Why is 5x7 so much hard to find than 4x5

[Momentz]

As the topic says, is the 4x5 a much popular film? i looked on fujifilms website and then at there store locator, not one deals in 5x7 but everyone in 4x5?

[QT Luong]

With modern equipment and film, 4x5 is plenty for most needs, while 5x7 is not thought as sufficiently larger to warrant a step-up, hence 8x10 being the next popular format.
See also http://www.largeformatphotography.info/5x7.html

[Kirk Gittings]

I have no idea of the actual numbers, but there are probably 100 4x5's out there for every 5x7? Part of that history is the availability of 4x5 Polaroid which made it a favorite format amongst commercial photographers and photography schools.

[Capocheny]

I agree with both QT and Kirk... there's a lot more 4x5 and 8x10 shooters out there than there are 5x7.

However, IMHO, 5x7 is the ideal format for my way of seeing. I have both 8x10 and 4x5 cameras. I had a 5x7 Dorff but I sold it when I decided to change camera systems. However, if I can locate a 5x7 conversion kit for the Arca Swiss 4x5 F-Metric, that's the format I'll be shooting more of.

The 4x5 is a tad bit small for contact printing. The 5x7 is quite acceptable. And, of course, 8x10 is great.

Decisions, decisions, decisions... it's all about individual preferences. :)

Cheers

PS: If you go to View Camera Magazine's website there's a couple of informative articles on 5x7 cameras and the films available.

Lastly, contact Jeff at Badger Graphics (www.badgergraphics.com for 5x7 color Fuji films... or Rob Skeoch (www.bigcameraworkshops.com) in Ontario for B&W films.

[Glenn Thoreson]

A 5X7 Speed Graphic is pretty impressive. I have one. I will get into 5X7 albumen prints one of these days. Imagine the looks you would get, using the thing hand held in a big, crowded city. I don't have to worry about looks. Nobody but cows lives around here.

[venchka]

The link to Badger Graphic sent me to a printing company. Here is the web page at Badger Graphic listing 5x7 film.

http://www.badgergraphic.com/store/cart.php?m=product_list&c=202

[Capocheny]

The link to Badger Graphic sent me to a printing company. Here is the web page at Badger Graphic listing 5x7 film.

http://www.badgergraphic.com/store/cart.php?m=product_list&c=202

Wayne,

My apologies... that "s" always throws me off. :)

Cheers

[John Kasaian]

A 5X7 Speed Graphic is pretty impressive. I have one. I will get into 5X7 albumen prints one of these days. Imagine the looks you would get, using the thing hand held in a big, crowded city. I don't have to worry about looks. Nobody but cows lives around here.

Another 5x7 Speed Graphic shooter here! They are fun!:D

IMHO 5x7 is a very unique format---like the 11x14 the elongated image just looks more appropriate for some subjects. Being larger than 4x5 it makes composing on the gg easier and more logical---especially for contact printing where cropping is dubious. Is it less popular? Who cares! Get your film from Badger Graphic, Freestyle or whomever else you enjoy doing cyberbusiness with. It's a great format.

[Gene McCluney]

5x7 was VERY popular in the b/w portrait industry in the 1950's. Most portrait studios had 5x7 split frame backs that could take 2, 3 1/2 x 5 views on one sheet of 5x7 by sliding the back from one position to another. One could get 4 views on a holder of film. Very efficient. This is probably where a lot of the old 5x7 film holders come from. In commercial photography, the standards have always been 8x10 and 4x5, and of course Polaroid makes materials in both those sizes. I shot commercial product photography on 8x10 transparency for many years.

[Captain_joe6]

I think that in addition to the Polaroid bias to 4x5, that part of the downfall of 5x7 has been because of the ability and the preference to enlarge 4x5 and smaller formats, and the general acceptance that 8x10 must usually be contact printed. In this case, 5x7 becomes the forlorn middle child, too big to enlarge with all but a very few enlargers, and too overshadowed by 8x10 contact prints.

[Ross Chambers]

A 5X7 Speed Graphic is pretty impressive. I have one. I will get into 5X7 albumen prints one of these days. Imagine the looks you would get, using the thing hand held in a big, crowded city. I don't have to worry about looks. Nobody but cows lives around here.

My experience of cows (of the dairy breed anyway) is that they would probably find a LF camera setup irresistable and gather around to watch.

