5x12" format popularity and film availability.

[Tim V]

Hi all, enquiring for a friend... ;)

How popular is the 5x12" format these days, and who out there is using it? Are people using Canham, Chamonix, or what?

Also, how often is Ilford and Kodak doing customs runs of format stuff these days? I ask because I see Keith Canham often advertising on his Facebook feed that he has all kinds of different formats arriving, so thought it might not be as little as once a year after all?

The other option for "my friend" is to go for 11x14" as the film seems to always be available through B&H (Ilford at least) and a reducing back could always be ordered if needed. Smart?

Thanks,

Tim

[Steve Goldstein]

Ilford do their ULF run, which includes 5x12, once per annum. Film from this year's run has begun delivery and the next order period will probably be next April/May. Some dealers may have ordered some stock of fresh 5x12, you'd have to check with the various dealers who served as order handlers.

Keith puts together a custom Kodak order based on interest. I believe the way it works is that someone contacts him to start the ball rolling. He gets a quote from Kodak and publicizes it. If he gets enough interest to hit the threshold he places the order. The best bet is to contact him directly.

[Tim V]

Thanks.

So does Kodak do it in smaller runs, more than once a year if interest is high enough then? If so, I wonder what the threshold is for them to do it?

Thanks again,

Tim

[Steve Goldstein]

Keith seems to do a Kodak special order whenever he gets enough commitments to meet the minimum order threshold for the particular emulsion and size in question. You'd do much better asking him the specifics.

[Tim V]

Thanks. Yes, better to talk with him. I'm trying to figure out if a venture into 5x12" is worthwhile for me when 11x14" film far more common to find in stock at places like B&H. Completely different formats, I know, but at least with the latter there is the possibility of cropping or exposing two images per sheet (not to mention using a reducing back.)

Anyway, it's all academic for me at this point unless I sell some more prints to fund a purchase. The age old dilemma...

Thanks again,

Tim

[Oren Grad]

I used to own a Canham 5x12 kit. I liked the format but didn't get along with the camera, so I eventually sold it. Richard Ritter offers that size too, and there were also Koronas made in 5x12. But it's not in very wide use, even as the odd formats go - 4x10 on the one hand and even 7x17 on the other are much more common.

I can't recall seeing Keith Canham do a 5x12 run with Kodak, though that doesn't prove it has never happened. Definitive word will come from him, of course. I think the threshold for a Kodak order is somewhere over $10K, so even if in principle it's possible, it will probably be difficult to generate enough demand by aggregating small orders as users are few and far between.

For small orders Ilford is your best bet, via the annual program; that's how I got film for my Canham. If you want several thousand dollars' worth it may be possible to place a special order at other times too, with delivery time of weeks to a few months depending on their production schedules.

You can ask the dealers on Ilford's ULF program list whether any ordered 5x12 for their own stock. Cutting 10x12 in half is also a possibility if you can find any of that size in stock. Occasionally some Ilford odd-size stock ends up on eBay.

I don't know what the situation is at the moment as far as custom-size orders from Foma - probably you'd need to inquire at one of the European dealers.

I think that some flavor(s) of X-ray film may be available in 5x12, if you're into tinkering with that.

[Michael Wellman]

Sadly, Kodak does not support anything out of the normal sizes 4x5, 5x7, 8x10, 11x14. Ilford is the only film manufacturer that I know of supports all formats.

[Vaughn]

Here is a 5.5x14 negative. I used a modified darkslide to get two 5.5x14s on an 11x14 sheet of film. It does not work as well as the one I have for 8x10 (two 4x10s per sheet), mostly due to the variety of 11x14 holders I use.

The advantage of a 5x12 camera would be its size. With slightly less film area as 8x10, the camera is significantly smaller than 11x14.

[Jim Galli]

I checked ebay and there's a lot of xray film available. I have an original Gundlach 5X12. Occasionally Aerial Recon 5" long roll film turns up and it's easy to cut 12" lengths for the 5X12.

