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Sinar Hy6 and eMotion series backs

carstenw

Active member
Hello all,

I have just picked up a Sinar Hy6 and the eMotion 75 back for it. It should be a 75LV, as the LCD goes right to the edge of the opening in the case.

It looks like some things have changed a bit since I had an eMotion 54LV on a Contax 645 a few years back, and I am wondering if there are other Sinar users here who would be willing to discuss software and workflow, and perhaps other issues.

Btw, it looks like the previous user never set up the back properly, as the spacer was not inserted, and the back/camera back-focuses furiously. I will get it inserted and try again, but unfortunately I left it at work.

Thanks in advance for any help.
 

PeterA

Well-known member
Hello all,

I have just picked up a Sinar Hy6 and the eMotion 75 back for it. It should be a 75LV, as the LCD goes right to the edge of the opening in the case.

It looks like some things have changed a bit since I had an eMotion 54LV on a Contax 645 a few years back, and I am wondering if there are other Sinar users here who would be willing to discuss software and workflow, and perhaps other issues.

Btw, it looks like the previous user never set up the back properly, as the spacer was not inserted, and the back/camera back-focuses furiously. I will get it inserted and try again, but unfortunately I left it at work.

Thanks in advance for any help.
Happy to help where I can Carsten on any specific questions - I have the Hy6 and a 75LV I use on it - and a few lenses 40/80/110/180.

For workflow I use the latest incarnation of Sinar Capture - pretty much just to produce DNG's and get the colour right - I favour linear mode for natural light. You will find Sinar colour to be excellent. After making DNG's I then move to Lightroom workflow ( primarily because of data base ) and use Photoshop or Silver FX as add ins as required - If you prefer Aperture - that works just as well in my experience.

Have never used some of the more advanced functions of the Hy6 ( focus bracketing) or with Studio lighting, or tethered - where Sinar colour management really shines...

I recommend you pick up an Hy6 trigger cable when you are shooting on tripod - expensive. If you need a good deal on adaptor plates for the LV - send me a PM - I have everyone of them and don't use a few.

Favourite lenses are 180mm Rollie and 110 Zeis - both huge bits of glass but all lenses are old school excellent and designed for 6X6 shooting on film. very Rollie lens is sharp enough on center - but the real test for me isn't sharpness it is how the back/lens combination handles natural greens and transition from sharp to OOF - you will like both.

As an aside - for different lookI use the LV on a Mamiya RZ pro kit.

The LV is a high utility back with its ability to rotate whilst mounted and switch from landscape to portrait mode ( fantastic real world shooting feature) and the 33megapixels plenty for my style of landscape and portrait shooting


A film back for the Hy6 if you are that way inclined - will see you make proper B&W shots that shine.

Happy shooting.
 

OliverM

Member
Hi Carsten,
I still have your 54LV ... liked it so much that I bought a second as a beck-up (emotion22 version, but similar).
Shines with the contax for portraits. Used it with an Alpa TC and Rodenstock 35, I will buy one again, maybe I like this combination even more than P65+ & Schneider lens (I sold).
I use the older version of Sinar Exposure, maybe I didn't sufficiently try the last software but I found colors to be less natural. I don't make any correction with exposure, only dng creation. Then Lightroom for database and most corrections (geometry, light, remove dust, add little sharpness). Then ColorFX for contrast & frame.
Enjoy the Sinar again !
Marc
 

carstenw

Active member
Jørgen, I was very, very lucky. The prices have really come down, and I bought the camera for 1080 Euro. You can find similar prices on eBay at the moment.

The 6060 film back I cannot find used, and new it costs 1500 Euro, which right now is too much for me. I have the 50/60/80/150Z/150S lenses, but will likely sell the 150 Zeiss, and pick up the 40/90 set, and later the 110 and 180 if I can find them for reasonable prices. On this back, I could realistically get by with the 40/90 set. On film, it would be 50/80/150, with the 60 thrown in either set as needed.

I lucked out and found an eBay auction for the 75LV which had no description and a seller with just 13 sales, and I got it for 3000 Euro. In fact it turned out to be in perfect condition. There is another back on eBay right now for about 4200 Euro, which seems to be a more normal price. Not all that much more, but 1200 Euro is still a bit of money, enough for one good lens:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/131345574532?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

That back is being sold by the pro who sold me my Hy6, a super nice guy who really took the time to answer some questions I had, and who has some photos on Flickr which really demonstrate the quality of the files, which allow to push in different directions:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8370520@N04/sets/72157644824474024/
 
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carstenw

Active member
Hi Carsten,
I still have your 54LV ... liked it so much that I bought a second as a beck-up (emotion22 version, but similar).
Shines with the contax for portraits. Used it with an Alpa TC and Rodenstock 35, I will buy one again, maybe I like this combination even more than P65+ & Schneider lens (I sold).
I use the older version of Sinar Exposure, maybe I didn't sufficiently try the last software but I found colors to be less natural. I don't make any correction with exposure, only dng creation. Then Lightroom for database and most corrections (geometry, light, remove dust, add little sharpness). Then ColorFX for contrast & frame.
Enjoy the Sinar again !
Marc
Hey Marc! I was wondering if you still had it, or had sold it :) I remember that it had some issues with the Contax, sometimes exposing wrong and crashing. Then again, it sounds from reading forums as if all backs crash, even Phase One backs :)

I also missed it and even thought of asking you if you were selling, and picking up another Contax. I still have the 35 and 80 lenses, and the prism, as well as a bunch of accessories. I would have just need to buy a body and the 120/4 Makro, and maybe the waist level finder again. The dark viewfinder put me off a little, and the ability to shoot 6x6 film and digital on one body appeals enormously. I will likely sell my 6008i and Mamiya RZ67 now, and get some space back on my shelf.

