Need your advice on Purchasing a Starter 4x5 Setup [Archive]

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l2oBiN

29-Jul-2010, 14:19

Robert Ley

29-Jul-2010, 16:32

A couple of things-Fuji will no longer be making quickloads, so you might want to think about getting some holders. Used holders are fairly cheap ($7-$10 ea) and boxed film widely available in many flavors both color and B&W.

A better meter for you may be a first generation Sekonic L-508. It is a combination 1-5deg spot and incident meter. very versatile and will even give you flash exposures. You should be able to pick one up for about $200.

If this is a first foray into LF, I would suggest that you buy as much as you can used and cheap. This way if LF is not for you, you haven't spent a boat load of money. You will almost never be able to recover the cost of a new camera when you sell, but almost always can recover the cost of used equipment.

LF photography and the equipment used is a very personal thing. What works for me may not for you and you likely will not continue with the first camera that you own. Go cheap first, learn what you like and need and then try to find the camera that you will use into the future or not.

The Nikon 210 is a good choice. It will give you a good starter lens with tons of movements to learn LF.

I think that you will find this forum a great source of information and knowledge. Good luck and good light!

Cheers,
Robert

ac12

29-Jul-2010, 16:40

Hold off on mounting the lens until you get the camera, as the lens board is not interchangeable between all makes.
The board should have the proper size hole, I think a Copal 1 for that lens.
You need a lens wrench, got mine for $20 at a camera mart.

I got a piece of black and white cloth from the local fabric store, and will have it sewn together; one side back (inside) other side white (outside). A dark shirt might do just as well. You just need to block enough light to see and focus the image on the ground glass.

You can get used film holders relatively cheaply. I got mine for $5 each at the local camera mart. They were so cheap that I got 2x more than I originally planed for.
You will need a changing back anyway, so that is not an issue.

bobwysiwyg

29-Jul-2010, 16:58

You should pick-up a book on using V-cam, there are several. I picked up a used copy of "Using The View Camera" by Steve Simmons for just a couple of $$. Check Amazon.

stevebrot

29-Jul-2010, 16:58

Some advice:

Although pictured on the camera, you will probably need a lens board. The hole size depends on your Nikkor's shutter.
210mm is considered to be a portrait lens on 4x5 (approximately the same as 70mm on 35mm film). You may want to consider a 130mm of 150mm at some point as a "normal" lens.
Cut sheets are cheaper than QuickLoad. OTOH, QuickLoad are less hassle and dust free. You don't need a changing bag or dark tent to load regular film holders...a darkened room will do.
The Schneider loupe is a nice unit, but the Peak 4x is about half the money if you can find one where you live
Light meters can be expensive. Spot meters are nice, but not essential. If batteries are an issue with a particular meter, adapters are available that will allow use of alkaline or silver cells. The cheaper CdS meters may be your best bet as a noob. The are compact, light, and generally accurate. As you define your shooting style, you can decide whether you need to add incident metering, spot metering or low light sensitivity.
I don't have a dark cloth, but really am feeling the need. Yes, a jacket or dark shirt will work, it can be clumsy. Consider making one rather than buying.
Cable release length depends on your type of photography. 1 meter?
Lenses mount onto the lens board with a backing ring. Ideally the ring is tightened on using a specialized tool. In a pinch you can use your finger nails, but they don't work very well.

Steve

Jack Dahlgren

29-Jul-2010, 17:08

Hello,
I have purchased the nikon 210 w 5.6mm lens as my first lens, however it is not mounted on a lens board and I am unsure whether I should be attempting to mount the lens on the board myself? Is it easy? Do I need special tools? Any tips how to do this?

Shen Hao PTB45

ShenHao 1m cable release (X3 for future lenses and in Case I lose one)

Fuji Quickload Holder + Velvia 50 quickload 20sheets (So far the quickload seems to be the easiest most hassle free option. Not sure whether I should just get some holders at first and some sheets of film, it might be much cheaper, and it might help me learn more about film, but then I would need, a changing tent, and film holders which in themselves cost considerably.. your opinions?)

Schneider 4x Lupe for viewing slides and focusing (not sure whether a 6x would be better, the 6x is almost 2x the price!)

A spot meter (The spot meters all seem to be quite expensive, the closest one I could find is the Sekonic L758D and that is quite expensive! I have heard the old Pentax has the problem of mercury batteries which I could not buy due to the contemporary environmental restrictions)

Harrison Silver Classic Dark Cloth (again not sure if necessary, perhaps a shirt will be sufficient)

Am I missing something? What do you think of the above combination of equipment?

Thank you for your input...

