platzhalter geschichte

History

70 years of tradition

with qualitatively unsurpassed

photography equipment for professionals

Swiss precision

for technologically most advanced

photography systems

1879
1911
1947
1948
1951
1968
1968
1978
1984
1994
1998
1998
2000
2002
2007
2009
2010
2013
2016

1879

Carl August Koch opened his own photographic studio in Schaffhausen/Switzerland. Besides his work at the studio, mainly as a portraits photographer, he was a passionate photographer of landscapes and mountain sceneries.
At that time, the photographic plates were casted in a photo tent on the spot and the heavy equipment had to be carried everywhere.

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Carl August Koch0001 sw2

1911

Hans-Carl Koch took over the business. His favorite photographic work was the portrait photography. However, his field of activity soon expanded also to architectural and occasionally to industry photography. Always with a glance into the future, beside his work at the studio, he started with the photo commerce.

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Koch im Flieger

1947

The business was carried on by his son Carl Hans Koch, the inventor of the Sinar view camera. As a photographer with a degree in photography and as a photo retailer, Carl Koch was unsatisfied with the then available large format cameras.

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Portrait Carl Koch Founder

1948

With his experience of many years and his inventive genius, Carl H. Koch developed a view camera for universal use. The camera had to adapt quickly and precisely to the changing needs of the photographer. In 1947 Carl Koch applied for a patent for the Sinar camera, and 1948 Sinar was founded.

The outstanding feature of this camera was achieved by means of standardized components carefully designed to form a highly versatile building block system.

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history norma02

1951

Only one shutter for all lenses - with an integrated aperture control. Revolutionairy, at that time.

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Sinar Norma crop2 extended083

1968

In 1968 his son Hans-Carl Koch joins the Sinar company. Sinar became a family shareholder company.

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Portrait Hans Carl Koch sw

1968

At the same time, production started in the new plant at Feuerthalen, on the other side of the river Rhine.

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history firmengebaude

1978

Sinar was the first camera manufacturer using microprocessors in the revolutionary Digital Shutter and the Exposure Module. The selective exposure metering on the film plane provided the photographer with outstanding convenience in operating the camera and with the ideal automatic.

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Sinar Digital Verschluss vorne extended2

1984

In 1984 Sinar caused quite a stur when presenting the Sinar p2 large format view camera. This superb professional camera combines elegance, perfect versatility and high precision of the adjustment technique with great stability and ruggedness.
Thanks to modern, consistently applied CNC manufacturing technology, a substantial quality leap was made possible.

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p2 silo 72 extended

1994

Sinar presents the world's first professional color digital camera with a resolution of - for that time - fabulous 4 megapixels and a surface of 30 x 30 mm.

 
The electronic, computer-assisted Sinar e view camera (CapCam) with Leaf DCB-I digital back produced razor-sharp still-life color images. A real "high-performance production machine".

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Sinar e mit Leaf DCB I 2000 72 12 neutral extended3

1998

Sinar AG celebrates its 50th anniversary.

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Sinarcam 50 Jahre 1998

1998

Sinar's first own digital camera back was launched: the Sinarback 22 – satisfying highest demands.

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Sinarback 22 bb9

2000

Sinar launches the digital large format. It is now possible to capture a digital image with a CCD area sensor with a resolution of 19 million pixels and a capturing area of 72 x 48 mm. The Sinar Macroscan is compatible with all Sinarbacks.

The Sinarback System with Sinar Macroscan was chosen as the best photographic product of the year 2000/2001.

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MacroscanSBack 6

2002

True to the tradition of the Sinar p line of view cameras, the Sinar p3, too, is equipped with highly precise mechanisms. In keeping with the requirements of digital photography, the dimensions of the new camera have been significantly reduced without sacrificing any of this traditional precision. Of course, also the Sinar p3 camera is fully compatible with the Sinar System.

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Sinar p3 history

2007

As the successor model of the Sinarback 54 H in the multi-shot segment, the Sinarback eVolution 75 H with 33 million pixels is the ultimate high-end solution for all tasks in the studio.

With the eVolution 75 H, the concept of the displayless Sinarbacks is consistently pursued in order to achieve even more image quality through a higher data transfer rate to the computer. Thanks to its efficient cooling system, day-to-day performance and the return on investment are maximized in terms of service life.

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Sinar eVolution75 history

2009

The Sinar arTec camera system is a milestone in digital architectural and landscape photography. The Sinar arTec follows the 60-year-long Sinar tradition of developing and providing innovative tools, designed by photographers and engineered for photographers.

At the Photokina 2008, the Sinar arTec wins the Photokina Star as a highlight of Photokina 2008.

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Sinar arTec extended

2010

All Sinar business activities are regrouped and Sinar Photography AG is founded. In 2010 the new formed company moves into its new premises in Zurich.

 

"We will strengthen the brand SINAR, which is well-respected for unmatched photographic equipment and state-of-the-art system solutions."

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Farbhofstrasse21 extended

2013

The merger with Leica opens up promising prospects for Sinar. The competence of the two companies enables pioneering new developments, which characterize the market and the brand.

Based in Zurich and with a local production, Sinar is and remains a Swiss product. Customers benefit from the worldwide established service and support.

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Leica Logo history

2016

At the photokina 2016, Sinar presents the mobile digital device Sinarback S 30|45.

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start s3045
1879
Carl August Koch opens
his own photographic studio in Schaffhausen
1911
Hans-Carl Koch takes over the business
1947
Son Carl Hans Koch takes over
1948
The versatile camera
1951
The photographer's working place
should be behind the camera!
1968
Hans-Carl Koch joins the company
1968
Beginn of own production
1978
Microprocessors
in the revolutionary Digital Shutter
1984
Sinar p2 large format view camera
1994
First professional digital camera
1998
50 Years Sinar
1998
Sinar's first own digital back
2000
Sinar Macroscan
2002
Sinar p3
2007
Digital Sinarback eVolution 75H
2009
Sinar arTec
2010
Foundation of Sinar Photography AG
and relocation to Zurich
2013
Joining Leica
2016
Sinar presents the Sinarback S 30|45
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