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View Full Version : Two 5x8 shots on a 8x10?



Scott Morgan
23-Dec-2008, 17:40
Like is done with two 4x10's on a sheet of 8x10, this would just be shooting with the film halved the other way. I cut out pieces of paper representing various negative sizes, and my 4x5 sure looked small next to the 5x8! I was impressed at the visual difference between the 5x7 and 5x8 as well.

The advantage would be in carrying just one camera (with one back) into the field, and one size film holder, and being able to shoot three formats: 8x10, 4x10, and 5x8. I am mostly interested in the latter two formats due to lens coverage (cost of lenses) and cost of film/processing.

For the first shot, you'd simply remove the normal darkslide halfway. For the second shot, a specially-cut darkslide (as in my drawing below) would be inserted. I guess this 5x8 darkslide would have to keep some material on the sides so that it slides properly, resulting in an actual image area of maybe 5x7 1/2" for the second shot.

What do ya'll think? (It's probably been done before, I just haven't read about it.!!!!)
Scott
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk167/samorgan6/5x8darkslide.jpg

vinny
23-Dec-2008, 17:59
do a search on splitter boards. make one to fit the inside of your camera back. that way you don't sacrifice any image area or a darkslide. It also allows you to compose the shot with the opposite 1/2 of the ground glass blacked out.

Vaughn
23-Dec-2008, 18:23
The actual image area will be 4.5 x 7.5 or thereabouts (you need 1/4 inch at least between the two halves.), splitters in the camera would make it more worthwhile.

If you did modify a dark slide, you'd had better use a metal one. Any other material would not last long.

Vaughn

Scott Morgan
23-Dec-2008, 18:53
Thanks guys. I'll research splitter boards. If it saves image area, and doesn't take up much room or weigh much, sounds like a good way to go...

Yes, I'd use a metal darkslide if cutting one.

Scott

Vaughn
23-Dec-2008, 19:01
Scott, I mentioned it because my first modified dark slide was out of the more brittle material most commonly used for dark slides. Worked great, but eventually I cracked it. My metal one has lasted a couple years so far.

What type of 8x10 do you have?

Vaughn

Brian Vuillemenot
23-Dec-2008, 20:56
Sounds like a great idea. I've thought about doing something like this before, since I've been doing the half darkslide thing for 4X10 for quite a while. I envisioned using 2 cut darkslides, one like the one you illustrated and one truncated in half to give a 5X8 when fully inserted (this might be a bit less filmsy then pulling out the darkslide half way). One challenge would be how to keep track of which side of the film has been exposed. For 4X10, I stick colored circular stickers on the 8X10 film holder to mark which side of the film I've exposed immediately after exposure. This method should work well for 5X8. Also, you'd have to cut the darkslides to leave a 1/4 inch or so margin between the two exposures, which might require you to first cut conservatively, then enlarge the opening if necessary. This should work well, though. Good luck, and please keep us posted of your results!

Scott Morgan
23-Dec-2008, 21:18
What type of 8x10 do you have?
Vaughn

None, yet. Been looking at various options for panoramic formats, such as a dedicated 4x10 camera and the 6x17cm stuff. I came to the realization that an 8x10 with the cut darkslides (or splitter boards!!!) would be the best bang for my buck.

If anyone has any links with pics of a splitter board in action, please share. I've been searching posts without much luck.
Scott

Vaughn
23-Dec-2008, 21:37
Scott, the the ones I hear about are for Deardorffs -- they fit within grooves in front of the camera back (inside the camera.)

Here is an ebay auction for the 4x10 and 5x8 splitters.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Deardorff-8x10-4x10-and-5x8-slider-back-board-set_W0QQitemZ280295024535QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Camera_Accessories?hash=item280295024535&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1461|66%3A4|65%3A12|39%3A2|240%3A1318

Hopefully that long link works! You will have to cut&paste it in probably. At least it will give you an idea of what they look like.

I enjoy having the opportunity to shoot 4x10...with just the extra weight of one darkslide (less than one actually)...and verticals are as easy as hortizontals. Having some front shift and rise/fall makes it easier to center the lens on the portion of the film to be exposed.

