Make your own 6x25 panaromic format film holder?

[Geckophoto]

I'm just starting to get my old 8x10 camera out and have a lot of film holders and was thinking about making a panaromic film holder out of one. Has anyone tried to make a 6x25cm format holder, I want to cut 120mm film into 1/3rds and load into my holder or make some type of adapter to convert the whole roll of film to run at once.

I know I can just shoot the whole sheet of film but want to make some extra wide negs to drum scan and make some high res panoramic murals. I was thinking about busting apart one holder and taking the edges where the film slides under and gluing them into the center of the other side of the holder and load cut 120mm film directly into it...one 'sheet' at a time..then process in my jobo on reels. I'm wondering is the film will stay flat enough for focus? Any ideas?

[Brian ER]

Hi

I may be wrong but I do not think the film base or 120 roll film is thick enough to use as you wish to - it will be very awkward to control film flatness. As a cheaper suggestion why not draw pencil lines to size on your GG and just crop your 10x8 ULF film. ??

Brian

[Geckophoto]

I"m trying to use the center of the film holder, thought about masking off sections and adjusting the camera movements..but want to only deal with the center area.Plus roll film is cheaper! Just wondering if anyone ever tried this?

[GPS]

The thickness is indeed different for the 120 format (less thick), the registration would be slightly off. A better solution, less work, would be to make a big mask with rails (2 layers of a sheet material could make the rail) and put the film under it, between the rails (Scotch at the short ends?). Like that you avoid cutting the film holder AND the dark slide and you can be sure the film will be flat.

[C. D. Keth]

Any reason you don't want to cut a darkslide and expose 2 4x10s on a sheet of 8x10? It's a very simple proven way and an elegant aspect ratio. Some rise or fall can allow you to use the center, or nearly the center of the lens.

I think rollfilm will have problems with flatness and with trying to roll up and jump out of any rails you make for it.

[GPS]

In fact, if you added a 3rd layer of a sheet (paper) over the rail window, thus creating a pocket, you could introduce the roll film into it. It would have the advantage of making up for the thickness difference and the film would be safely guarded in the pocket. The loading would be much easier too.

[IanMazursky]

I have seen somewhere on the net a guy that added a vacuum system to a 4x5 holder.
He was using it for star trail photography but it might work here too.

Here is the link (http://www.deadbread.com/crumbs/vac.html).
I wanted to do it for my 12x20. I bought a bunch of really thin 9.5" aerial roll film.
It looks really neat and could hold down the roll film.

[venchka]

Any reason you don't want to cut a darkslide and expose 2 4x10s on a sheet of 8x10? It's a very simple proven way and an elegant aspect ratio. Some rise or fall can allow you to use the center, or nearly the center of the lens.

I think rollfilm will have problems with flatness and with trying to roll up and jump out of any rails you make for it.

A good, simple, inexpensive, fool proof method. Folks make cameras for 4x10. There is something good about the aspect ratio. The cut down darkslide is a lot cheaper.

[C. D. Keth]

A good, simple, inexpensive, fool proof method. There is something good about the aspect ratio.

I agree. The 2.5:1 aspect ratio is very pleasing. I find it very comfortable because it is very close to the scope anamorphic aspect ratio for motion pictures, which is 2.39:1.