6x17...4x10

[Randy]

I am trying to come up with a way to do "panoramic" images with my 5X7 and 8X10 camera's. I am sure this has probably been addressed elsewhere so if someone could direct me to an appropriate thread, I would be grateful...or, please offer feedback on my attempts before I waste a lot of time and effort.

To save money (that I really don't have) I ruled out those $500+ 6X17 backs for the 5X7 camera so I figured the least expensive way was to modify a 5X7 holder, cut 5X7 film in half, and shoot that way:



I cut a dark-slide to make the film guides and glued them in place. The dark-slides don't cut well. They are kind of brittle. They are perfect for their thickness though.

I have only done one side. Before I spend more time on doing a few more 5X7 holders (and the same thing on a couple old 8X10 holders for doing 4X10's), can anyone offer an idea on a better, easier-to-cut material than dark-slides?

I do realize that I really don't have to go through all this, that I can just crop the center from an exposed 5X7 or 8X10 neg when printing. A big motivation is film cost.

Thoughts please...

[vinny]

make a splitter board. search that term here along with split dark slide.

[Vaughn]

I just modified one dark slide to give me two 4x10 negs on a single sheet of 8x10 film. I find it a rather simple solution that allows me to do both full frame 8x10's and/or 4x10's with very little extra weight to be carried.

[drew.saunders]

If you don't want to cut your own dark slides, especially since you'll want to keep the whole ones around to protect the film, Badger sells the pre-cut ones from Toho. $25 isn't so bad:

https://www.badgergraphic.com/store/..._detail&p=3082

[Randy]

Vaughn, I am assuming that your solution is what vinny was talking about. My problem with that is that, in order to use the center of the lens for this method, you have to use rise or fall of the lens. My 8X10 has no rise/fall in the front or back. My 5X7 has rise/fall in the front but if I use my 115mm lens, the bellows are so compressed that I get very little movement.

[Vaughn]

I understand -- it is tough for me to use the 159mm on the 8x10 with sufficient rise or fall on my Zone VI (way too much bellows when cramped up like that). The 210mm is not much of a problem. Of course, one does not have to use rise/fall with lenses of average coverage for the format (after all we use the lenses on full-framed shots), but it is nice to be able to use the sweet pots of a lens.

But for saving money it is nice to get two images on a sheet of film!

One might be able to use the splitters that Vinny mentioned to give one image on the film -- basically baffles in the camera and no need to modify a bunch of holders.

Vaughn

[Brian Vuillemenot]

I also use the cut 8X10 dark slide method to get 2 4X10s and find it the most covenient in terms of extra stuff to carry and most economical in terms of film and equipment. You just need to be careful about keeping track of which halfs of the film are exposed.

[anglophone1]

Pity Badger don't stock the Toho ones for 4x5

[timparkin]

Yep - I bought the Chamonix 8x10 dark slide with 4x10 cut carbon fibre slide. I had to get the Toyo bag bellows in order to be able to use enough rise/fall to get the lens centred when using my 110 and 240mm lenses though..

Tim

[Kuzano]

Frankly, I've learned that relating the lens to center on the half frame really is not that necessary.

Before I got a little less "anal retentive" about the whole thing, I used an off center lens board that could effect either rise or fall, and in the event of an off center lens board that would not swap top to bottom vertically, I relied on my revolving or switchable vertically back on the camera.

For instance, on a camera with no rise or fall, use a lens board with the lens hole off center upwards, and shoot the upper half of the frame. Then switch the back on the camera 180 degrees and shoot the new "upper" half.

If your camera doesn't have at least those capabilities, what the hell.... shoot any way. It still works.