sinar p vs p2

[bicycletricycle]

the sinar p2 is easy to find information on. does anybody know what the differences between the p2 and the olderp are?

 

[George Papantoniou]

I haven't "played" a lot with new P2's. I know the old p's well enough, though...

I think their differences are mainly a matter of colour, shape of buttons and levers etc and not in main functional characteristics. There were very few things that someone could do to improve the p, anyway (I'm a p lover, have you noticed ?)... If I had to choose between the two, I'd take the black one ... just for aesthetic reasons.

Yet there might be some improvement that I haven't noticed, so what I would suggest you to do is send an Email to Switzerland, I think they will be happy to respond...

sinar@sinar.ch or
info@sinarbron.com

 

[JohnArs]

Hope my english is good enough for this one!
On the P there is a separate little button for changing between horizontal swing and vertical swing. On the P2 is a smaller and a larger button and you only have to switch between them for vertical and horizontal swing. So you are a tiny bit faster with the P2 all the rest is the same! Sorry forgott an other little difference the P2 has originaly a back with an opening for to put the Sinar Six meter probe in. But if this is what you like on your P to, then just buy a P2 backframe and you get it. And the P2 is black the P normaly chrome with the exeption of 300 P wich are also black they made Sinar to there 30 years anniversary or birthday!

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

As Armin says, the main difference is that there is a switch for the P to switch between swing and tilt which are controlled by the same knob, and the P2 uses 2 separate knobs, eliminating the need for the switch.

I've handled a couple of P's and a P2 now. Someone who knows more about them than I do, says that my P has in fact been ugraded with some P2 era parts, which are in many cases interchangeable with the older parts. A P2 will be newer of course, so it may be in better adjustment than many older P's. A P that has had many years of hard use in a studio, may need realignment and some of the nylon gearing may need replacement, but some studios send their cameras for routine maintenance, so if you can try the camera before purchasing (or budget a few hundred dollars for maintenance if you're purchasing by mail or eBay), that's best. The most likely problems you will encounter with an old P, I sense, are dry level vials (about $50 each to replace yourself), misalignment/wear (more expensive to fix), and possibly just loose parts, which you can tighten up yourself. You can also adjust the levels yourself, if they've come out of alignment, which is common.