roll film back - is there a 6x7 AND 6x9

[Don Wallace]

Is there a roll film back for 4x5 that can do both 6x7 and 6x9, with the flip of some handy little switch? Or is this just wishful thinking?

[Glenn Kroeger]

Sinar builds the Vario-Zoom backs that can do 645, 6x7, 6x9 and 6x12. It's not quite as simple as a handy little switch, and not quite as cheap... but these holder are known for their film flatness.

[Donald Hutton]

Don

The Sinar Zoom II can do any format from 645 to 6X12 - and on the same roll! It's a very nice piece of gear, but quite expensive. FWIW, Robert White currently has them on special - see their website (www.robertwhite.co.uk).

[giancatarina]

Sinar Zoom II- 'Slip In' International fit RFH - adjustable from 6x4.5 to 6x12 - probably the Ultimate RFH - supplied with 'zoom' screen mask... but quite expensive even at robertwhite :
http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/Large%20accessories.htm (http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/Large%20accessories.htm)

[Don Wallace]

Ooops. I appreciate the replies, but I am breathless. Let me add another criterion. It has to cost less than what I normally pay for cars. Wow, that Sinar stuff is exxxxxxxxpensive!

Since I don't care about the other formats, and I don't need to change in the middle of a roll, two ordinary backs would be much cheaper. A combination back is probably just wishful thinking. Oh well.

[Nick_3536]

Not 6x7 but the Shen Hao 6x12 back comes with 6x4.5,6x6,6x9 and of course 6x12 masks. Not very expensive. At least not direct from the factory.

[David A. Goldfarb]

There's a Dayi 6x12 back that does a few smaller formats (maybe 6x6, 6x7, and 6x9, possibly 645). Here it is at Badger--


http://www.badgergraphic.com/search_product2.asp?x=3375 (http://www.badgergraphic.com/search_product2.asp?x=3375)

You can also find them from a Hong Kong dealer on eBay who goes by "oneworld3." Not as fancy as the Sinar, and I don't know that you can switch midroll on the 612 back, and it relies on the red window instead of a frame counter, but I have their 617 back and it seems to work well. On attraction of such a simple design is that there's not much to go wrong.

[Glenn Kroeger]

Don:

Where do you buy cars for $1900?

[David A. Goldfarb]

Looks like Nick and I were posting at the same time. It would stand to reason that a back that uses the red window doesn't do 6x7, since the numbers on the paper backing correspond to 645, 6x6, and 6x9.

[Don Wallace]

Glenn,

I didn't say I was PROUD of the cars I normally drive. But I CAN stand on the roof of such cars for extra tripod height without any concern for marring the finish, so to speak.

[Herb Cunningham]

If you want really cheap, the old graphic roll film holders were available in both formats-require graflex type back. More modern Horseman is available in 6x7, 6x9 and 6x12- Midwest has used Horsemans for about $300, last time I looked. Now that I think of it, I have a 6x9 graphic that is available, save me the pain and suffering of ebay.

Herb

[Jeffrey Sipress]

At some point the roll film back cost will exceed tha cost of an entire MF system, as MF is not worth anything on the used market today.

[Scott Fleming]

Don,
You must have to stand awfully still on those old springs and shocks.;-))

I stand on top of my '99 Dodge 3/4 ton PU truck and it's too springy. I'm considering getting a couple old bumper jacks to set up on either side of my brush-guard/deer-catcher to firm it up a tad.

[tor kviljo]

There is another, very cheap & relatively odd option: using the old Adapt-a-roll 620-rollfilm back. This is a slide-under-GG -film-holder looking like an old fashioned version of a Clumet/cambo roll film back. This back came with two dark-slides (one complete & one only partial covering) to shoot both 6x9 and 6x6 if I recall right. The holder uses 620 film (i.e. 120 film on metal spools), but works OK with 620 take-up reel and standard 120-film as supply (but you have to reclaim the 620 reel from lab to use it again!). Primitiver film-winding system with less than perfect (this IS an understatement) spacing (when measuring roller works...) but I did successfully used one for a few years, counting revolutions of wind-knob for proper spacing. All metal, fast to use (slip-in, no removing of GG), can take any beating, very simple mechanism and less than $$ 50 from e bay US, it's hard to go wrong. But I must admit it have now been replaced by a easier to load & better film-flatness Cambo 6x7 slip-in rollfilm-holder. I miss the 6x9 option though...

By the way, the adapt-a-roll were also made for 6x9cm/2 1/4" & 3 1/2" cameras - a must for baby-technika owners not wanting to mess with small format sheet film backs or the hasseling process of changing from GG back to rollex (on the super tech III, You had to remove 4 separate tabs individually to change backs - and pray the camera did not move during the process..).