4x5" to 5x7"... is it worth changing?

[Kevin Crisp]

Well, he didn't denigrate anybody either. I guess my point that there would have been no redundant thread since these were answers, not a new question, is something you cannot accept, which is fine with me. Once that point is appreciated, I don't think you have anything to argue, but don't let me stop you.

Obviously everyone understands by now they aren't helping this poor poster who dropped out of the forum participation more than three years ago, which was all I meant to bring about. And the truly redundant discussion about the possible benefits of 5X7 can thrive.

[Old-N-Feeble]

Well... I for one didn't look back fourteen posts before mine to see how old this thread is.

[Kevin Crisp]

But you helped us get to page 9!

[Old-N-Feeble]

But you helped us get to page 9!

And you're welcome! Thanks for your contribution upping the post count to 83.

[thomasfallon]

You can do 4x5, 5x7 and 617 with one camera. Light enough to put on a tripod and carry over your shoulder. Do macro 4x5 and have the extra bellows. Half the size and weight of 8x10 which is where I jumped in and found daunting. Contact prints, as mentioned, are much nicer. Aspect ratio is near ideal according to Pythagoras. On this forum, written by the founder, is an excellent article on the virtues of 5x7. Biggest negative is the lack of color film, is that important? Can you beg, borrow, rent or return a 5x7 and shoot a head to head comparison with 4x5? All that matters is what you think of the images.

[plaubel]

Everytime after using 5x7", I get some problems with 4x5" - it looks and it feels too small.
Up from 5x7", I get a real LF feeling, the GG is fine, the negatives feel fine, and for me, 5x7" is just perfect ( I wouldn't buy 8x10", for me it would be too big for a "small" camera and too heavy for daily action ).

But I owned no 5x7" field camera, only a Plaubel Provia.
In counting my negatives, 4x5" (Shen Hao) obviously has been more practically to me in the last years, concerning the weight and the costs, that's true..

Some weeks ago I caught an old russian 5x7" field camera, and after preparing adapters, it now takes 4x5 and 5x7 international backs.

Lightweight in 5x7" , with the option of 4x5" (color) is a good choice to myself.
Now, I am only missing the stability, quality and fastness of my Shen Hao.

[mdm]

Since I got a 5x7 I have not touched 4x5, for some years now. Its all 5x7 and whole plate for me, or digital, but I do see a return to 4x5 for cost reasons. My experience is that even a small print made from a scan and printed digitally has something special next to a pure digital print from a digital camera, 24 or 25 cm long dimension. The tonal separation is so much nicer.

[Jim Andrada]

I started with a 5 x 7 Linhof Kardan Bi in 1970. I second all the comments re 4 x 5 is too small, etc and 5 x 7 is easier to compose with, etc etc.

But one big advantage of 5 x 7 that I haven't seen mentioned is that it still fits in the higher resolution area of the Epson 750. Lately I use my Mamiya 7 more than 4 x 5 because I have a Nikon Coolscan and I get what I think are much better scans of 6 x 7 with the Coolscan than I get with 4 x 5 on the Epson. But the 5 x 7 on the Epson still beats 6 x 7 on the Coolscan. 8 x 10 on the Epson doesn't seem to have any great advantage because it DOESN'T fit the high resolution band.

Now if I would just get a drum scanner I'm sure 8 x 10 would look a lot more attractivr.

[Pete Watkins]

I have the ability to use 4x5, 5x7 & 8x10. In the past I have also used 11x14 but 5x7 is such a great format that I'm getting a 5x7 back for my Norma. I already have a 5x7 Ansco & a 5x7 B&J but I'm happy to have 3 cameras with 5x7 capability.
Says a lot about 5x7.
Pete.

[welly]

With the benefit of hindsight, if I was choosing to start shooting large format again, I'd probably have picked 5x7. I just like the shape of the negatives. I like that aspect ratio a lot. But I'm in with 4x5 and 8x10 and I love it all the same. I've been shooting nothing but 8x10 for the past 8 or 9 months and I'm taking my Toyo 45AX out this weekend for the first time in almost a year so it will be strange to going back to the smaller format. If I could get a 5x7 back for my Tachihara 8x10, I'd probably think seriously about getting one. Perhaps you can get one, I've never seen them around though.