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Want to get started with a Sinar P3

young'ee

New member
I want to get into a P3 system.

Reason is that i have bought a Sinar 54H multi shot back and want to use that with a macroscan.

From reading done so far it looks like the macroscan was intended for the P2 (maybe the macroscan unit was out on the market before the P3 had even seen the light of day and therefore the macroscan was not intended for the P3??)

I believe i can attach the macroscan to a P3.

So i want to get into a P3 system but have never used 4x5 before. I have not got the foggiest notion of how the Sinar system works and which parts are needed to get a full working system together.

Is there any site/resource on the web that anyone knows of that is a great resource for all things Sinar? I would like to start reading and figuring what i need to get this rig together.

Thanks
 

young'ee

New member
So i am going the wrong way it seems. My inexperience with LF shines through........

I got this info

"P3 - now called the P3-DF for "digital focus". It is primarily a "digital" view camera. The maximum film size is 6x6. Using a MacroScan on this camera requires the use of a P2 rear standard and a tapered bellows. You'd need to order the bellows new from Sinar - And the P2 is beefier than the P3."

So, a P2 then?

If it were easy everyone would be doing it.
 

young'ee

New member
Sorry Doug,

Not sure i understand your question.

I have 2 goals i want to acheive and am trying to figure which way is better for me.

I have a Sinar 54H MS back and want to do 16 Shot captures of artwork and things like that. I also want to get the Macroscan attachment to use with the 54H and the Eyelike M22 to try different ways of high res capture.

Hence the P2 or P3. I also plan on getting a Betterlight Scanning back and would like to use it on the Sinar. Given the size of the BL back sensor it has been pointed out that the P3 would not be possible for the BL (max 6x6 opening) unless the P2 rear standard was fitted to the P3 - is this not the P2 conversion camera? A P2 with P3 front standard?

Doing massive amount of reading on this everyday so getting to get a better grip on whats what with it all.

Right now deciding whether to go P2 (found an amazing bargain on an almost unused model in pristine condition - not even any marks or scratches on the tripod attachment area) or a P3 (suits the 54H in 16 MS mode with electronic shutter which i read again and again is mandatory for 16MS mode) or a P2 conversion which might do it all (accept a macroscan unit and be big enough to accept the BL sensor size on the rear standard).

Then again i have been offered a Sinar C2 at a reasonable price.

I want to stick with Sinar for the camera since i have the Sinar backs and they interface together well (of course - all being Sinar) So no Cambo for me.

I do like the Linhof Techno and i would most likely go that way (Torgers essay on it has convinced me) but as i say i need to stay Sinar.

I need to dig deeper into a P2 conversion to see EXACTLY what that is and what it entailed in the upgrade.
 

young'ee

New member
And this snippet from deep down in the forums here (2011 post)

"My Sinar P3 has plenty of movement, even more than the standard P3, as I converted it from a P2."

That seems to confirm that the P2 converted to P3 might be the way to go here. The research continues........
 

young'ee

New member
I have plagiarised this from the web.....

"The Sinar p3 is fully integrated into Sinar modular system. This means that the 4×5” carrier frame and digital accessories of the Sinar p2 can be attached to the Sinar p3 by means of a tapered bellows and effortless ease. This also applies to the use of Sinar digital back adapters as well as the Sinar Macroscan for greatly increased resolution (up to 144 million pixels) and a greater digital imaging area (up to 6×6 cm). It also applies to the use of a Sinar p3 for chemical photography with roll film holders and sheet film up to 4×5”.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Do you remember that somebody, somewhere some time said "The road is the destination"? You do, right? I thought so. Not many do these days. These are the days of Red iPhones and A7 and Photoshop. You're not supposed to use stuff like bellows and monorails. It takes time, and time is a limited resource. Time is money or God or whatever you choose to call it.

Get into line. Ancient Sinar cameras are for infidels who think that time is an unlimited resource and that there are challenges that can't be met within the aps of an iPhone, preferably a Red one. If you don't own a Red iPhone, you can forget about orgasms. Just in case you wondered.

Me? I I'm waiting for the Sinar Exact to become cheap enough for me to buy, so that I can mount it on my GX680 or a Technikardan or some Sinar monorail. But while I wait, I base my attention around a Mamiya bellows and some other stuff. It's cheap and I think it will work. People think I'm weird, but I can live with that. If I asked for a monorail, I'd be in a straight jacket already.
 

MartinN

Well-known member
I have the Sinar F2, and I would love to use it, but it sits in a BIG backpack. For the moment I use a Crown Graphic with 9x12cm film. That is a carryable thing and the back (film magazine) is indeed high resolution. But down to the FUN of this thread, I would say I like processing and scanning LF (and MF) more than any digital convenience. And sometimes carrying SEVERAL kgs of gear is FUN. Have fun :)
 

young'ee

New member
Hey Jorgen,

Hmmm, i am not really sure what is the "in" thing - i am just going about doing "my" thing. I have pretty clear idea on what i want to do.

