u/RebelliousDutch

Vier fatbikes geparkeerd IN het plaatselijke station, pal voor de plaatselijke burgerboer.

Since I’m new to large format and I like shooting landscape, I figure it’s good to get in some practice with setting up and taking down the Sinar F2.

When I first got it back in may, the entire affair felt downright alien to me. I was, I’ll admit, a bit intimidated to even touch the thing. Even though I’ve handled a hundred cameras and some worth far more than the Sinar, this contraption obviously works and feels like nothing I’ve ever handled.

It’s taken a while to get some minor issues sorted, to do a fair bit of reading and gather the last odds and ends. I’ve now got a nice kit with a 90 and 150 DB lens and just added a Sinaron (Rodenstock) 210 f5.6. So that basically completes the usual beginner kit. I’ve also been fiddling with my backpack in order to get it set up in the most efficient way, but it’s probably going to need a bit more fiddling before I’m truly satisfied.

So yeah, the time is upon us to take this show on the road, which is why I’m taking the time to practice setting up and taking it down. It takes me 5 minutes right now, but it’s probably going to be a bit quicker once I figure out the best order of operations. Right now it’s: set up tripod, put monorail clamp and rail on it, add rear standard and insert bellows, add front standard and attach bellows, add hood and shutter release cable.

I want to see if I can set it up with a short extension rod so that I can keep stands and clamp ‘on rail’ while in the backpack. That should save quite a bit of time.

Anyways, enough rambling for now, just wanted to share a bit 😂

OK gang, I'm gonna need someone to stop me from breaking something expensive :D

I recently got a Sinar F2 with two DB-mounted lenses and a Copal DB shutter. This was all bought seperately.
I recently put 95 percent of it together on the tripod and everything fit like it should. Lenses mount just fine, bellows mount just fine, everything looked good to go.

But I ran into an issue: my DB shutter does not seem to want to latch properly. I just discovered that as I was mounting the shutter to the rear of the front standard so I could pack everything ready to go in my new backpack. I hadn't mounted it before because... welll... I figured I didn't need to fiddle with that probably fragile piece of kit if I hadn't even loaded film, right?

So here's the issue:

I open up the locking latch at the rear of the front standard and flip it up as far as it goes. The lockbars retract fully into the top of the standard.

I then insert the bottom part of the shutter unit into the bottom groove of the stand, with the shutter in the proper oriented position (the speed selector at the top left. It only goes in one way, but I'm mentioning it just in case.)

I then proceed to push the top of the shutter into position and attempt to lock it. Unfortunately, the lockbar doesn't seem to want to go down into the proper position. It feels like it's just grabbing the top of the shutter board, rather than pushing past it to lock it.
Now, I'm aware there's rubber seals of sorts on the shutter, so there's some give. But even with a LOT of force applied, I just can't seem to get it properly latched.

I can't quite see what's happening because the frame is tall, the shutter frame itself is tall, the lockbar is recessed and everything's fucking black. So even with my phone's flashlight it's difficult to see.

Now, I'm almost tempted to go full bear on this fucking thing and push the shutter into the standard (compressing the seal) while forcing the lockbar down. But I imagine that lock bar is going to bend or break before the shutter does....

I've tried mounting the shutter on the other side of the standard, but same thing. The rest of the gear mounts like it should, so I'm almost convinced it's the shutter rubber seals interfering somehow.

Grr.... so frustrating to be foiled by one item when everything else just works as it should.

So uh, anyone have any insights? Similar issues?

I’ve lost my sanity to the point where getting into large format architecture photography seems like fun.

But as past experience with 35mm and 120 film has taught me: I do not enjoy rummaging around in a sweaty, uncomfortable Paterson changing bag. I saw these Fuji Dark Bags (FDB12) mentioned on forums occasionally and went looking for one. And as luck would have it, a photography store was selling one brand new in box. Which means I definitely overpaid, but hey.

I got to use it this afternoon to load film for my new Sinar F2. And what a treat it is, let me tell you. Much more comfortable to work with than a small bag, especially since you’re working with larger film holders. I didn’t need to fight the bag itself to load things.

These are also quite convenient to set up. It basically folds open like a suitcase. You put up two small poles on either side and slot in the two metal bars that are part of the bag. In the middle is a zipper with velcro flap to keep things light tight and two arm sleeves.

While expensive, I do think it’s a great investment in my overall enjoyment of LF. It’ll certainly prove handy when unloading the holders and loading the development tank.

Hey gang,

Well, never thought I’d be in this position, but here we are - I’ve got an issue with a Nikon F2.

I got this camera last year after it ‘was serviced by a junior tech’. I ran two rolls through it with no issues. Camera functions splendidly.

Last weekend, I went to load a new roll. Popped the back and lifted the rewind knob. Fitted the cartridge and pushed down rewind knob to lower the fork. The fork itselfs moves up and down as it should… but the central shaft remains stuck in the up position. It won’t push down like it should.

I’ve tried the usual rotating and jiggling things a bit, with no succes. There’s still a millimeter or so of up-down travel in the shaft, but nothing more.

I’ve searched for this issue and found a Flickr page discussing this exact issue, with no clear resolution. They mention a ‘hidden’ lever or pin in the top left area of the body near the light seal.

I’ve studied the repair manual a bit and the shaft seems a bit more complex than I thought. There’s clearly something going on, but the 2D diagrams aren’t helping with my 3D problem 😂

Apart from the rewind knob shaft not going down, everything else works as it should. Shutter, counter reset, etc. Probably not relevant, but I mention it just in case.

Anyone have an idea on what might be happening and if it’s something user fixable?