1) Choose camera next. The lensboard is usuall specific to the camera. Tell them what sort of shutter your lens is mounted in so they can drill the hole for you. It is not too difficult to mount the lens in the lensboard (unscrew rear element, unscrew locking ring, put lens in hole, screw on locking ring, screw on rear element).

2) Start with a forgiving cheap film. Exposure on a view camera is complicated by things like bellows extension etc. Then there are the inevitable mistakes you will make (forgetting to close the lens, dark slides, determining real shutter speeds, ferreting out light leaks, etc.) do that with film that is cheap rather than expensive.

3) I used to have a spot meter a long time ago, but you can do fine with a less expensive meter. Even eyeballing exposure can work out if the lighting is not challenging.

rdenney

30-Jul-2010, 04:47

You will get 10 different strategies for every five people who respond. At some point, you'll just have to jump in and make your own mistakes. Then, you'll be qualified to add a couple of strategies to the thread started by the next person just getting started.

As has been mentioned, Quickloads are no longer being made, though old stocks are still available. If you can get a used holder cheaply enough, it might be worth it if you can amass a sufficient stock of film. But if your aim is to give you a way to experiment without having to also climb the sheet-film learning curve, I would suggest spending that money on a Fuji PA-45 holder and a couple of boxes of Fuji FP100C instant film. It is peel-apart instant print film like Polaroid used to be, and you'll be able to navigate the basics of the camera with instant feedback. That will allow you to cover the steepest part of the camera's learning curve while deferring the film-handling learning curve temporarily. It will also be useful into the future for times when you must confirm the setup before committing it to regular film.

The 210 lens will use a Copal No. 1 shutter, which requires a 41 or 42mm hole in the lensboard. Just go out and buy any lens board that will fit your camera designed for a "Copal No. 1" shutter, and the lens will probably fit perfectly. If the hole is slightly too small, just open it up a bit with sandpaper. If it is slightly too large, just tighten the retaining ring down and don't worry about it. The bigger the camera, the less the require precision in mounting the lens. You might want to invest in a set of retaining ring spanners, which are inexpensive.

Yes, a 210 is slightly long on 4x5, but if you were happy using just a 50mm or 55mm lens on a 35mm camera, the 210 will be fine as a starting point. Figure out one lens before getting on the lens buying train. There is plenty of time for that!

For large format, I prefer a spot meter, but I also have warped my brain into the Zone System mold. The idea of a spot meter is to measure specific luminances in the scene, and then apply exposure, filtering, and (with black and white) development techniques to connect those scene luminances to specific values (shades of gray for B&W) on the print, predictably. Another strategy is to measure overall scene luminance, and then judge from the look of the scene whether that luminance really is middle gray, and if so expose for that luminance. That's the way small-format cameras work when in "averaging" mode. The "partial" or "evaluative" metering mode of small cameras is sort of a cross between these two approaches. It seeks to make sure that the bright and dark areas of the scene will receive a usable exposure. You will become fairly sophisticated on exposing using a large-format camera, partly because your vision will sharpen as you spend a half hour or more with a scene, and partly because bracketing will be too expensive.

I have an older Pentax Spotmeter V, and I use regular non-mercury batteries in it, and it seems to work fine. I have compared it with my Minoltla Spotmeter F and a Sekonic L-718, and they all differ slightly but they are all within a tight range. I also have an old Gossen Luna Pro, and that meter was a bit wacky with non-mercury batteries. Pentax and Minolta spot meters often sell used for $200 or less. I prefer the Pentax because it reads in EV (exposure value) and I can place each reading on a Zone System scale easily. The Minolta, being all electronic with no meter movement, is more rugged, but both have survived a lot of banging around in my bag.

Many recommend Steve Simmons's book, and I'm sure it is very good. But I think any budding large-format photographer should also own Ansel Adams's series, The Camera, The Negative, and The Print. That will provide a fairly complete exposition of all the important topics we face, including the Zone System and visualization. I would have wasted less effort starting out had I bought those books earlier.

Rick "mistakes are unavoidable; perfection is unattainable: just do it" Denney

Rakesh Malik

30-Jul-2010, 14:38

The only thing I'd add is to skip the Quickloads, due to their being discontinued.

You can get film holders pretty inexpensively now, I picked up several at a local camera shop (Glazers if you're in the Pugetopolis) for around $20 apiece. I got a film changing bag for around $30, and now carry a total of 4 film holders plus some film and a changing bag when backpacking.

