Replacement Parts For Sinar F

[Luna]

So I got the info I needed to develop some 4x5 film at home. Now all I needed was to expose a few sheets. I set my camera up on my tripod and went to get my light meter. My son decided that the camera looked better on the ground where it was so he tipped it over and down it came.

The front standard took the blunt of the force and the only piece that broke was this:





Does anyone know where to find one without actually having to pay for a whole new standard? Or...does anyone have an extra standard laying around they want to sell? I don't like eBay's prices of $150 and up.

I would appreciate the help. Thanks.

 

[Frank Petronio]

Those F front standards are notorious for breaking like that. What you want is the F2 front standard, which is much stronger (and geared, like the rear).

What many people will do is, since the rear standard of the F is what you want to use for fine focusing (it is geared and moving the rear doesn't change the lens to subject distance) is to roughly get the front standard into position for focus and... duct tape it.

Ultimately, the most effective thing to do is to purchase a cheap Sinar F (or F2) on eBay and assemble a camera from the best selection of parts. Then you can be the guy selling your extra parts piecemeal for exorbitant prices. Oftentimes you can recoup your price of buying the entire new camera and then some.

 

[Luna]

Those F front standards are notorious for breaking like that. What you want is the F2 front standard, which is much stronger (and geared, like the rear)....

Thank you for the info! Is it possible to use any combination like F back, F/P/F1/F2 front?

I'll look at the two used camera shops I have here on the island for the F2. I also saw this...

I'm going to ask my local metal shop to see if they can do the same to this broken F front.
Thanks again!

 

[Frank Petronio]

I like that solution! Great idea. Make ten and sell them on eBay for $40 and I bet you'd sell them all in a week. Go onto the largeformatphotography.info forum to tell people.

Yes the beauty of the Sinar system is that you can take components from the older Norma line, the F, P, F2, P2 series and mix and match them all up to build whatever sort of camera you need. I can use a 1959 Norma rail clamp with a 2006 P2.

The exceptions are the bellows for the 8x10 metering back are different than the other 8x10 bellows. And the clips for the hex rod that supports the front end accessories like the lenshade are set at different angles in the Norma and then in the later F-P cameras. Some things obviously won't work, the 4x5 front standards need extensions to have front rise with 8x10. But most of it is just common sense.

 

[snappy]

Great idea! This fix would certainly save you a nice chunk of change. As unfortunate as it was that this piece broke, I think you are extremely fortunate that it wasn't the camera that was broke, that would have been horrible. So as bad as it may seem, things could be much worse, I would consider myself very lucky.