fishing for long and skinny

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Ernest,

Deardorff also made 4x10 slider boards for their 8x10 camera backs. In fact, that's how I got started shooting 4x10. When I sold my Deardorff, I kept the 4x10 slider board. I still have it. It also fits some 8x10 Kodak backs. It's a very simple piece of wood, painted black with a simple rabbet joint on each end, and two recessed "thumb holes" (not really holes, as they don't go all the way through the board) for sliding it back and forth.

If I remember correctly, the grooves for the 4x10 slider are offset from the grooves for the 5x8 slider. This would allow using one of each to shoot four 4x5 images (minus margins) on a single sheet of 8x10 film. Kind of a poor man's reducing back.

Kerry

[Wayne Firth]

Mark,

I shoot 4x10 and think it is a great format. When using a true 4x10 the camera is very lightweight compared to an 8x10. Sounds like you are willing to build a camera. Be aware that the film holders are not a standard size so settle on a brand of holder before building the camera. The Canham holders are a good deal. I have a Canham camera but find it too fussy to use so I built a simple one from Graphic parts a new bellows and some wood working skills. It is an extremely lightweight camera. Here are some photos of the homemade 4x10 camera with 121 mm SA lens.

http://www.silverlight.net/cameras/4x10%20graphic/4x10%20Graphic.html

[Mark_3632]

Wayne that is nifty. Is the back wood? It matches the camera so well I can't really tell what it is made of.

mark

[Jim Galli]

Hi Mark. Just a brain teaser. 5" Aerial roll film is available most any time on Ebay and in some fantastic emulsions I might add. Have S&S build you some 5X14? 15? 16? sky's the limit? holders and build a camera around them. Korona once made a 5X12 banquet but they're very hard to find. The aerial film is most prevelant in Panatomic X and Plus X. Comes in different length rolls like 120 ft. and I even have a 350 ft roll. The only differences are that Kodak increased the red sensitivity so that when using filters to cut through atmosphere you don't have to take such a speed hit. Most of it is 4 mil polyester base. I use the stuff in my 5X7 and am working on a #6 Cirkut camera that will also use it. Anybody have a 5X12 to sell. I want one bad.

[CXC]

Hey, all you 4x10 enthusiasts, do you always contact print or do you enlarge? Sounds kinda small...

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

For prints, I "enlarge" to either 8x20 or 12x30 digitally using a flatbed scanner and an Epson 2200 printer. One nice thing about the 4x10 format is that you can get rather large prints using a relatively affordable desktop inkjet printer.

On the other hand, I've seen a number of 4x10 contact prints from other photographers. With the right subject and materials, the results can be exquisite. A print doesn't always have to be huge to hold one's attention.

Kerry

[Mark Sampson]

Jim, for quite a while Lens&Repro has been advertising a 5x12 camera for sale, although they don't mention a brand name.

[MattO]

I am a bit confused about the actual field operation ....

If you cut the dark slide so that the handle is connected to 1/2 of the slide - what about the other half? How is that covered - just the 1/2 piece of slide floating inside the groove? If so, then you cannot utilize that 1/2 of the film until making a trip to the darkroom/tent? Seems pretty cumbersome.

[Juan V.]

I saw the Lens & Repro 5x12 a few weeks ago. It's a Korona that someone modified with steel brackets, cutting the regular uprights, to allow front tilt. Other than the modification, which is well done, it's in pretty good shape. I believe it came with two film holders. It's quite light and compact compared to my 8x10 Korona. I thought about getting it but didn't want to deal with finding/making 5x12 film, and didn't feel it was really big enough for contact prints that I would like. Your mileage may vary. Nifty little camera though.

[Ernest Purdum]

MattO, You use the cut dark slide by pulling out the regular slide and putting in the cut one. After making the first exposure, you flip the cut slide so that the film portion already exposed is covered. When finished, you replace the regular darkslide.



It may help to color code the cut slide handle, red and blue for example. If you always expose with the red side first, the chances of error are reduced. Also, the chance of confusing the cut slide with the regular slide are lessened.