Sinar

In 1947 Swiss photographer Carl Hans Coch invented the Sinar camera after finding himself dissatisfied with what he saw as the short comings of wooden view cameras. His goal was to produce a metal camera which was made to the highest precisions, was simple to operate and versatile enough for any application. The name S-I-N-A-R is actually an acronym for Science, Industry, Nature, Architecture, Reproduction which suggests his desire for this versatility in his view cameras. In addition to these this he also wanted his cameras to all have readily interchangeable parts making it easy for the photographer to customize or replace components easily. In fact major components produced in the 1940s for these cameras are still able to be used with parts being manufactured today - unsurpassed anti-obsolescence.

The Sinar Norma which was the model produced from 1947 to 1970 was replaced by the Sinar P series which introduced even more usability to the Sinar system. All major parts are still interchangeable between the two.

There are a lot of unique accessories that Sinar has produced over the last sixty years or so. Many of these, even the older ones, are still highly sought after today both by collectors and photographers that are interested in making practical use of them in their photography. One such example is Sinar's swing out filter holder that allows the use of a 4x4 gel filter while simultaneously using a lens filter (such as a polarizer). The company also made a series of roll film backs that allowed their view cameras to be used with 120 and 220 medium format roll films. This was a handy attachment that greatly extended the capabilities of their 4x5 cameras. Many photographers also consider the 4x5 reflex attachment made by Sinar to be the best ever available. This device used adjustment mirrors to provide for more convenient viewing, bypassing the need to view a dim ground glass. Adapters allowed the attachment to be used over several other brands of cameras including Linhof and Toyo.

Sinar cameras are produced in Feuerthalen, Switzerland. They have built a long reputation on providing innovative and useful solutions to photographers and continue to do so today even in a largely digital age.