80xl for 6x17 ?

[Don Miller]

I'm considering either the 80xl or 72xl for landscape shots with 6x17 and 4x5. My next longer lens is the 110xl. Is the 212mm coverage of the 80xl going to give me enough room for some rise and tilt? At the rated edges the 80xl's resolution is getting low.

The 80xl can share filters with my longer lenses. With the 72xl I'll need to buy several 5 inch filters. (CF's for both)

I do most work near my truck but also a moderate amount of backpacking. 95% chromes.

Thanks for the help.

Don

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Don,

I recently completed an article for View Camera on an inexpensive Chinese made 6x17 roll film back. During my testing, I found the 80mm/110mm pair to be a good combination for the 6x17 format. I found the coverage of the 80mm SS XL sufficient for my landscape shooting needs. Depending on what camera/bellows/back you plan to use, it may be the camera that limits the movements before your lens runs out of coverage. I did find the center filter necessary when using the 80mm on 6x17 with color transparency film.

Kerry

[Eric Jones]

Hello Kerry,

Is the article on the 6x17 back in an upcoming View Camera issue or in a past issue? Thank you for any additional info.

Best,

Eric Jones

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Eric,

It's in the Sept/Oct '04 issue.

Kerry

[ramin]

Kerry is there a page showing this 6x17 back?

thnx

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Kerry is there a page showing this 6x17 back?

Ramin,

The new issue of View Camera should be out any day now. There are two pictures of the back/viewer in the article. In the mean time, you can see a small image of the back mounted on my ARCA-SWISS camera at:

http://www.viewcamera.com/pdf/2004/VC97-summaries.pdf

(if that link doesn't work, just go to the main viewcamera.com web site and click on the link for "feature summaries").

You can also see some pictures of this back mounted on a Shen-Hao camera at:

http://www.badgergraphic.com/search_product2.asp?x=4078

This back is a cheap way to get into the 6x17 format ($650), and will work on any 4x5 camera with a Graflok back. However, there are some significant limitations on usable focal lengths (details in the article).

Kerry

[Bernard Languillier]

Hello Kerry,

2 quick questions if you don't mind. I am considering stiching 2 images taken with a Horseman 6*9 back on my Ebony 45SU using its lateral shift capability to get 6*17 like results.

I intend to use the Schneider 110 also to do this, and was concerned by possible light fall off when not using a center filter. You mentioned above that you found one had to be used with the 80, but didn't write anything regarding the 110. Does that mean that you didn't find any problem with color slides?

Besides, I have a hard time understanding how a 6*17 back can fit on a 4*5 camera. Would you mind explaining shortly? I am not sure to be able to buy View Camera here in Tokyo.

Thank you in advance,

Best regards,
Bernard

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Bernard,

There is a small amount of darkening of the corners with the 110mm SS XL with high contrast color transparency film (Velvia and E100VS), but I did not find it objectionable enough to use a center filter. The fall-off with the 80mm SS XL was defintely more noticeable and I found the center filter a necessity for my taste.

The DAYI 6x17 back is an expander back (similar in concept to the 5x7 adapter back for the Tachihara 4x5 field camera). Take a look at the photos mentioned above. Because of this design, the useful range of focal lengths is limited on the short end (by your camera's minimum extension - the back adds about 38mm of extension) and the long end (beyond 150mm you start to get mechanical vignetting of the image).

Kerry

[Bernard Languillier]

Thank you so much for your kind answer.

Best regards,
Bernard

[Lars Åke Vinberg]

Bernard,

As a possible alternative to the 110XL, I have done extensive 6x9 stitching using a 120 Schneider Digitar. This lens has a slight falloff towards the corners, my guess is between 1/2 and 1 stop. I find the resulting images quite good in terms of resolution and coverage. I have heard that the 120 Digitar is not flat-field in focus that far out in the image circle, but with the apertures I use that has not been a problem. My guess is that the 120 Apo-Symmar would work well too.

However, there are other challenges when stitching: Variations in lighting - variations in exposure due to shutter inaccuracy - the difficulty of getting perfect alignment between the two frames - possible non-stationary subject matter like clouds, vegetation, water, moon/stars. Shooting landscape, I have been most successful shooting between sunrise and sunset, with either clear or completely overcast skies and no wind.

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

If you don't need movements on 6x17, the APO-Symmar or APO-Symmar-L will actually cover. The image diagonal of 6x17 (56 x 168mm) is about 177mm. Schneider conservatively rates the image circle of the 120mm APO-Symmar as 179mm. The 120mm APO Symmar has an image circle of 189mm. These lenses cost less than the 120mm Digitar (considerably less for a used 120mm APO Symmar) and no stitching required.

For a little more coverage, the 120mm Super Symmar HM (211mm image circle) is superb. In a new lens, the 125mm Fujinon CM-W (204mm image circle) is a high quality affordable ($635) option.

Kerry