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View Full Version : Which fast B&W film for hand held 5x7??



John Kasaian
5-Jul-2006, 23:19
My 5x7 Speeder is going back into action soon and I'm really excited about being able to use it again as it is the only LF camera I feel comfortable taking along on family outings because, well...its fast, especially when handheld. I'd like to get some fast film (I've never shot any 5x7 faster than FP-4+) and between J and C and Freestyle, there are four emulsions available that look like they might fill the bill. They are:

Kodak Tri-x Pro 320
Kodak TMAX 400
Ilford HP-5+
J and C 400

What are your thoughts on these films? I've used Kodak and Ilford before but not the J and C. I'm most interested in what 5x7 shooters and hand held shooters think. Ideally I'm looking for a film that does nicely in D-76 or Ansco 130. My handheld work is very simple---I don't concern myself with expansion or contraction: theres enough mental & physical gymnastics just loading the 5x7 film holders with one hand and winding the shutter curtain to overload my gray cells.

I plan on shooting handheld landscapes, some aerials, architecture, nocturnes(with a tripod) and outdoor portraits.

TIA

Jay DeFehr
6-Jul-2006, 00:10
John,

I'm confident that you could make any of the films on your list work for you, with a little aquaintance. I have all of those films on hand, and I've been shooting handheld, available light portraits with my 3x4 Graflex, loaded with JC400, and printing on Azo G2 Canadian. It takes a lot of development to fit that paper, but it looks great when I get it right. I Shoot HP5+, TMY, and TXP in 8x10, and of the bunch, TMY is my favorite, and in my opinion, the most forgiving, but they're all great films. Handheld 5x7 must be a real kick! Did they make 5x7 bag mags?

Jay

Sheldon N
6-Jul-2006, 00:20
This may not exactly be on point, but when I'm looking for a faster film in B&W 4x5, I will push Tri-X 320 to 800 and develop in Acufine. Usually the context is lifestyle/people photography where I need to eliminate motion blur but still maintain some resemblance of depth of field.

Acufine is a speed enhancing developer, so it actually helps bring up shadow detail, even when pushing film. I find the results to be pleasing overall, good acutance and a nice contrasty feel.

Here's an example scan, Fuji 240mm A f/9 wide open at 1/15 second. That water's cold!

Jay DeFehr
6-Jul-2006, 00:35
Very nice, Sheldon. How did his shot look?

Jay

Sheldon N
6-Jul-2006, 01:09
I haven't seen the negatives yet, but I'm curious myself. He was shooting with the 110mm SSXL, so I'm sure that it'll look wonderful. Besides, the shot always looks better the more effort you put into making it. :)

David A. Goldfarb
6-Jul-2006, 02:06
Classic 400 also does well in Acufine. I rate it at 640, and I've used it for handheld work with the 5x7" Press Graflex.

Frank Petronio
6-Jul-2006, 03:17
Porta 400NC!

John Kasaian
6-Jul-2006, 07:33
Thanks for all the replies! You've all given me a lot of good info I'll need to digest before ordering my next box (which will be soon!)

Jay de Fehr: I do have a 5x7 bag mag off a graflex aerial camera but the 'bag' part is shot!

Thank you all.

Jay DeFehr
6-Jul-2006, 13:05
John,

John Nanian, in his wisdom and charity, recommended bag mags in lieu of standard holders to me, and also related his experience with having the leather replaced on one or more of his own magazines. You might consider contacting him for details, but I think it would be worth the effort/expense. I've come to love my bag mags, and could not imagine going back to standard holders. Good luck, and enjoy.

Jay

jnantz
6-Jul-2006, 19:15
hey john

i have a few bag mags that i use with my series d ...
one of them i had the leather replaced. i went to a guy
that repairs (and makes) leather-goods when i lived in boston.

the leather is attached to the wooden box by a few screws and a few metal
parts. i unscrewed it, and carefully removed it + brought it to the guy ... i told him what it was for + he knew some sort of "light proof stitch" ( as he called it ) and i have been using it ever since ( about 10 years ) without a problem. you might call a few leather workers in your area that do "fine leather work" ( vs. cobbler work :) ) and they probably know the same stitches ...

filmwise :

i'm a big fan of using trix 400 and then dbi ... i don't know what i am shooting it at anymore, i just green-light it and then into the fix ...

the lady i used to work for had a 5x7 speed graphic beautiful !
you can have a picnic on it too :)

good luck john!

