Sinar F2 Tilt (the whole camera)

Darryl Roberts

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Is it possible to tilt the entire camera, Sinar F2? Are there any type of tripod heads that are useable with this.

The aim is some colossal buildings.

Advanced thank you.
 

Doremus Scudder

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Any pan/tilt head that's heavy-duty enough for your camera will do the trick. A Sinar F is no different than any other camera; you just need a pan/tilt head that will hold it well.

That said, front rise and lenses with lots of coverage are your friends...

Doremus
 

ic-racer

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If raising the front standard on that camera won't bring the top of a building onto view, parallel movements might not either unless your lens coverage is massive.
 

juan

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I’d look for a genuine one, but those folks have a decent reputation. Search for some reviews. But yes, like that. I have a Sinar made one and like it a lot.
 

rulnacco

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A really useful tripod head is the Bogen/Manfrotto 3047. It's pretty stout, and has a large, hexagonal plate which mates well with the base of the F2. I'm sure loads of people have used that head for their 4x5s in general, as it's a good, solid head with separate three axis controls.

The only problem--although really, with a Sinar F2 (which I have myself) it probably *isn't* a significant issue--is that you can't use the Arca-Swiss quick release system with it, if your tripod for general use employs that system. I personally use my F2 on top of an Arca-Swiss B-1 ballhead with a very nice round plate from Hejnar Photographic that fits the F2 precisely, but sometimes with a bulky 4x5 like the F2, that's *not* the best solution to have it on a ballhead.

I really like the 3047, I used to use a Manfrotto with that on top, and I've thought several times I should just go ahead and get one for use with my F2, although that would probably mean buying another tripod to keep it on as well.
 

Neil Poulsen

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If it's a tall building, one work around is trying to get some height. Are there other buildings around that might give you a higher vantage point? (On the roof of another building that's not nearly as high?) This can look more natural in a photo, and you won't have to apply as much rise.

Another possibility is to photograph the front of the building in an effective way, or the first two or three floors, and then include a second photo of the building from a distance. For example, show the building of interest in context with surrounding buildings.

So, instead of showing context and height in one photo by "capturing" the building top to bottom, show detail in one photo, and then show context and height in another.

Trying to capture a tall building top to bottom in one photo can be a bit cliche.
 

Neil Poulsen

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rulnacco said:
I really like the 3047, I used to use a Manfrotto with that on top, and I've thought several times I should just go ahead and get one for use with my F2, although that would probably mean buying another tripod to keep it on as well.
Click to expand...

I have both an Arca Swiss head and a 3039 head, which is the professional version of the 4047. EBay has multiple examples Arca Swiss adapters that can accept Arca Swiss quick release plates, and yet can also be attached to a regular tripod head. I have one of these adapters that I attached to a Manfrotto, hexagonal quick release plate. That makes it possible to the Arca quick release system with a 4047 or 3039 tripod head.
 

el_37

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The Sinar Pan Tilt head is a real joy to use- every Sinar camera deserves one!

You will never go back to another tripod head after using it. You can even remove the screws that mate with the Sinar rail clamp and use it with non Sinar monorails.
 

abruzzi

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el_37 said:
The Sinar Pan Tilt head is a real joy to use- every Sinar camera deserves one!

You will never go back to another tripod head after using it. You can even remove the screws that mate with the Sinar rail clamp and use it with non Sinar monorails.
Click to expand...

I used the 3/8-16 thread on the sinar head to attach a smaller ball head to mount a digital camera for some night photography at Arches. It actually worked quite well, and meant I didn't need to bring a second tripod for my digital, when I was mostly using the Sinar.
 

el_37

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juan said:
Sinar made a camera holder that fit where the rail goes on the head and has a 3/4-1/4 screw for mounting another kind Of camera.
Click to expand...

To clarify further- it fits the rail clamp and allows you to move whatever is mounted to it on the horizontal axis.

The Sinar (and Plaubel) Pan/Tilt head only allows you to move the camera on the vertical axis. If you needed to adjust a Sinar (or Plaubel Peco/Profia) camera on the horizontal axis- you could do so by moving the round rail in the rail clamp.

Sinar stole the idea from Plaubel- Plaubel in the Peco era made a very beautifully machined metal version with leather trim that probably weighed about as much as Leica M3 with a 35mm Summaron.
 
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DREW WILEY

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Ball heads are an abominable option if you want optimal stability with significant rise, and given the fact you might need to use rather heavy lenses to get the huge image circles you have in mind, not to mention the problem of wind outdoors. The immediately preceding post and certain others put you on the right track - Sinar's own Pan/Tilt head. But that oddball "Universal" adapter for other cameras that fits into the same rail holder ... well, there are way better options in that case. It's a chimera.
 
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