Wisner users working in 7x17/8x20

[robert_4927]

George, Lois Conners rode all over China on a bicycle with a 7x17 strapped to her back. I've hiked with my 8x20 but like I said it is an expedition model weighing 14.5 lb. Now I didn't do this alone. In another pack was three film holders, extra film, large changing bag, lens, light meter, and a cable release. This was carried by the 23 yr. old photo asst. Oh and I almost forgot....A flask of 18 year old scotch. For this I left the ries at home and opted for the carbon fiber tripod. also i've seen a friend use a two- wheeled contraption that is used for hauling game out of the woods. He swears by it and hauls his 12x20 gear around on it. But I do like the Brett Weston approach. " If it's more than a hundred yards from the car there isn't a picture there anyway."

[e]

Actually Ron has most if not all the specs for the different S&S filmholders. So when ordering he will make the back to fit if it doesn't already. I have been sending him my S&S filmholders for the past couple of years so he could measure them exactly for myself as well as my customers. There was no extra modification needed on my cameras. He made them that way right out of the box.
Both filmholder companies are great and I heartily recommend them both. We are very lucky to have people committed to ULF enough to create these products for us.
I like the concept of having the back reversible/vertical so tripod gymnastics are lessened. Great idea Robert. This indeed puts a lot less strain on the camera and a nice height for the photographer too. I'm very cafeful with my approach though and it seems to work for me despite the movements being altered. The 7x17 is so light that the issue is not a relevent as in 12x20 etc.
The S&S holders are tough indeed. I recently had a spill with 5 holders in a light tight plastic bag (I keep them in this) careening 3 feet to the floor and bouncing on their way off a door....and they came through just fine. I tend to beat my holders up a bit so I'm glad not to have to spend too much on them....just in case. But if the AWB holders are just as tough then this is a mute point. Alan had I believe been a couple of years back looking into making a plastic version of his holders as well and this I think would be a welcome addition. I don't know if this is still in the works or not. Emile.

[robert_4927]

Emile, I know Alan still works in ABS plastics. He just made me some custom trays for my 8x20 film that will allow me to get 5 trays in a 5ft. sink. As far as plastic film holders I couldn't tell you if that is off the drawing board or not but Alan is a great guy to talk to and I'm sure you can find out with one call. I have a slew of 8x10 Lisco holders that I never use. I still use my old wooden kodak 8x10 holders. They seem to slide in so much easier than the plastic ones . It may just be me but every time i try to use the lisco holders they always chatter or hang up as I try to slide them in. I'm surprised Ron doesn't promote the Wisner holder more. Is there a reason you don't like the Wisner holder? I have three of them and they work just fine.

[robert_4927]

Let me add the only thing I don't like about the wisner holders is they have no dark slide locks so you have to be careful when pulling the dark slide that you don't pull the other one with it. It just takes some getting use to is all.

[robert_4927]

Emile, I just so happen to have a digital camera that was given to me by a friend who upgrades every time a new one comes out. The problem is I just went to a mac system and this older digital camera has no firewire feature. As soon as I pick up a cheap card reader I will send you some pics of the 8x20 expedition set up in both vertical and horizontal formats .

[Michael Kadillak]

About six months ago I sent Ron an S&S holder to make me an 8x20 reducing back for my 12x20 camera and even though they had a holder to size it to, it came back to me 3/8" to large. Right now it is with Richard Ritter getting fixed so I can use it.

All anyone would have had to do was just insert the holder before it left the factory to check it out. I do not think that it is asking to much.

Talking to Richard Ritter, he had doen the same thing on three other backs in the last several months and mine was the tightest "off" tolerance.

Just a reference point. I think that eventually, this situation will solve itself.

Cheers!

[robert_4927]

Michael, I'm just curious. Why not compose and shoot 12x20 then mask the negative to achieve 8x20? I know you must have a good reason for going to the trouble to add a reducing back just to shave two inches off each side of the negative but for the life of me I can't seem to understand why. I know it's not to save money on film because the prices are to similar for both formats. You could easily achieve the same thing during printing by masking or cropping . You just have to be conscious of your composition. I have a friend who shoots 12x20 and he does this by simply putting a few marks on his ground glass with a removable marker to indicate the width of the 8 inch format. Then masks the negative accordingly during printing. This way he has no added expense for a reducing back or extra film holders. And his prints look just like my 8x20 prints. When he wants to compose wider he just wipes off the marks. When printing he just cuts a 8x20 window out of a sheet of ruby lithe and masks the negative. I'm curious as why you would want to go to the trouble and expense to add a reducing back and more film holders is all for such a slight change in formats. I'm sure I'm missing something here.

[Diane Maher]

Robert,
Ooops, sorry about that. I was thinking 5x12, not larger. I haven't decided where I'm going to buy holders from yet. When I bought my film a couple of months ago, they asked me which holders I was going to use. I said S&S. Does this mean I can't use the film in an AWB? Sorry for my confusion.

[robert_4927]

The size of the film is not what differs between the two. It is where the rib locks are located on the holder. these seat into a grove to make everything light tight and stable. Of course an AWB and a S&S holder in 5x12 size will accept 5x12 film. But one might seat into your camera and one might not depending on where the grove is on your back in conjuction with the rib on the holder. You can use either one but you may have to have your back reworked to accept the S&S holder ( if they make a 5x12 i'm not sure) Or you can send your back to AWB and he will build your holders to fit your camera. Either way will work .

[robert_4927]

Diane, 5x12 is a strange format to me and I really don't know a lot about it. If there is a standard dimension for this format then you should be able to buy any film holder and it should fit your camera. Sandy King or Keith could probably answer these questions easier than I can . I don't want to tell you that you need a custom fitted film holder when you could easily buy any 5x12 holder and it will fit. Sorry I couldn't be more help