james_driscoll2

Well...the Linhof Technikardan 23 is a great choice....but for bang

for the buck....I would go with a Linhof 2x3 Technica.

You can find complete outfits for sale from EBAY and dealers for

under $2500.....under $1500 if you go with an older one (eg.pre

1970).

They made a beautiful techincal 2x3 camera the tech 70....but it

is rather clunky looking. But....it has full movements and a

rangefinder/viewfinder with framelines. The Technica III/IV/V

have a seperate viewfinder and rangefinder.

The Tech 70 has been out of fashion for quite a while.....so

prices are VERY cheap. I have seen three lens outfits

(58mm/90mm/180mm or 65mm/90mm/180mm) with two backs

and a polaroid back go for under $2000. That is a lot of camera

for the money. You can shoot 6x6/6x7/6x9 and they even made a

rare 4x5 back for it.....but it only works with a 90mm lens. The

lenses are always linhof selected schneiders, rodenstocks, and

even zeiss....and the occasional RARE Voigtlander sets that

everyone goes gaga over.

You can use a lot of lenses on the camera....but it expensive to

have cams ground for the rangefinder....so it is best to find a

three lens setup...and than add to it for groundglass

usage...such as a 47mm SA, 38mm XL, 210mm, or 270mm

lenses. There are also inexpensive 100mm, 105mm, 120mm,

135mm, and 150mm lenses you could fit on this camera. I think

max bellows draw is around 250-300mm....but I would have to

pull out my 1960's linhof catalog to be sure.

The downside about Linhof.....weight. But since you are going to

be driving around...I don't think its much of a problem.

For wide angle on the cheap....you can't beat a older 90mm F8.0

Schneider Super Angulon....the older angulon is quite lacking in

the image circle department.

I have seen older F8.0 SA go for under $275 on EBAY....but try to

get one that is mounted in a #0 shutter not a compur #00....there

are no repair parts for #00 shutters and remounting into anything

else is impossible. Plus it is harder to find #00 lensboards for a

sinar. The Nikon 90mm F8 is also a great choice....but does go

for more money....but I have seen them in the $375-$400 range.

The Sinar Norma Fresnel mounts under the groundglass....and

is not removeable without taking off the GG. Is yours old and

scratched??? If it is...you can find replacments at

www.glennview.com. I have an older style fresnel on my Sinar

5x7 that mounts under the glass....and it is bright as hell.

Juan and Tim,

Having been a Staten Island resident for all of my 25

years....here is my thoughts on the whole NPS "Fort Wadsworth"

de-bacle.

Around 1999 FW was "decommisioned" as a Coast Guard base

and turned over to the NPS. During the 1999-9/10/01 period you

could walk anywhere, setup anywhere, and do what you pleased.

I actually shot for a book project the fort with the VB in the

background....from a inaccesable area without permission. In

fact several NPS police saw me and waved. This was in August

of 2001!!!

After 9/11/01....the base was brought up to "modified duty" and

the housing was opened up again. Coast guardsmen and there

families were brought back. When the USA invaded Iraq...the

base was brought up to full active duty.

In 2002....NYC forbade the shooting of bridges (without

permission from the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and

Broadcasting) in an effort to "prevent terroism". A rule I find very

stupid due to the fact that A. Anybody and there grandmother can

get access to the blueprints. B. There is at minimum 40 years

worth of public access photography of all of the NYC bridges.

There are actually signs on the Bridges that say "Cameras

Strictly Prohibited...."

The NPS rules say otherwise....but due to the wierd situation at

Fort Wadsworth (having been brought back to active status) I

could see why special permission must be granted.

In all of my experience shooting buildings in NYC....I have never

found it difficult to gain permission. EXCEPT when it is

controlled at the "Federal" level.

In fact if you arm yourself with a "Still Photography Permit" from

the Mayor's Office Of F.T&B....even the Police will help you. I have

a job tomorrow morning and after going through channels...the

local police station is actually moving cars for me so they are not

in my shot.

Juan...if you are not a Staten Island resident...email me and I

could give you some alternate angels to shoot the bridge at...that

are very "close" to the observation point from FW.