I think that eXposure was renamed to CaptureFlow Studio. I installed it from Sinar's website, and it feels the same, just a darker interface and slight differences. I still find it very hard to use. I think in the old days I would just import the photos, set white balance and export to DNG, and I might revert to that workflow again.
 

carstenw

Active member
Happy to help where I can Carsten on any specific questions - I have the Hy6 and a 75LV I use on it - and a few lenses 40/80/110/180.

For workflow I use the latest incarnation of Sinar Capture - pretty much just to produce DNG's and get the colour right - I favour linear mode for natural light. You will find Sinar colour to be excellent. After making DNG's I then move to Lightroom workflow ( primarily because of data base ) and use Photoshop or Silver FX as add ins as required - If you prefer Aperture - that works just as well in my experience.

Have never used some of the more advanced functions of the Hy6 ( focus bracketing) or with Studio lighting, or tethered - where Sinar colour management really shines...

I recommend you pick up an Hy6 trigger cable when you are shooting on tripod - expensive. If you need a good deal on adaptor plates for the LV - send me a PM - I have everyone of them and don't use a few.

Favourite lenses are 180mm Rollie and 110 Zeis - both huge bits of glass but all lenses are old school excellent and designed for 6X6 shooting on film. very Rollie lens is sharp enough on center - but the real test for me isn't sharpness it is how the back/lens combination handles natural greens and transition from sharp to OOF - you will like both.

As an aside - for different lookI use the LV on a Mamiya RZ pro kit.

The LV is a high utility back with its ability to rotate whilst mounted and switch from landscape to portrait mode ( fantastic real world shooting feature) and the 33megapixels plenty for my style of landscape and portrait shooting


A film back for the Hy6 if you are that way inclined - will see you make proper B&W shots that shine.

Happy shooting.
Hey Peter!

I am glad to see that the old Hy6 fans are still around and active :)

I can confirm Guy's main complaint with this camera, namely that the switches on the left side of the body move too easily, and that it is easy to inadvertently change settings. However, that is a minor issue for me, and I still love the package overall.

The rotating sensor thing is a function of the adapter, but I have the plain adapter, so no rotation for me. It does look like I can detach and manually rotate the back though, as it has two sets of contacts. Maybe that is what you meant?

I will buy the 6060 back at some point. I wanted to buy the 4560 back adapter, since I already have that kind of back for my 6008i, but DHW has run out and won't be making any more for now :/ I will have to buy a new 4560 back if I want to shoot like that, but it also costs 1500 Euro, so that is on indefinite hold. I will keep my 6008i until I buy the 6060 back, and will keep the 4560 back until I find an adapter for it, or can replace it with a full 4560 back.

Interesting that you use the back on different medium format cameras... I thought I would use it on the Hy6, and maybe later a Cambo or Alpa, but you are right, I could keep my RZ67 and buy an adapter frame for it... I will think about that. For now, the Hy6 is my setup.
 

carstenw

Active member
For workflow I use the latest incarnation of Sinar Capture - pretty much just to produce DNG's and get the colour right - I favour linear mode for natural light. You will find Sinar colour to be excellent. After making DNG's I then move to Lightroom workflow ( primarily because of data base ) and use Photoshop or Silver FX as add ins as required - If you prefer Aperture - that works just as well in my experience.

Have never used some of the more advanced functions of the Hy6 ( focus bracketing) or with Studio lighting, or tethered - where Sinar colour management really shines...
My main question now is just to get me going. IIRC what I used to do with my 54LV was to load the images in eXposure (now CaptureFlow Studio), set white balance and export to DNG. Then I would probably use Lightroom 5, although I am not married to that decision. Adobe has annoyed me with their forced cloud stuff, so if there are viable alternatives I would be willing to try it out.

It sounds like you do more or less that, as well. What do you mean with linear mode? And since I am not so familiar with CaptureFlow Studio, what steps do you take there?
 
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carstenw

Active member
I recommend you pick up an Hy6 trigger cable when you are shooting on tripod - expensive. If you need a good deal on adaptor plates for the LV - send me a PM - I have everyone of them and don't use a few.
I will start with the Hy6, but I will likely contact you about a plate at some point. I don't suppose you would be selling a rotating Hy6 adapter? :)

I think that the combination of mirror lockup and timer will get me by on tripod for now. What does the trigger cable cost and what does it add to this?
 
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