Your thoughts on the Sinar F

[WayneStevenson]

I am just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on this camera. I have the opportunity to purchase a kit and while it may not be a deal I can't refuse, I do think it would be worth considering. Though it's in another province so I can't get my hands on it to get a feel for it, or even see what it looks like. But am told it is in mint condition.

I shoot with my Calumet 4x5, and my Toyo Omega-View 4x5. My Calumet is great and rock-solid. But it's the CC4xx version without a graflok back. And doesn't work well with a 90mm.

My Toyo is great. I really love the fine focus control. But the swings and focus locks require me to disassemble and re-tighten them every now-and-then. Probably due to over-tighening. And I plan on getting a 6x17 film holder which makes that graflok back a necessity.

From what I hear about Sinar, is that they're rock solid, and require little maintenance. I assume they also have a graflok back?

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

[Frank Petronio]

The weak part of the Sinar F and the later F1 is the front standard. Which is also sold as the Sinar Accessory Standard... it has a clamp that allows you to clip it over the round rail - this clamp is plastic, or the housing for it is, and it can crack from abuse or brittleness. I've seen several do this so it isn't that odd, but sure, most are still in fine shape. You can always Duct tape it on in a pinch but in the words of our great leader, "It isn't optimal".

Some of the really old Fs have small rectangular tripod mounting blocks made from plastic that is now brittle as well. Hey it is 40-year old plastic, check out how those Barbies have aged if you want to see what happens!

And many of the cheap Sinar Fs were used by schools and overly eager students who abused them. The standards glide on Nylon inserts that were intended to be replaced as they wore out, and now many are. It's probably cheaper to simply buy another Sinar F than to get it professionally CLA'd.

All Sinars have "International" backs, which I think was a code word for Graflock when you're not Graflex ;-p Moot point since they've been out of business since the 70s.

I'm a fan of Sinars because they are decent and inexpensive with lots of available parts and options. But if you can swing a later and slightly more expensive Sinar F2 or an even better earlier Sinar Norma, you'll have a professional camera usable for a lifetime. A Sinar F will do pretty much the same thing but may leave you wanting.

Some of the better Cambos and Toyos (like the G) are also really fine cameras and excellent bargains, plus you can find plenty of bag bellows, rails, boards, etc. Horsemans with the "L" standard are great, heavy and inexpensive as well.

[Sevo]

Plus point for the F is that it ties into the Sinar system - I never sold any of mine, they all ended up as extra parts for the P2.

[Leigh]

Sinar offers a very complete system. They put a lot of thought into it, and it shows.

I have two F2 cameras, a 4x5 and an 8x10. Both are very solid and easy to use.
I would suggest opting for the later F2 series vs the F if you can afford it. More recent, less wear, etc.

- Leigh

[Joseph Dickerson]

Another voice for Sinar...F-1 in my case. I am careful, I hope without being anal, about my gear but I buy the stuff to shoot with, not to coddle. I've never had a problem.

Ever so often I find myself thinking I'd rather have the F-2 because of the separate locks for swing and shift. But my damn F-1 just won't break so I can justify an F-2 to the minister of finance.

BTW, the extra goodies on the F-2 do add a pound or two. Frank can probably tell us just how much...Frank?

As others have said, the Sinar system is extensive, nothing is ever obsolete and almost everything interchanges with almost everything else. For example, to make my F-1 just a tiny bit more compact for backpacking I use a Norma tripod mount that I bought from Frank some years ago rather than the original high profile one.

If the price and condition seem right go for it. Your Cambo and/or Toyo could easily sell for enough to offset the price of a Sinar. I'd wager that you'd not regret getting one.

JD

[Cletus]

Another +1 on the Sinars. F1 4x5, F2 8x10 user here. I haven't had them all that long and while I am reasonably careful with my cameras, I don't baby them and they get used hard. So far it looks like these babies can take about the worst I typically dish out without blinking. And that's in addition to all the other Sinar pluses - uber compatibility, ease of use, inexpensive, available parts, etc...

You could do worse.

[Jonathan Barlow]

US prices:

Sinar F 4x5: $300

Sinar F2 4x5: $500

Sinar P 4x5: $600

Sinar P 8x10: $800

Sinar P2 4x5: $700-900

Sinar P2 8x10: $1000-1500

[Frank Petronio]

Small sampling but

4x5 Norma $199/230/340/400/750/1150 (for lots of extras)

no 8x10s recently

Kind of ridiculous prices, I think it's the best of the lot. i should have picked up the $200 one for parts alone.

A pan tilt head sold for only $149 too. Silly - the Buy It Now fixed price listings are super high and the auction prices are peanuts.

[Jonathan Barlow]

Small sampling but

4x5 Norma $199/230/340/400/750/1150 (for lots of extras)

no 8x10s recently

Kind of ridiculous prices, I think it's the best of the lot. i should have picked up the $200 one for parts alone.

A pan tilt head sold for only $149 too. Silly - the Buy It Now fixed price listings are super high and the auction prices are peanuts.

If you think the prices are silly, it's either time to buy or walk away for good.

[Hermes07]

The F is a budget / entry level system and it shows. If you need a monorail that's as light as possible than that might be a justification for picking up an F (or ideally F2 as has been mentioned) but frankly this equipment is now so cheap and film so expensive that you may as well fork out for a Norma which is still lightweight and portable but much more well-built. Given the choice, I would always go for a P/P2 and live with the weight but I realise that's not an option for everyone's style of work.

The price list Jonathan has given is, I'm sure, a good indication, but you can find even better prices by buying direct from private sellers and you can usually resell for whatever you paid so the whole price thing is a bit moot in my opinion.