If you are a Staten Island resident....great!!! Now there are around

10 LF shooters here!!!

<i>It's my suspicion that should you ever feel that you might be

open to learning something new about photography, and I get a

chance to try and explain the Hinge rule and how to apply it

practically, then you might not be quite so dismissive about large

format photographers in your articles in the photographic press

in the future.</i>

<p>Rob, if he is "The" Roger Hicks.....he has been a large format

photographer for about 30 years.

<p>In fact it was his article about 5x7 cameras....that got me

started on the format.

<p>He is also the author of such articles as "Why 4x5 is lighter

than 35mm", and wrote a very discriptive article about one of his

favorite cameras the Linhof Technika.

<p>Roger...if you are "Roger" than let me tell you it was your

articles that keep me buying Shutterbug......

There is a great book I read once from the 1950's that was titled

"Retouching". I think Amphoto put it out....a search on EBAY will

probably locate it.

It had EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about hand

retouching....and had a whole section devoted to the "retouching

desk"

Plus...it would look cool sitting next to your desk....

Avoid the A1/Alpina/Zone VI Monorail (that was an alpina) like the

plague....it sounds seductive on paper....but as Frank said it is a

POS.

The rail is NOT collapsible....therefore you can't "tear it down".

You should have no problems keeping the camera folded like

that in a bag...the standards don't move so the bellows doesn't

either.

I shoot Architecture for a living, and last year I photographed 500

buildings in Paris for the now released book One Thousand

Buildings of Paris. I used a Sinar F2, and with the exception of

about 80 buildings....I was on foot.

Sometimes I would pack the camera folded into my Tenba

"Briefcase" bag, but most of time the camera would be carried

on the tripod with tripod on my shoulder. Now I know that will

make some people shudder....but it was and is the fastest way

to work.

The sinar F2 weighs 6 pounds with a standard bellows and no

lens. If you want the ultimate in compactness, you should dip

into the "Sinar Parts Bin" and this is the recipe.

Sinar F2

Norma Rail Clamp

Norma Tapered Bellows

The Non-Meter Ground Glass Back (The F2 comes with a MB

just like the P2....useless and more bulky)

Depending on what lenses you choose....you can go even

smaller. If you plan on using sub 150mm lenses...you can use a

Six Inch rail with a "rail cap special" and the camera will be even

smaller....but you won't be able to fold it like the above diagram

shows.

But don't do what a lot of people do and spend endless time

trying to make the camera as light as possible and than use a 4

pound tripod head!!! Remember everything you choose from

your bag to your film holders, to your loupe has weight. Start

figuring out how much that stuff weighs before you start looking

at the camera....I think you will be surprised.

The other thing you might what to try....is Badger Graphic is

coming out with a "Field Monorail" and it is under $1000....so far

they are being very secretive about it....but it is supposed to be

Sinar/Arca like.

Here is a drawing of the how to fold a Sinar Norma or F/F1/F2

camera for "packing". It is easier to see it than describe it.

For the ultimate in compactness my choice would be a Sinar F2

(just feels better than a F/F1) with a norma rail clamp. The

norma rail clamp is a lower profile than the later style one.

Whatever rail clamp you use- leave it on the tripod.

Spend the extra money and get a Sinar F2...they go for

$750-$1000 on EBAY all the time. I have run over 2500

exposures through my F2...and I bought it used. For my work I

couldn't find a better camera for the price.

The F is rather "chintzy" feeling, and have sold in the photo.net

classifieds for as little as $400 with a lens and holders.

DO NOT BUY AN 8x10 "F" REAR STANDARD!!!!

There was a camera that most people think is a "F" 8x10, it was

the sinar "s" camera, and it was intended for the copy field. It has

almost no rear movements.....make sure you are buying a F1 or

F2 8x10 rear...it will be black and will have posts.

The 8x10 S standard looks like a cut down P standard and is

chrome. The 8x10 S camera has a F front standard.

The other option is buying a P or P2 standard bearer and getting

a 8x10 format change kit. It sounds like it is more weight, but the

original P rear 8x10 standard is non metering back, and it is a lot

smaller than the F2/F1 8x10 frame which is MB. Also, you will

then have the option of using a 5x7 format change kit if you so

desire down the line....plus you get full geared movements on

the rear...a blessing for the studio...and bellows are cheaper and

more common for the non MB cameras.

