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Thread: Square Format with a 4x5 View Camera

  1. #1

    Square Format with a 4x5 View Camera

    Hello All,

    I have an Arca Swiss Field 4x5. I want to start making square exposures (4x4") using a large format view camera. I made a mask out of matte board with a 4x4" opening, and taped the matte board to the inside of my film plate (so it is taped right in front of where the negative holder slides in). I am having some issues with this.

    I made a test exposure, and the negative came out measuring 4 5/16th" wide. Why is this happening when the opening of the mask is 4"?

    And when I look through the ground glass, the borders of the mask are basically non existent, I can barely even see them on the sides of the ground glass, they definitely are not half an inch wide on each side when being viewed through the glass.

    Has anyone done this before? How would you recommend I go about doing this?

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

    -Kyle

  2. #2
    Unwitting Thread Killer Ari's Avatar
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    Re: Square Format with a 4x5 View Camera

    If I shot with a view to use 4x4, I'd simply crop the extra inch when printing or scanning.

  3. #3
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Re: Square Format with a 4x5 View Camera

    Take a film holder, draw out the darkslide far enough so that it will expose your square image -- then mark your darkslide so you can pull it out the same amount again when taking the photo.

    The only problem with this is that the bottom edge of the darkslide is not a straight line -- some bow inwards a little. So the other possibility is to cut a spare darkslide so that when it is put into the holder, only a square is exposed. This has the advantage of keeping your camera unmodified so that you can take full-frame or square images -- and since you push the modified darkslide all the way in, it will be aligned squarely to the holder.

  4. #4

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    Re: Square Format with a 4x5 View Camera

    You still have a gap between the film and the mask so the light is still hitting the film from an angle, why not just crop at print stage, or matt when framing. Or you could just leave the darkslide in a 1inch and offset your framing on the GG. Remember technical your full image size is 3 7/8 x 4 3/4

  5. #5

    Re: Square Format with a 4x5 View Camera

    Thank you all! The only reason that I don't want to just crop in the darkroom is because I would like to be able to compose in the square format. With that being said, just making a dark slide with a 3 7/8x3 7/8" opening is a great idea. But do you have any ideas on how I would be able compose in the square format while using the dark slide idea to make a square exposure.

    If I were to do the dark slide method, would I have to worry about the distance between the plastic of the slide and the film?

    Thank you all so much!

  6. #6
    Joanna Carter's Avatar
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    Re: Square Format with a 4x5 View Camera

    I make 6 x 14 proportioned shots on 4 x 5 film by having a mask that I clip into the viewing side of the GG screen; this gives me perfect framing. Then I simply crop when printing.
    Joanna Carter
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  7. #7

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    Re: Square Format with a 4x5 View Camera

    I'm with Joanna - crop the screen expose the whole sheet of film. Just add two vertical grid lines.

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    Re: Square Format with a 4x5 View Camera

    not to thread jack, but are there any 6x6 roll film backs?

  9. #9

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    Re: Square Format with a 4x5 View Camera

    Quote Originally Posted by sully75 View Post
    not to thread jack, but are there any 6x6 roll film backs?
    Linhof made a 6x6 Super Rollex back for a while. You can see the one for Linhof 23 cameras here:

    http://hpmarketingstore.com/index.ph...ort=20a&page=3

    The insert of a Super Rollex is the same for the 23 and the 45 cameras. So the 6x6 insert on this back will fit a 45 Super Rollex shell.

  10. #10

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    Re: Square Format with a 4x5 View Camera

    Quote Originally Posted by sully75 View Post
    not to thread jack, but are there any 6x6 roll film backs?
    Yes.
    When i shoot panos on my cameras i place a friction fit black board "splitter board" in the inside of the back of the camera. That way i'm composing and exposing only what i want. You can do the same with your setup, just cut a 1/4" piece of mdf to fit.

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