I was very excited by the Sinar Artec. As a photographer who has been shooting on 5x4 and more recently digital SLR, I am now making the slow decision to get a digital back/camera combination.
For me, at this stage, the Sinar Artec seems incomplete and not quite refined enough!
My issues with it are:
The tilt mechanism. With all the emphasis on accuracy with digital capture, it seems that the design of the tilt function needs to be further looked at. I feel that it should be geared or controlled in some other way than what it is now. The friction/tightening of it isn't accurate enough for me, I want to be able to adjust the tilt by tiny fractions. Also, the control knob is not in a use-friendly position and the extra locking pin seems a last minute addition. Speaking to the technician (I'm sorry, I forgot his name, of italian decent I believe) it was said that having this mechanism geared would add extra size to the camera, but I can't imagine it would greatly increase this.
I'm not a fan of the locking mechanisms for the geared shift and rise/fall. For me this is something that will get worse over time, using this friction method is something that is used on older 5x4 cameras and seems "chucked" in here. By the end of the day both of the Sinar's on display were no longer function properly.
The rotation of the back is very stiff, on an arca-swiss rotaslide the rotation is much smoother!!
This camera looks to have everything I am looking for. But, I just feel that the whole camera isn't finished enough. It feels, slightly, made up of old camera parts. After holding the ALPA Max, I really felt that it was something that would stand the test of time, the sleds for the movement are excellent. The artec, I felt needed some more time. Refine the mechanisms further, perhaps re-think how it smoothly it should all move and definitely the tilt needs to work better.
I want this camera badly, but not as it is as the moment.
Please, let me know what you think. As an outside observer, and user it is easy to make comments and I know that the designers work on this intensely over many months. Is there more time for adjustments, do you agree with me??? For a new camera, I want it to be on the next level and the most refined camera possible.
And I'd love to be able to use P45 on it soon!!