Using regular sheet film rather than Quickloads also gives you more versatility and choice as far as film goes -- I started shooting Delta for my black and white, and I'm very happy with it, partly because it looks so beautiful, and partly because it's very forgiving. When I made the switch to sheets from Quickloads, I loaded a bunch of sheets backward (i.e. emulsion toward the lens). The slides were mostly toast, but the B&W images were fine. Once I realized that I'd loaded my first two batches of film backward, I was surprised that the B&W images didn't show any adverse affects.

l2oBiN

31-Jul-2010, 15:57

Thank you all for your insightful comments. I now have a sekonic L508 meter on is way, however it does not have an instruction manual. Would anyone have it?
I am ditching the quickload and I will go for the film holders. Which film holders are the best? Any difference between new and used holders? Do the holders havet match a specific camera back?

Should I start with BW film? What is the best/cheapest film to start with? Should I develop myself? Is it hard? Is it cost effective? Do I need additional tools?

Where can I get spare 4x5 boxes just to keep the exposed film? Anyone willing to send me some with one or two sheets of used film to practise loading and unloading?

Which eBay dark cloth do you recommend? Any you have tried or think it's good? Similarly any experience with eBay changing tents?

I an planing to stick a RSS rail on the bottom of the camera to enable quick release.

In term of the camera, I would like something that is cheap and has lots of movements and yet is a wooden field based camera. The shenhao came to mind but I could not find many on eBay. Any suggestions of a similar wooden camera? The tachihara perhaps? But it does not have a graflock back and limited back movements...

bobwysiwyg

31-Jul-2010, 19:26

http://www.mamiya.nl/client/mamiya/uploads/downloads/l-508.pdf

JHenry

31-Jul-2010, 19:36

I2oBiN,

Let me add my two cents worth, as I was in your position on a few months ago.

Any film holders will do. I'm using Chamonix, but also have some Toyo. I suggest you number each film holder, with a different number/designator for each side. That way if your exposures are bad or something is wrong with the film, you can determine if it is your or the film holder. I just got film back from a recent trip and have learned that one of my film holders has a light leak--all the film that came from one specific holder is more exposed on one side.

Skip the traditional dark cloth--they are expensive. Not sure where you are, but I went to REI (an outdoor equipment store) and purchased a large camping towel. For $30 bucks I got a dark blue, highly absorbant, and nearly opaque hugh towel. It is light weight, and relatively plush, so I use it to wrap my tripod in my suitcase when I travel, and then it provides padding in my backpack for camera and lenses when on location. Also, depending on the environment, being under any dark cloth will get hot. Because this is a towel, it allows me to wipe sweat off easily.

Loading film is actually pretty easy. Just sacrifice one of the sheets in your first box to practice. Or, as I did, just read how to do it on the Internet and then give it a go. As is mentioned somewhere else on this site, don't remove the dark slide all the way when you are loading film.

I second the recommendation for the Peak 4x loupe. It works great.

I'm sure some will disagree with me, but I didn't find a need for a Spanner Wrench to put the lens into the lens board. I just screwed it on and it hasn't moved or come loose yet.

As for camera, I purchased the Chamonix 45-1n. I could have waited for the -2 model, but thought the -1 would fit my needs. It's great and works as it should. Build quality is also excellent.

Lastly, a big lesson learned during a recent trip to Morocco and Scotland where I shot about 120 sheets of 4x5. I used my spot meter religiously to find the best average exposure settings, then bracketed most of the shots on both sides of the average. Once I got the film developed, I learned that almost without exception the average shot was dead on. Of course, I bracketed because I am still learning. However, this resulted in an almost additional 2x spent on film and developing (because the two bracketed shots weren't needed). Spend a little extra time determining the proper exposure, and then just take one shot. When you get the shot developed examine it and your notes on exposure/filters/etc, and then think about how you can improve your next shot.

Best of luck. It's a lot of fun.

Jeff

Frank Petronio

31-Jul-2010, 23:07

Figure out how you're going to process and either scan or print your film.

If you haven't got a darkroom or analog experience, what would work is to send your film to a place like Edgar's http://www.4photolab.com and have him do it for you. Then scan the film on an Epson flatbed with a transparency adapter large enough to handle sheet film (like the models 4990, 700, 750) and go through a digital workflow like your DSLR. Edgar can scan and retouch and print too but it's expensive compared to DIY.

You can just send the exposed Quickloads in a Priority Mail box or something. If you use conventional film holders, get at least five (most people get more) and load up the entire 10-sheet box of film into your five double-sheet holders. Presto, you now have an empty box for offloading your exposed film and sending it off to be processed.

It is so much easier to find a local large-format photographer to show you the ropes. Don't come to my house uninvited but most of the other people here are very friendly and you have my permission to swing by at dinner time.