This might blow your mind..... my intention is to hike into remote areas with a monorail and a BetterLight and my GX680 and my RZ67 ....dont think I'll be working out the 203FE on these trips - that's for other stuff. I want to shoot BIG cameras in the bush with different DB's. I have a Landcruiser that I am looking into converting to a 4x4 motorhome - going to build a custom trailer to tow behind me - with 2 Quad bikes and 2 trail bikes onboard. Idea is to make a base camp in the bush somewhere near the things i want to photograph and then use Quads and trial bikes to scout locations and carry gear in to trailheads. I will have 3 to 4 of my workers with me to help carry stuff. I Hope to be able to get 3 to 4 good images a day but that's probably pushing it. If i can get 2 images in a day i'd be happy with that.

I am looking for a slow contemplative work pace - get out there and slow down and LOOK around and figure the right spot to setup any of the big cameras and then take time to work the scene. No rush. Enjoying the process is every bit important to me as the final result.

I've shot the RZ - plenty back in the day when i had to earn a living behind the lens. Never shot the GX680 but saw plenty of trannies shot on a GX680 and always loved the look i saw it produce. The 4 x 5 is entirely new to me - of course i know what they are and what they do and why they are used - but i've never used one. Hence struggling to figure how to put a rig together - I am in the middle of Africa - so no camera store down the road. Its all long distance buying online and shipping stuff in.

But its not about big - its about the right tool for the job. Yesterday i received a shipment of gear i have bought - a full complete Pentax Q system. From one extreme to the other. The Q is for stealth - i want to do black and white 1080P video footage and People photography in villages and markets. I dont want some great whooping camera in that scenario. On the other hand, after spending some hours hiking through the bush to get to a waterfall i'd like to do the shoot some justice and shoot the Aptus II 10 on the RZ or GX680. The monorail is for the BL.

There is a method to my madness. It will all come out over time.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
I'm joking of course, and I wish I could be of more use with regards to your P2/P3 quest. I do see your points though, and I have been travelling by motorbike in rural Cambodia with a GX680 in a backpack myself. It's a liberating experience, and I hope you'll make some travel reports from your off road/off beat trips with big cameras into the wilderness. I'm slightly envious.

The big upside to a reality where most people think that fashion trends are here to be followed, is the fact that some essential gear, essential in the past and still essential to me, can be bought for toy monies. Due to personal travel restrictions (responsibility for small child), I'm setting up a little macro/object photography studio at home, and the bellows, macro lenses and other stuff I need can be bought off the internet in pristine condition for prices that make me wonder how the sellers cover the shipping costs.

It will be very interesting also to hear about your experiences with the 54H. I have considered buying one on several occasions, but have always backed out, partly due to lack of experience and partly due to fear of reliability issues. If you have success using it, I might be in for a reconsideration.
 

young'ee

New member
Quite right Jorgen, quite right.

At the prices i am seeing for a P2 i am thinking of getting a P2 setup AND a P3 - $1000 buys a VERY nice P2 setup these days - lenses are still expensive but still 1/4 to 1/3 the price of what they were new.

I was reading some old posts on a forum last night where a guy was saying he paid $12300.00 for his P2 setup in the late 90's

I just dont know which is going to better suit me - P2 or P3 or C2..or the Linhof Techno. As usual no one camera system can do it all. The Linhof for sure is better suited to going "bush". A p2 or P3 is needed for the macroscan unit and a P3 is designed to work with Sinar backs.

Like you i want to setup a studio to do copy work - got some projects in mind for this. After that project is finished it will still be good plain old fun to do macro and other things. I am thinking about offering an artwork copy service and printing Giclee prints for artists of thier work - while there are services in the country that are close to this, there is no one offering that exact service. I wouldnt go out and setup to do it thinking i will make a wildly successful business out of it, but once i have the gear i can turn it over to that type of work so that i can do some painting copy work here or there. I am looking into lights for the copy work - seems northlight are the top light for the BL system. The hardest part of a service like that is the printing - getting the printer is no big deal - its keeping the print heads in good condition - they need to be used - not allowed to sit for long periods with no use or the print heads clog. And no this is not some wild idea of someone who has no idea - i owned a pro lab for 9 years printing EP2/RA4 and P3 Cibachrome and doing C41 and E6 processing. I had all the gear - big roller transport paper processors and dip-n-dunk film processors. I sold the lab in 97. Writing was on the wall so i sold while there was still plenty of business for it. Anyway point is, i have done serious milage printing and processing for pro photographers over the years, so understand well the business side of selling prints for a living.

I can find most of the stuff used. The Sinar backs seem to be good value. It seems they dont have a big following. I've got 2 now - the 54H and the Eyelike M22. I am pretty sure the 54H will be good because of the guy i bought it off. The eyelike was very cheap so if it doesn't work, well i think of it as being like a night at the casino - it was a bit of fun and kept me entertained for a while chasing it down and bidding on it - the thrill of the chase and all that (for those that can remember ;-0)

Anyway, still reading still trying to figure out what goes with what in the Sinar system - what lenses need what shutter, what the image circles of the various lenses are etc.

It would be great if there was a specialist Sinar enthusiast site out there somewhere.
 
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