Sinar pricing

[LMNOP]

I just found this for sale on BH used, and it looks like a mostly complete kit, not a bad price from what I've seen. Anyone care to comment? Sinar gear seems to range in price but including a lens under 500? I trust their used gear but I imagined, ideally less than 500 for my first large format rig.




http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/801208752-USE

 

[DREW WILEY]

Ambiguous. No picture. You need to know which F-series camera this is. Some were way better built than others. The lens is OK, but not really worth much nowadays. Call them and get the specifics.

 

[Rick Rosen]

The only real difference I recall in Sinar F cameras was when they upgraded to the F+ model and later the F2. That difference between the F and F+ was only the base rail clamp. I'd look for a F2 which was cosmetically improved with new rubberized knobs and a much superior rail mount for the front standard. The F model used it's own tripod mount while the F+ and F2 used the same base as the P. I don't recall any build quality differences in the original F and F+ but there were possibly some internal improvements in the F2 later.

At one time they did try to market the Alpina which was an effort to compete with the Omega View from Toyo. The camera was a stripped down F without the lower assembly and a new rail. It was an embarrasment to Sinar and only marketed here in the states on the insistence of Sinar Bron. It flopped in the market and was later marketed as the Zone VI Monorail by Fred Picker.

I worked and gave seminars for Sinar in the '70's and '80's.

Incidentally, you can find many F and F2 cameras for around that price on Ebay.

Hope that helps.

 

[DREW WILEY]

There are significant differences in the long-term reliability and features of the front standard between the F+ (which was just the "multipurpose" standard), the F1 and the F2. The problem with used Sinars is that they're often cobbled together with random parts from various cameras. The fact that all the components are interchangeable is wonderful, but not if you don't know exactly what you're getting. I've worn out several of these cameras and know the pros and cons of repairing the various flavors quite well. Nowadays I use a Sinar Norma. But it is amazing how reasonably you can buy used Sinars these days, and how abundant they are. Only the Alpina had a dissimilar rail; so you might want to avoid that one. The studio-style P's and X's are going to be very heavy, while C's had a P rear standard with an F front standard. F2 is a nice find. The old original Normas are wonderfully made, but it takes some patience to find them clean. A few gems have turned up recently at good pricing. Always be nitpicky about the amount of wear and tear on the bellows, with any of these options.

 

[Alan Gales]

The original F's were going for right at $300.00 for awhile. Lately I have seen some go for around $200.00. Of course that is just the camera with no lens. The F1's go for a little more and the F2's for more than the F1. I've seen F2's sell for $500.00 to $700.00 without a lens. These are Ebay prices.

A few years ago I paid $600.00 on Ebay for my Sinar P with a Schneider 210mm F/5.6 lens and a big plastic Cambo case. The camera and lens were in great shape. The case was functional but cosmetically had seen better days.

KEH is of course usually a little more money than Ebay. Many feel the extra cost is worth it.

 

[moltogordo]

I got a Sinar F2 on Ebay with a case and a compendium hood for $345 US. Condition excellent+.

Have patience and you'll score too.

 

[rthollenbeck]

You might want to consider a Sinar Norma instead. It's a lot nicer camera, I doubt it weighs more but it it does the difference is only slight.

 

[palewin]

If you look on www.keh.com, they have a Sinar Alpina for $289, a Sinar F for $228, and a Sinar F1 for $289, all "EX" condition, so this gives you a sense of prices from a respected used camera seller. As for the Sinar Norma, that is the one I would go for, but they are relatively rare on the used market. Between the various F models and the Alpina, the F models use all the standard interchangeable parts, but the Alpina does not, which in my opinion makes the Alpina the least desirable model. The wonderful thing about Sinars is that, as has been pointed out, literally everything is interchangeable between models (with the exception of the Alpina), so you can upgrade or customize at will.

 

[DREW WILEY]

The F1 and F+ are a lot less desirable than the F2 because of the lighter-duty front standard. And that is why you see such low prices.

 

[DREW WILEY]

They come and go. I've seen about five really clean 4x5 Normas come up for sale in about six months, then no more for awhile. The best will be studio cameras lightly used. And it helps to know how to tune em up. But you can get web instructions for that. It's generally easy. And if needed, all the standard F and P components are compatible. If you can find one with the original tapered bellows they're way more versatile than the standard box bellows on the later cameras. But again, condition is everything. My own tapered bellows look like they were made last week. A few controls on the Norma have a little rougher feel than on the F's, other things, smoother. But overall, it's a more solid rigid system than the F's, while still dramatically lighter and more compact than a P camera. Similarly equipped my Norma is only one pound heavier than my F2 was. And it is really a nice camera to look at. I get compliments on it all the time. You just don't see that kind of fit and finish anymore in this era of injection-molded rice paste.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I get everyone from teenagers to old folk stopping to look at it. A couple weeks ago I parked at the visitor center parking lot at Pt Reyes, which usually has about 200 cars there. Of course, I take the trail exactly the opposite direction as everyone else, so had complete solitude all day long plus an incredible wildflower show. When I got back to my truck in the evening and pulled off my backpack (with my 28 inches of rail projecting out each side, and a Ries maple tripod strapped on the back), there was a little Chinese man sitting on the adjacent car bumper. "Sinar?", he asks. Apparently that was the only word we had in common. He must have been a tourist with no English skill at all. So I nodfor yes and he smiles and gives me the thumbs up.

 

[Luis-F-S]

I've bought two Sinar F2's through this forum in the $350 range. I would steer away from the F or F1's since the F2's are so much nicer and not much more money. You can always get the lenses separately. L