Any $5 slide viewing loupe and cable release will do just fine at first, as will a black t-shirt or jacket for focusing. A Harrison film changing tent is well worth the money however, if you don't have a darkroom. Just use your DSLR to figure out the exposure and get some experience, then get the meter you really want should you ever decide that you even need one.

Color Neg film, like Kodak Portra 160NC or 400NC is going to be more forgiving and flexible than E6 slide film like Velvia. For B&W they are all good, but in any case just get one type of film and make it easy on yourself.

Likewise the 210mm lens is fine to start with and may be all you ever need. Don't fret about the next gadget or lens until you've mastered the basics. You can mount the lens onto the lensboard with finger tightness, or slip a blade tip into the retaining screw's slot to give it a few extra degrees of twist. Save yourself $20 on the lenswrench until you decide to get more gear.

Wooden cameras are pretty. Seems like a dumb reason to choose a camera though, but I'm a bigot when it comes to things like that, I like durable, flexible, metal ones that cost a fraction of the price of the pretty woodies ;-) You can find a simple metal Calumet monorail for $100 that will make just as good a photo as something costing 50x more, and in some ways it may be a better camera to learn on since you can see all the possibilities for movements directly. The downside is they are heavier and bulkier, but unless you are a backpacker what does it matter? And even if you are packing it, I still recommend starting with a cheap one because then once you have an idea what you're doing, you can invest in the camera that suits you best.

Otherwise, if your heart is set on a woodie then just wait on the classifieds because every week some failed, frustrated newbie is selling their outfit they carefully researched (and bought the best of, "for a lifetime!")

There is a book by Jim Stone that is also a good beginner view camera book. But you can read and ask questions here and I think you'll do better than the books -- I guess it depends on your learning style.

Now I just saved you $800 to $1200.... do a good deed.

stevebrot

2-Aug-2010, 18:46

RE: Cheap Film...

I shoot Fuji Acros 100 on 35mm and 120, but until I am fully proficient with the view camera, I am sticking with Arista.EDU Ultra from Freestyle. It is pretty forgiving, has moderately fine grain, drys without curl, and is quite a bit less money than pretty everything else at $23.99 for 50 sheets. Rumor has it that it is relabeled Fomapan 100.

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/190125-Arista-EDU-Ultra-BandW-100-iso-4x5-25-sheets?cat_id=404

Or...closer to home...Fomapan 100 from macodirect.de:

http://www.macodirect.de/fomapan-sheet-filmbr102x127cm-4x550-sheets-p-105.html

Steve

joselsgil

3-Aug-2010, 16:08

l2oBiN,

My advice would be to just a hold of any view camera (4X5 being the least expensive), and practice, practice, practice. Later on you will know what works good for your style or prefered photography, landscape over studio work.

Your lens is a very good lens, I would use it and unless you have a desire to shot wide landscapes, it will most likely work for just about any type of work you wish to do.

As for buying your equipment? You didn't mention where you live. What country or region. So what is easily accessable in the USA, is not in many parts of the world. This info is also needed, as you may want to attend a local community college or adult school and take advantage of their equipment and wet and digital labs. My first experience with large format was using the community college Calumet with a 210mm Schneider lens. The school also provided tripods, light meters, film holders, in all everything but film. It is a great way to learn what works and what you don't like about a particular manufacture.

Personally, I have never purchased a new large format item, other than film.
Ebay and Craiglist are one of the best sources for buying equipment at good prices. Also check your local colleges and adult photo schools as many students sell equipment when the move up to more expensive items or just sell the equipment because they don't like the slower pace of large format photography. I purchased a Crown Graphic (very light and compact), from one of my photography instructors, 20 years ago, for $100. The camera and lens work fine, he just prefered his Hasselblad to a 4X5.

I just purchased on ebay, a Weston Master II light meter, (Same type Ansel used in his early days), for .99 cents and $5 shipping. And it works fine, no batteries needed.
I also just purchased 10 fidelilty 4X5 film holders for $9.99 plus $10 for shipping. This is also a great source to find photo books, many selling for $1.

You can purchase better equipment today for less money than you could 20 years ago.
I guess we can all thank the digital world for that.

Good luck.

l2oBiN

8-Aug-2010, 16:26

Thanks for the advice people. I have have managed to purchase a wista dx camera second hand. I hope it will be good (it's still in transit), are they good cameras?. I am now looking for the correct lens board for the Nikon 210 w compatible with the camera. Does anyone know which boards ard compatible? Is there a difference in quality with different boards? I am also looking for a remote shutter release cable for the 210. Any specifications I should look out for? Any cable recommendations? Are any generic cables ok like cheap Chinese ones of eBay? Are longer ones better? Also looking for compatible film holders. Again any recommendations?