Jason Greenberg Motamedi
23-Dec-2008, 22:15
The Deardorff splitters work very well. I recently did a speed test and rather than use eight sheets of 8x10 film, I only used two. To get 4x5 sized exposures on a sheet of 8x10 you have to pop open the back after each exposure and move the splitters, but it really isn't hard. Alternatively Deardorff, Ansco, and maybe B&J made a sliding back for their cameras, so you can expose two 5x8s. The 8x10 slider backs are a bit more uncommon (they are very large), but they can be found. I have one as well as a sliding 5x7. Lots of fun.

Turner Reich
23-Dec-2008, 23:52
Scott, I mentioned it because my first modified dark slide was out of the more brittle material most commonly used for dark slides. Worked great, but eventually I cracked it. My metal one has lasted a couple years so far.

Vaughn do you have a snap shot of your metal slide? If it's a job to do don't bother.

Vaughn
24-Dec-2008, 00:17
TR...I don't, but tomorrow I will use the wife's digital and snap a quick one off of it. It will give me something to do before heading to work in the gallery tomorrow...we don't open until 10am. (I have a feeling it will be a busy day tomorrow! Our sales for Nov and Dec have been better than Nov/Dec 2007. Even with a lousy economy, people are still buying local art.)

Turner Reich
24-Dec-2008, 00:48
Which Gallery do you work in there?

Vaughn
24-Dec-2008, 01:07
I belong to a cooperative of artists who run their own gallery...28 of us at the present time.

http://www.arcataartisans.com/ One of these days I am going to have to give our "webmaster" some decent images to put on my page -- and get rid of the broken link.

Vaughn

Daniel Unkefer
24-Dec-2008, 04:36
I have a set of Sinar Norma splitter boards for my 8x10 Sinar Norma back. The Norma has a slot all around the inside of the back, to accept them, vertically or horizontally. Works just fine.

Mike Castles
24-Dec-2008, 08:29
The same for my old Korona, it did not have a splitter board, so I made one. You just need to measure the inside of the back, decide how deep the grove (slot) is and your done. Used hobbie board form mine, and it would have just been a different board to make a 5x8. Worked well, but I decided that 4x10 wasn't for me, and went with the 7x11 Ritter instead.

Vaughn
24-Dec-2008, 09:22
TR...here it is.

You can see a dent in the metal -- a plastic slide would have been history. I measured "A" just by putting the dark slide in the holder and drawing a line on the slide at the edge of the image area.

Vaughn

PS...Santa, what I would really like is a 7x17camera!

Scott Morgan
24-Dec-2008, 09:24
Thanks for the ebay link, Vaughn. They look pretty simple...but for splitters to work, the camera needs to have the groove that the boards sit in??? I guess a handy person could craft something up for any camera, but I'm not that handy.

So, which cameras (seen for sale these days) besides Deardorff, do this from the factory?


Alternatively Deardorff, Ansco, and maybe B&J made a sliding back for their cameras, so you can expose two 5x8s. The 8x10 slider backs are a bit more uncommon (they are very large), but they can be found. I have one as well as a sliding 5x7. Lots of fun.

I'm totally lost now. Are "sliding backs" something different than the splitter boards on a Deardorff?
Scott

Scott Morgan
24-Dec-2008, 09:29
Oops, forgot about the prior posts.

So, Deardorff, Sinar Norma, Korona have the grooves for splitters to be installed.
Others?

Vaughn
24-Dec-2008, 09:37
A slider back (as opposed to interior slider boards) is actually the entire back of the camera. The back has a 5x8 (or whatever size it is) opening and the the entire film holder slides across this opening to expose each half of the film. They are usually quite a bit bigger (and heavier) than a normal camera back. I have a 5x7 slider back on my Kodak 2D 8x10 camera (it actually might be 5x8 -- I have never used it...just its other plain 5x7 reducing back.)

Slider backs were most often used for studio portraits, so weight and bulkiness were not an issue. Their advantage is that one frames up the image, and one gets both images on the film without having to move the camera to reframe the second shot as the holder is just slid over instead.

Vaughn