C41
Kodak Portra 160
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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The Sinar F2 (1980) is the Swiss-made mid-tier monorail 4×5 view camera. Aluminum-alloy modular construction — the camera consists of a monorail spine, sliding standards (front and rear), interchangeable bellows, and a ground-glass back. Front and rear movements: rise, fall, shift, swing, tilt — all geared and lockable. Designed for studio commercial work; also used in the field by photographers willing to carry 4.5 kg.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 4x5 format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Labs in our directory that process 4x5 film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
Sinar's mid-tier monorail. The studio LF body that working photographers actually carry — lighter than the Sinar P, more refined than the F.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 4×5 (8×10 with conversion kit) |
| Mount | Sinar lensboard |
| Years | 1980–2003 |
| Bellows | 480 mm extension (standard) |
| Movements | Front: rise/fall, shift, tilt, swing. Rear: rise/fall, shift, tilt, swing. |
| Build | Aluminum monorail |
| Weight | 4,500 g |
| Battery | None |
Sinar (Switzerland) made monorail view cameras since 1948 (the original Sinar Norma). The F-line started with the Sinar F (1973) — a budget-tier monorail; the F2 (1980) refined it. Production ran 23 years until 2003 when Sinar shifted to modular digital large-format. Sinar P (1971) and P2 (1981) are the higher-tier studio bodies.
For 2026 buyers entering studio LF, the Sinar F2 is the most-affordable Sinar. Used at $800–1,500 — a fraction of a Sinar P2 ($2,000+) or original Norma. The geared movements are precise; the modular system means you can expand to 8×10 (with appropriate kit) or downsize to 6×9 (with reducing back).
Trade-off: the F2 is monorail-only — not designed to fold flat for transport like field cameras. The 4.5 kg weight makes it studio-bound.
Sinar lensboard. Schneider, Rodenstock, Fujinon, Nikkor 4×5 lenses on Sinar boards (Linhof Technika boards adapt). Bellows: standard, wide-angle (bag), telephoto (extension). Roll-film backs (Sinar Zoom 6×7/6×9/6×12), Polaroid 545i back, ground-glass back.
BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →Sinar F2
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