The Sinar Norma and the Sinar P, C , and S (very weird camera,

made for copy work it has no rear tilt or shift) are

NON-METERING BACK cameras.

The P2 and the C2 and the F2 8x10's are METERING BACK

cameras.

Reducing backs, bellows, and the 8x10 reflex viewer interchange

between the Norma and P/C series cameras.

The curve is some later P style reducing backs will not fit the

norma because they do not have spring locks that the Norma

requires. The P cameras have slide locks on the standards-early

P backs are Norma style painted black.

The other curve, is that the Norma 8x10 bellows frame is a

slightly different shape than the later P style, and altough it will

work it won't work as well as a Norma style bellows (or so I have

heard....)

Just try to get a return privledge.......it should work.

Denatured alcohol, a tooth brush, and paper towels.

Sinar makes a special grease for their cameras...USE IT.

Contact Sinar-Bron in the USA to order some.

Use a #1 brush to apply the lube to the gear tracks....avoid lubing

the pivot points if possible....you will have to take the camera

completely apart to clean out the old grease there....and if you

make a mistake....you will make more work for the sinar tech,

and spend more money....

Use the grease sparingly....to much grease attracts more dirt.

I went through the same faze...and a little word from the

wise...every lens I tried (80 year old single coated scratched to all

hell glass for under $30) gave me such quality I was floored!!!!

my advice to you is to seek out a fungus ridden (jungle like)

scratched lens that was meant for some eastern block/russian

6x6 camera. I have come across lenses such as 80mm lenses

for a Graflex Norita that was submerged for 3 days in the 1992

Noreaster storm. That was one f*cked lens. Still focused

though...

Call all of the used photo stores....they always have stuff like that

rotting around in the basement....or rot your own cheap lenses

out....spray matting spray on them and throw sand on them...the

possibilities are endless if you can stomach them!!!

you can buy a small "hobby" air compressor for under $100.

These are used by car and train model builders for airbrushing.

Any hobby shop in town should have them...Badger makes them

if I remember correctly.

If not...there are refill cans available and you can fill them at work.

Frank,

Rodenstock and Schneider make focusing mounts for their wide

angles...actually someone had them for sale really cheap in the

photo.net classifieds recently.

You than can attach this focusing mount to a flat lensboard and

your problem will be solved.

If you are going for the infinity thing...no focus, sinar made

extended lensboards for mounting "normal" shutters in front of

their auto shutter. These are ALL over ebay, and will be listed

most likely as "sinar extended lensboard, they are dirt cheap,

cause nobody really wants them. If you are using a cambo

standard...cambo did make an adapter board that took

sinar/horseman lensboards.

Another way to make the camera....is to use sinar components

and just make a "sinar handy" they like linhof also had a 4x5

handheld camera like the technar.

I have always wondered what it would be like to shoot with a

handy/technar. There are a few situations where that is all i

needed.

Hope this helps

James

http://www.lg4mat.net/page4.html#11

Richard Ritter is his name...and that is the link to his page where

he discusses Technica III cams.

<i>The cams from Technika IV are different, and need only be

matched to the lens</i>

<p>Ole, your on the right track...but the IV also has to have the

lens and body matched to the cam. It is the Technika V and later,

that standardized cams, so only the lens has to be matched.

<p>The only guy I faintly know who is grinding cams for Tech III's,

is Fred Pickers old assistant/helper/shop guy-I am not sure what

he was...but he has a website where he does LF mods. You

might have to search around the net, but he does have a

website. He specifically states he "grinds cams for Older Linhof

Technica Model III's" on his site.

Don't know about the 558, but I own a 508 and I love it. It is beat

to $hit....has been dropped about 45 times, is scratched all over,

missing rubber, and still works like new.

What is nicer about the 608...is the readout in the finder; no

having to drop the thing from your eye to look at the meter

reading. Seems like a small thing, but after about 6000 spot

meter readings in 3 years, it would have come in handy a few

times.