[Ray Van Nes]

Hello Tim. 5 x 12 is alive and well. As Jim mentioned there is 5 x12 dental x-ray film also available which is very inexpensive. Chamonix also will build 5 x 12. I had them make my film holders which were the most reasonable. I built my own camera based on an old Seneca 5 x7. You should check out Tillman Crane's website , someone who is responsible for promoting the format. I recently purchased several boxes of FP4+ from him. Here are pictures of the homebuilt.
182973

[angusparker]

Admittedly I don't think I looked at 5x12 format ... mostly because besides the yearly Ilford run and Xray I don't think much else is available unless you cut down from a large size. If you like a pano format I would recommend 7x17 or 4x10 (or better yet go with MF in 6x12 on a 4x5). Much more availability in cameras and film. Anyway, here was my take a few years ago on film availability by format, scroll down to the first chart:

https://www.angusparkerphoto.com/blog/2016/2/what-is-the-ULF-format-for-you

[Colin Graham]

5x12 is a nice format. I even made a banquet camera and film holders since they were hard to find second-hand. Ilford's special orders are a wonderful resource, but I got tired of having to guess how much film I'd shoot in a year. Eventually I made a reducing back for the camera and was surprised how much I preferred the 4x10 format. Everything was considerably easier without much sacrifice in image size. It was a simple matter to set up a dedicated paper trimmer for cutting down 8x10 film.

Enlarging, developing, scanning, even incidental supplies- all of these things can get pretty complicated when the long dimension goes over 10".

[Tim V]

Thanks all for the feedback. I love the 5x12 format, and think it makes a nice size for contact printing. The one advantage however of 4x10" is that I could scan it in my Imacon scanner, which is handy especially for colour work. I just like the idea of extra realestate of 5x12", and drum scanning (it must be said at great expense though) if needed. Much to think about.

[angusparker]

Thanks all for the feedback. I love the 5x12 format, and think it makes a nice size for contact printing. The one advantage however of 4x10" is that I could scan it in my Imacon scanner, which is handy especially for colour work. I just like the idea of extra realestate of 5x12", and drum scanning (it must be said at great expense though) if needed. Much to think about.

The I say go 4x10 if you want to scan or 7x17 if you want real estate and contact printing. The banquet cameras are priced well.

[LabRat]

My 5 X 12 is an Al Vista panoramic camera that used 5" roll film at one time, but will shoot 5X12 sheets one at a time... Paper negs worked well in it too... It contact prints to a reasonably large size that looks nice framed...

I used to cut down 11×14 for it, but see the panoramic dental x-ray film is a much better price... And I think the ortho film matches the look my camera produces...

Another hot tip for it is there are 5X12 x-ray developing hangers are to be had for not much money, because I found a bunch very cheap, and it does not seem hard to find something to use for tanks...

So it might not be a bad decision for a format choice...

Steve K

[Ray Van Nes]

The Jobo 3005 drum also works. Yes the film sticks out but does not seem to pose a problem. I found you need to presoak X-ray film at least 5 minutes to ensure solution gets on both sides. I found otherwise a line would appear right at the point it emerges from the drum. You can also leave the film in the drum for washing which eliminates extra handling and the chance of scratches.

[Jim Noel]

I have a Korona 5x12 which I obtained to replace the 7x17 Korona which became too unwieldy for me when I was 85. I also have a 4x10 which I built years ago. I don't like the 4x10 format as I contact print everything and never scan a negative to enlarge it. This format is not pleasant to me. I order FP4+ each year from Ilford and also use 200-300 sheets of Ektascan T-Mat G/RA Dental x-ray film.
I prefer the scale of X-ray film because it is so close the Orthochromatic films which were so popular when I began LF photography in the late 1930's.

[Jim Galli]

http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/512s/512_1s.jpg

Taken Thursday and developed tonight. This is the Volunteer Fire Department in Manhattan NV.

lens is Kollmorgan Sterling Improved Wide Angle 8X10
film is Aerographic Plus X PyroCat HD

First time the 512 has been out in years.

[Tim V]

Nice!
I know nothing about X-ray film, so should read up about it and see if it would suit me.