---john

John Kasaian
6-Jul-2006, 22:29
Thanks for the info john! I'll have to dig the bag mag out of the cannibal box and take a closer look. I really excited about usng it again---its on its way back from Richard RItter who cured the ol' gal's ills---
i'll post a report when it gets here.

Peter Roody
7-Jul-2006, 08:00
Thanks for the info john! I'll have to dig the bag mag out of the cannibal box and take a closer look. I really excited about usng it again---its on its way back from Richard RItter who cured the ol' gal's ills---
i'll post a report when it gets here.

John,

I have a 5x7 bagmag but I can't figure out how it works. Do you know if there are instructions available (on the web?) for them?

Peter

David A. Goldfarb
7-Jul-2006, 12:52
It's pretty easy. I've got a plate mag (with film adapters) and film mag for my 5x7" Press Graflex.

Load the film in the septums and put the septums in the mag so that the open end of the septums is away from the bag. The darkslide works like it does on a normal filmholder.

Try this in the light without film in the mag to see how it works--

There is a rod on the bottom of the bag mag for pulling the septum with the exposed sheet into the leather bag. Pull it out, and the septum will go most of the way into the bag. Feel through the bag and ease the septum the rest of the way out and tilt it to slip it into the back of the stack. It's that simple. There are thin slots at either end of the stack, so you won't accidentally remove the wrong septum or put it in the wrong place.

One attraction of bag mags over Grafmatics, aside from holding more film, is that the exposed sheets are on top of the stack for removal via the back door, so if you don't shoot the whole mag, you don't have to remove the whole stack to get to the sheets that are ready for processing.

jnantz
8-Jul-2006, 07:00
It's pretty easy. I've got a plate mag (with film adapters) and film mag for my 5x7" Press Graflex.

Load the film in the septums and put the septums in the mag so that the open end of the septums is away from the bag. The darkslide works like it does on a normal filmholder.

Try this in the light without film in the mag to see how it works--

There is a rod on the bottom of the bag mag for pulling the septum with the exposed sheet into the leather bag. Pull it out, and the septum will go most of the way into the bag. Feel through the bag and ease the septum the rest of the way out and tilt it to slip it into the back of the stack. It's that simple. There are thin slots at either end of the stack, so you won't accidentally remove the wrong septum or put it in the wrong place.

One attraction of bag mags over Grafmatics, aside from holding more film, is that the exposed sheets are on top of the stack for removal via the back door, so if you don't shoot the whole mag, you don't have to remove the whole stack to get to the sheets that are ready for processing.

are the 2x3, 3x4 and 5x7 ones as finicky as the 4x5 ones ?
if i don't put one septum in first and then the "stack" afterwards
the septums get all jammed up in the box and don't want to go into
the bag ... maybe i just got the lucky one, kindo of like when i get the dribble-cup
when at my local take out coffeeshop ;)

just wonderin'

-john

Jay DeFehr
8-Jul-2006, 10:17
HI John.

I have three 3x4 magazines, and aside from one of them being made with heavier, stiffer leather, which is a little more difficult to manipulate than the others, they all work fine. Once I developed a system to keep track of the film status of the holders, everything has worked like clockwork. Thanks again for the good advice.

Jay

bob carnie
8-Jul-2006, 15:08
Hi John

A couple of my friends are shooting Linhoff 4x5 hand held using hp5 in Microphen push one stop , as well trix push one stop in d76, both are getting excellent results.
may be worth trying.

David A. Goldfarb
8-Jul-2006, 17:18
are the 2x3, 3x4 and 5x7 ones as finicky as the 4x5 ones ?
if i don't put one septum in first and then the "stack" afterwards
the septums get all jammed up in the box and don't want to go into
the bag ... maybe i just got the lucky one, kindo of like when i get the dribble-cup
when at my local take out coffeeshop ;)

just wonderin'

-john

I usually put about half the stack in first and then the other half.

Mine don't seem too finicky, but the plate mag was a bit stiff when I got it. I disassembled it, cleaned off some verdigris from the brass and copper parts, replaced the cracked darkslide with a modern one cut down to size, and I think I lubricated the channel for the rod with wax. I also patched a thin spot in the leather with some thin scrap leather and Pliobond and made a new leather handle for it.