Sekonic makes a good durable meter (as I can attest!!!) and all

of there products in my opinion are great.

You won't have any problems mounting this lens on a sinar...I

used to use one all the time on my F2.

Using one bellows at infinity is fine, going close...the bellows is

racked out all the way and doesn't give you any movement...so if

you want to use it for close-up work a second bellows and

standard are in order. Or get the horseman extra-long bellows

which will fit your sinar.

I feel it works as a portrait lens on 4x5....afterall it is similar (the

key word is SIMILAR) to a 105mm in 35mm and Nikon made a

fortune selling THAT as a portrait lens.

There is an easier solution...if you wish to try it...a sliding roll film

back (made by toyo, sinar had one eons ago) uses 2x3 graflok

fittings which your RB67 does...and allows you to use your backs

on it.

Someone probably made the adapter to put your RB on a view

camera...sinar used to make adapters to put hasselblads and

pentax 67 cameras on there cameras, and I am sure someone

down the line made one for the RB/RZ. The other path, is having

someone like SK Grimes make an adapter board for you.

Finding a junk 90mm RB lens (to get the mount) is probably the

only searching you will need.

If SLR viewing is what your going after...keep in mind you are

going to have a very dim image on the GG of your RB if you hook

it up to a LF camera. With max apertures of around 5.6 on most

lenses.....you can get the idea.

Gaetano, you have gotten some good responses but I want to

ask you something.

What do you mean by "shoot on the streets of NYC."???

Do you mean you want to take decisive moment photographs, or

sit down portraits on the street, or buildings, or found objects???

"Tack Sharp" is something that depends more on the

photographer than the camera or format. If you can't hand hold a

Leica at 1/60 of a second and get a sharp (i am not talking film

sharpness here) picture, switiching to a 6x7 or 4x5 camera is not

going to help (if you are handholding). It is just as easy (if not

easier) to get a blurry unsharp photograph with a speed graphic

as it is with a Nikon FM2. Most photojournalists of the "speed

graphic era" relied heavily on flash bulbs and zone focusing to

get sharp pictures, rather than the rangefinder or the GG.

I can understand the appeal of shooting with a 4x5 on the street,

but it will make it harder to do. (if your going for the winograd

thing)

I think a little clarification on what you intend to photograph will

help others in aiding you.

Dick...I usually don't wave your namesake around....but for all of

your humor...how much architectural shooting have you done???

Everyone loves to quote from "Photographing Buildings Inside

and Out", inside there is a lovely photo of Big Mr. McGrath with

his Sinar in the air at about a height of 12 feet,and he is shooting

a one story ranch house.

The past year and a half I have photographed about 600

buildings....I am 5'8...I usually had to get the tripod about 7 feet

off of the ground....I have colleuges here in NY who routinely rent

construction lifts to get 3-4 stories off the ground when shooting

a building....movements are used to help you correct perspective

and...they don't give them to you.

Armin,

Camera companies do stuff like this all the time...What costs

money for a company is labor, not parts.

The story about the engraving is true, I was skeptical at first also

but after pressing my old boss a little, i got a lesson in how firms

that act as distributers mark up products and how little things

turn into big things.

How they (Sinar Bron) found out, was they were getting

complaints from Owners of $7000 Sinars about not having serial

numbers for insurance reasons. After contacting the factory...the

above answer is what they got. Engraving costs man hours, and

man hours in Switzerland are VERY high. So the factory said you

want serial numbers, the price of the camera will go up $500 (by

the time it reaches the purchaser).

Camera companies do stuff like this all the time....think of it this

way. Sinar already recouped their investment on the R&D for the

P2 (which came out in 1986) years ago. They already have the

machines, and the dies to make P2 components. Building a

"lesser" priced camera using most of the components of an

already existing design is cost effective. Of course things are

different. There is different gearing, and there is less

engraveing. Of the two, the less engraveing probaby saves the

most money. The gears are most likely sourced from another

company. The engraveing has to be done in house. The price

diff. is easy if you look at this way-

for argument sake lets say sinars engraving guy makes $50 an

hour. In 8 hours he can engrave 2 P2's, so the labor cost to

engrave a P2 is $200. So Sinar's cost is $200 labor and lets say

$40 for material and electricity etc. So it is $240. Sinar marks this

up 40% which turns the $240 into $336. This than gets sold to

the distributer who marks it up 40% which turns into $470.40.

