing it on the tripod head. I keep three additional 6” extensions rails in the back, and that enables me to assemble a combined rail of 24”.

There are two other customizations that I’ve included with this kit. Described in the following link . . .

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ag(gy)-Bellows

I reduced the size of the bag bellows. In my view, Sinar bag bellows have too much bellows material. This seems at odds with the fact that the bag bellows was designed for short focal length lenses. (?) Removing some of the material makes it easier to store the camera with the bag bellows attached. Even without this extra material, I can still use my bag bellows with a 180mm lens. It’s rare that I ever have to change back and forth.

Seen in the fourth photo, the third customization that I’ve included with this kit is a compendium lenshood that I made by combining a portion of a Toyo hood with a Sinar Norma, intermediate standard. See the following link.

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ght=compendium

I like this hood, because it’s independent of the front standard that holds the lens. As long as the lens is mounted on a flat lensboard, this hood is compact enough to use with a 75mm lens. It’s also easy to move back and forth as one makes adjustments to, or recocks the lens.

I’ll add one more quick detail. I do not like the more recent, tall Sinar clamps, which I believe can amplify tuning fork vibrations. Instead, I was able to find an early, low-profile Sinar clamp. Much better, and more convenient in my opinion.

As I indicated, I enjoy using this camera. Especially the 6” base rail, and I think the other customizations as well, turn this inexpensive Sinar F camera into a very effective and usable tool.

[neil poulsen]

Photo showing camera stored in a backpack. The bag bellows is on the camera.

[martinf5]

my third trial, Chamonix 45N2 in the field

trial one and two ended up in selling all the gear.

[Yuval]

For your third trial : If you are after hyper-resolution sharp pictures, I would advise having good, sharp lenses first, such as Voigtlander "Heliar", Rodenstock "Ronar", or Schneider "Symmar".

Using a hi-res lens, I would advise using Kodakchrome (or similar) transparancy cut-sheet as a source for high-resolution scanning via machines such as the Epson V810 which can yield sharp transparencey-film scans upto 200 megapixel (depending on sharpness and size of the film scanned.

Obviousely, once scanned, the film-tranperency can be used for chemical paper-printing, at wgich stage, it is likely to collect micro-scratches, and thus is no longer suitable for scanning.

[Jac@stafford.net]

[...] Using a hi-res lens, I would advise using Kodakchrome (or similar)

Yes indeed. I've been wondering what to do with all that 4x5 Kodachrome film.

And for 'hi-res', I add another of discouraging comment - don't go overboard and get some kind of process or enlarging lens that is hard to focus (for me), and does not necessarily yield the resolution usually published except at rather short ranges. Really, I have not found a reasonably priced modern lens that has disappointed me, and I have gone overboard to my chagrin.

[Dan Fromm]

[QUOTE=Yuval;1402384Using a hi-res lens, I would advise using Kodakchrome (or similar) transparancy cut-sheet as a source for high-resolution scanning via machines such as the Epson V810 which can yield sharp transparencey-film scans upto 200 megapixel (depending on sharpness and size of the film scanned.QUOTE]

Kodachrome? What's that? Ain't no mo' Kodachrome. LF Kodachrome was discontinued around 1951.

[Yuval]

Kodakchrome (or similar) transparency - any transparency cut-film, such as http://www.ebay.com/itm/263086933501

[martinf5]

I don't need high res and pin sharp, it's more and more the art of photography

love this one so much:

oak-in-fog

[dodphotography]

[Yuval]

Martin, "oak-in-fog" (link) is not accessible when I try to open it - was it tagged "private" ?

Do you develop the film and then scan, or directly print on paper via an enlarger ?