Why sacrifice useful attributes of a full-featured studio-size 4x5 when you go out on location or into the field?

When the Sinar X camera arrived it was in a huge case. I was used to the Linhof Technikardan and Wisner portable field cameras. I could not figure out how to get the Sinar camera on location. Actually I could not figure out how to get the case into a taxicab. It would not fit in most trunks or even through the door (especially in French cabs or the more popular taxis in Guatemala).

But when I had to go on location to Antigua (Guatemala), I quickly learned that the Sinar X is as portable as any technical field camera. Andrea dislikes picking up heavy equipment but she had no problems with the Sinar X. Note that this is the entire camera, we are not cheating by showing only one portion. The viewer is additional but weights about as much as a sandwich (in other words, nothing at all).

 

 

Here we are using a Ries wooden tripod. They are lightweight. Since I have only one Manfrotto heavy-duty tripod head (which I use to hold the $5,000 turntable for circumferential rollout photography) here I simply attached the Sinar directly to the top of the Ries tripod.

Location here is the archaeology museum in the Hotel Casa Santo Domingo, Antigua, Guatemala.

We thank Sinar Bron for providing the Sinar X camera, Ries tripods for providing the tripod, Schneider (Germany) for providing the lens, Lowel Light Manufacturing company for providing all the tungsten studio lighting, and Bulb-Man (Nevada) for providing all the tungsten lamps (the bulbs), www.bulbman.com.

We will be evaluating the Cambo Ultima 4x5 large format camera available exclusively from Calumet Photo.

 

Even more links to Maya art and archaeology from another web site, www.maya-art-books.org | Desktop publishing (how best to print your reports, class notes, publish in your own office)