In Praise of 5x7... Post'em !

[Ken Lee]

5x7 TMY, Pryrocat HD
Sinar P, 250mm Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar

5x7: What's not to love ?

Even the humblest of scanners can make you a great image at 11x14 or larger, with no grain/noise, smooth tonality, and wonderful resolution.

[Nathan Potter]

Ken, splendid rendition. I particularly like the way you've assigned the lightest part of the image to the sharpest focus then let the softness of the remaining place the whole in context. Kind of transports me back to the Hancock Shaker village outside Pittsfield.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[sanking]

Ken,

Wonderful. Beautiful tones and composition.

Indeed, 5X7 is hard to beat. To my taste it is the sweet spot of all sweet spots.

Sandy King

[venchka]

Ditto. Ditto. And ditto.

So why aren't we all using 5x7? Why aren't all emulsions available in 5x7?

What should I sell to move to 5x7? Right. My 4x5 cameras and holders. Most of the lenses should be ok. Nope. Only 2.

[sanking]

Here is one. An indoor/outdoor look with a scene of very high contrast.

Original negative was 5X7 TMY developed in Pyrocat-HD. Shot with 105 mm Fujinon SD.

Subject is the Ex-Seminary of the Jesuits in Morelia, Mexico, from the second floor.

Sandy

[Gem Singer]

Steve Simmons praised the 5X7 format for many years. Not many people paid attention to what he was saying.

Recently, Steve began using the 7"x17" format. He has been writing a series of articles on the Ritter 7"x17" camera. Now, that's a format that can present a real challenge for obtaining film and holders, not to mention cameras.

I finally began to use my Canham Traditional in the 5x7 mode, and I agree that 5x7 is the "sweet spot". Should have listened to Steve a long time ago.

I will soon be selling my 8x10 Canham Traditional. Too much to haul around.

I just searched the B&H website. They list eleven 5x7 B&W negative films. One 5x7 color transparency film, and one 5x7 color negative film. And that's only one of several dealers out there.

[Songyun]

I just searched the B&H website. They list eleven 5x7 B&W negative films. One 5x7 color transparency film, and one 5x7 color negative film. And that's only one of several dealers out there.

B&W is not a big problem here, but color film is.

[Gem Singer]

I understand the difficulty obtaining color film for the 5x7 format.

However, it's the ideal format for those of us that use B&W film and develop it ourselves.

Color sheet film, whether transparency or negative, is expensive to purchase and process at a commercial lab (assuming that you can still find a lab that processes sheet film).

Whenever I shoot color, I use 120 roll film or a digital camera.

If you insist on shooting LF in color, use 4x5.

[Songyun]

I understand the difficulty obtaining color film for the 5x7 format.

However, it's the ideal format for those of us that use B&W film and develop it ourselves.

Color sheet film, whether transparency or negative, is expensive to purchase and process at a commercial lab (assuming that you can still find a lab that processes sheet film).

Whenever I shoot color, I use 120 roll film or a digital camera.

If you insist on shooting LF in color, use 4x5.

for me, I have jobo 3005, I process b&w and e-6 myself. so process is not a big problem,
Currently I scan 45, contact print 810. I guess that I can contact print 57 and scan 57.
If I decide to build darkroom, I would likely get a 45 enlarger, although 57 enlarger is not too big, but there are much more 45 enlarger than 57 enlarger.

[Chuck Pere]

I like it also now that I have a light Anba Ikea. This is 210 Sironar.