The store than marks it up 30% which = $611.52.

If they can do 4 Sinar X's in the same amount of time $611.52

turns into $305.76. Of course, none of these prices are real, they

are just for arguementive sake. In real life, they are probably

much higher, because I didn't factor in the guy who has to fill in

the engraving with white paint, and the quaility control and such.

Hopefully you are starting to see how something as simple as

engraving can be quite complex!!!

Armin, the Sinar X is built on the P2 4x5 standard bearer...there

is less engraving (scales) on it and the "frame" does come off,

but you need to use a screw driver, instead of your thumb. The X

also has different gears in the movements, which supposedly

require more effort than the P2.

The less engraving, is what actually drives the price down!!! But

engraving costs money....that is why Sinars (until recently) don't

have serial numbers. The $40 spent to engrave a serial number

at the factory...ends up being $500 by the time it gets to the

customer.

The above was straight from my old boss....who was a rep for

Sinar-Bron for 10 years.

The CNC machine idea....I have a custom made 5x7 to 4x5

reducing back for my Sinar. What makes it nice, is that it works

like the 8x10 to 4x5 back does....no refocusing because the 4x5

holder is in the same plane as the 5x7 holder. Sinar's 5x7

reducing back isn't, and requires you to refocus.

The guy I bought the back from, had a friend who was going to

"CNC" school/training or something, and made the back as a

"project". They got precise plans drawn up, by the father of the

guy who had it made-he was a mechanical engineer.

So maybe you can find a CNC machine student, and con him

into making it!!!

Th other idea, is check out www.glennview.com. His prices are

super high, but he has photos of his 11x14 and up sinar

conversion kits that he made out of wood. Inspiration maybe???

<i>I took a look at his Crewdson's stuff. Can anyone spell

BORING! Well at least IMHO.</i>

<p>your not the only one who thinks so by a long shot...

<p>and about cindy sherman....she should be at standing next to

him while his ass is being kicked.....

I shoot architecture for a living and these are my humble and not

so humble opinions about equipment.

1. Your on the right track with the camera. The Sinar F2 (and

Arca's) is an architectural photographers dream. Light weight,

tons of useful (and not so useful!!!) accessories, full movements,

and holds up well to rough usage.

2.Lens- The 90mm is a good choice...I would rather go with the

72mm XL, than a 75mm lens...it is a lot better coverage and

quaility wise. It is rather cheap when you look around ($1200.00

new, and MPEX sells them for $900 used in 10 condition). The

two most used lenses for exteriors are probably the 90mm and

the 110/115/120/121mm lenses. Depending on what you

shoot...you might be reaching for the 120mm more than the

90mm. The 72/75mm lens get used a lot less frequently than

you think, and is too "wide angle" for a lot of stuff. Less than that

is really not used...unless you shoot a lot of 8x8 foot bathrooms.

You should really look into longer lenses (210mm-300mm)

record shots are needed, but creative and detail shots call for

longer lenses. I use a 240mm alot, and a 300mm quite a bit

and have used 600mm and 1200mm lenses to get the

perspective I want sometimes.

3.Other stuff....nobody mentioned the most important thing- A

LADDER. Getting up high, is a much needed thing in

architectural shooting, and frequently I have been as high as 12

feet up in the air, when I could not get access to a building or roof

across the street. A heavy tripod that can go this high (I use a

gitzo 500 series) is an absolute godsend, and makes up for its

heavy weight by being extremely versitile. I have also had the

need to go as low as 2' off the ground and again the gitzo

handles this with ease. I find a Gitzo much easier to level than a

Bogen, and I don't like either of there heads, and instead use a

Sinar Pan Tilt head. Expensive....but worth every penny. Polaroid

backs and holders of course and get a Sinar Fresnel....worth its

weight in gold when using wide lenses.

Another very useful item, is the older Sinar swing-out gel filter

holder. Not a rare item, but tough to find used because they are

"keepers". I use it all the time, and it is worth its weight in

platinum.