Two 6x12's on a 4x5 sheet?

[James Chow]

Has anyone tried to fit two 6x12 shots in a single 4x5 sheet by cutting a darksl ide in half and using it as a mask? Is there any problem with the dark slide dro pping down when in the upper half of the holder, getting the horizontal alignmen t correct (assuming the edge you cut youself is always oriented away from the ed ge of the sheet), or light creeping in under the darkslide along the edge you cu t yourself? It would certainly save on film costs, and be convenient for organiz ation as one can have the bracketed shot on the same sheet of film.

[Adam D. DeKraker]

I have made several "split darkslides" using 4x5 film holders, and they seem to work just fine. Basically, the darkslide is cut (use a Dremmel, it works great!) into a "L" shape. The top portion of the darkslide is left intact, as this keeps the light trap working properly. I have never had a problem with the cut darkslide dropping down, even with older film holders. Also, I've never had any light leaks. (I am cautious about this, though....anytime I'm using a split darkslide I keep the dark cloth over the back of the camera - just in case.) It is really nice to be able to get a bracketed shot on the same piece of film, as it cuts down on the time needed to process film.

[ryan olson]

If I remember right benderphoto.com has a darkslide called their panoramic which is what I think you're talking about.