I guess that there are a few chickens round there too, a good start for albumen printing!

regards - Ross (another 5x7 user)

[John Kasaian]

I just came across a...a...what? flock/herd/mob/congress of wild pigs lurking around El Rancho---four cute little black pigs led by one ill tempered brown boar. We don't have javelinas around here so they must be russians. I'm not sure if they'd stand still for the speeder long enough for me to take their portraits though.

If they stick around 'til after the first frosts maybe some chile verdi might be on the menu! :D

[Gary Tarbert]

5X7 IMHO is the limbo format not a big enough step up from 5x4 ,but as mentioned earlier a better size for contact printing.
If you are new to L.F then my advice is too forget that 5x7 exists and focus on 5x4.cheers Gary

[steve simmons]

PS: If you go to View Camera Magazine's website there's a couple of informative articles on 5x7 cameras and the films available.

Here is the web site

www.viewcamera.com

and then go to the Free Articles section.


I am a big fan of the 5x7 format. I like the proportions and it is big enough to contact print.

steve simmons

[Jiri Vasina]

Just some months ago, I moved from a 4×5" camera to a 5×7" camera with a reduction back. I do not regret that change a bit, the 5×7 negative is very good and the look on the ground glass is wonderful. And as others noted, it's large enough for a contact print, yet manageable enough for enlargement...

[Mike Castles]

If you plan to contact print, I would say go for the 5x7. Much of my work has been with 5x7 (Freestyle list 15 different films available), and mounted/matted to 16x20 they look very good. If you plan to enlarge or shoot color then 4x5 might be more to your way of working.

I prefer the feel I get from 5x7 (it's why I moved up to 7x11 - and that are not many films available in that format). Consider this though, 5x7 is almost 2x the size of 4x5 - 20 si vs 35, on the other hand 8x10 might be better as it really looks good contact printed. It comes down to how you want to work and how you see the world. If I could find a 11x14 that did not weigh a ton and cost an arm and leg, would be very tempted to go that route.

[John Kasaian]

View Camera did an issue some years back on 5x7. IIRC one of the authors brought up the point that many older 4x5 woodies will accept 5x7 backs and many 4x5 lenses will cover 5x7 acceptably, so the only cost of moving up for many is the acquisition of a back and some holders---a relatively modest investment for entry into the "larger" large formats where alternative processes can be better appreciated in larger contact prints than 4x5.
I'll add that every so often 5x7 Elwood enlargers pop up on ebay dirt cheap (the expensive part of course is the shipping!)
Cheers! (I've got to go sneak past those wild piggies and feed the livestock!)

[CG]

One thing that gets too little mention is the wider ratio of height to width, an aspect ratio of 1.4 vs 1.25. The look, if you work full frame, is different. It's wider and better suited to some purposes.

Another, is that at each bigger size, certain benefits accrue, for me a 5x7 starts to be a really large format, where some of the benefits of LF really make themselves known. It's almost an 8x10, and a 4x5 seems almost like roll film size to me. I know - very subjective on that one - just me.

I like just looking into a 5x7 or bigger camera's viewscreen more than a 4x5 too.

C

[Gene McCluney]

5X7 is just not that much harder to acquire, really. Always lots of vintage wood 5x7 cameras for bid on popular auction sites. Most, if not all, major camera manufacturers currently making wood field-type cameras offer a 5x7 model, Multi-format cameras such as the Sinar-P models offered a 5x7 conversion back and bellows. Metal field-type cameras such as Linhof, older Toyo, Rittreck, Graflex..all offered 5x7 format, which can be found used. Any wood 8x10 camera can accept a 5x7 reducing back. Freestyle shows 16 different stock films available in 5x7. Yes, there are a "few" more products available in 4x5...but there are far more 5x7 cameras, films, and enlargers available than for 11x14, for instance.

[Glenn Thoreson]

5X7 was popular for home portraits way back when the earth was still cooling. Graflex and others produced "Home Portrait" cameras. Graflex also made the 5X7 SLR press camera, and later (prior to 1940), the 5X7 Speed Graphic. You don't see very many of those. Now, about those piggies and the green chile...... can you mail me some? :D

[John Kasaian]

I just learned that the piggies are something called "razorbacks" and have taken hoof bail from one of the nieghboring ranches.

Funny looking University of Arkansas alumni! I guess there is something to those jokes about inbreeding in Arkansas afterall :D