Tim Meisburger

8-Aug-2010, 19:28

I don't like the Chinese cable releases, and good ones brand new are pretty cheap. Just order online.

Darryl Baird

8-Aug-2010, 19:51

Gepe cable releases... from MPEX (http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,1660.html)

John Kasaian

8-Aug-2010, 20:38

Hello,

I would like to purchase a 4x5 field camera, however, since this my first time I will ever be using a camera it would be great if I could get some advice and user opinion on my thoughts. I am interested in landscape based photography.

I have purchased the nikon 210 w 5.6mm lens as my first lens, however it is not mounted on a lens board and I am unsure whether I should be attempting to mount the lens on the board myself? Is it easy? Do I need special tools? Any tips how to do this?

I plan on matching the below equipment to a Gitzo2541ex and a RSS BH55 ballhead (which I already own)

So far the following parts have been on my mind (they are all off the Robert White website)

Shen Hao PTB45

ShenHao 1m cable release (X3 for future lenses and in Case I lose one)

Fuji Quickload Holder + Velvia 50 quickload 20sheets (So far the quickload seems to be the easiest most hassle free option. Not sure whether I should just get some holders at first and some sheets of film, it might be much cheaper, and it might help me learn more about film, but then I would need, a changing tent, and film holders which in themselves cost considerably.. your opinions?)

Schneider 4x Lupe for viewing slides and focusing (not sure whether a 6x would be better, the 6x is almost 2x the price!)

A spot meter (The spot meters all seem to be quite expensive, the closest one I could find is the Sekonic L758D and that is quite expensive! I have heard the old Pentax has the problem of mercury batteries which I could not buy due to the contemporary environmental restrictions)

Harrison Silver Classic Dark Cloth (again not sure if necessary, perhaps a shirt will be sufficient)

Am I missing something? What do you think of the above combination of equipment?

Thank you for your input...

Since you mentioned Robert White, can we assume that you're based in the UK? What is commonly available there may likely be different than what is commonly available in NA. OTOH you asked about 4x5 which, if you're in the UK would be referred to as 5x4. This is confusing.

Nikon 210mm? This guy uses one almost exclusively: www.romanloranc.com
I'd say that you'll be in good company!

Get your lensboard pre-drilled for the size shutter in which your Nikon comes in. It will simplify your life---likely all you'll need is a spanner (which if you can't borrow one or desire to own your own, you can cobble up from a bit of carefully bent brazing rod or a block of wood with two correctly spaced nails with the points clipped & filed.

Start wth good old fashioned film holders. The plastic ones are nicer than the wooden ones in 4x5 format IMHO. If you have a room that you can make light tight you won't need a changing bag until you start loading film on location. I find that a tightly fitted piece of cardboard cramed into the sill of a bathroom window works well enough at night time.

For fine focussing an ordinary cheapy 9x Agfa loupe works well enough---perhaps too well. Most guys prefer lower powered magnification. Fuji makes a nice one you can often find used. Some guys use magnifying glasses (which frees both hands) or linen testers with excellent results. IMHO don't spend the big bucks until you've exhausted some of the cheaper alternatives---spend your money on film instead.

A spot meter is nice, and a requirement for zone system photography but certainly not a neccesity when learning. Mine is an old Weston Ranger 9 converted to use silver buttons. Some guys use the meter in an SLR. If you're not using the zone system any accurate incident meter will work.

Dark cloth? Home made ones are best. Doubled t-shirts(black/white) or a black sweat shirt can work nicely too.

Good luck!

l2oBiN

12-Aug-2010, 16:06

Hi Guys. Thank you for all your input so far. Just a recap, and some more questions...

(By the way, I am in Sweden)

I have now horded a

wista 45dx camera (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=65261) (in transit)

Canon 4x loupe (in transit)

Seconic l-508 light meter

Nikon 210W

lens wrench (copal #0, #1, #3) to help me screw the lens into a lens board (in transit).

I am still looking for a cable release (cant find the Gepe in Sedish shops. They are trying to sell me a "E390 Etsumi custom shutter cable" (http://www.etsumi.co.jp/catalogue-e/catalogue.cgi?id1=3&id2=36&id3=274) claiming its the best of the best! Has anyone heard of these?Are they any good?)

Also still looking for film holders and a lensboard. I think I might have to buy the lensboard from a local shop (it costs around $55, is that a fair price?)
Which are the best filmholders? (Fidelity, Riteway, Toyo???)

I have not made up my mind on film yet. I would like to purchase some film from overseas, but I am unsure whether the transit, going through xrays etc would affect the film. Does it? Is the film going to affected? There is a guy selling some velvia 100, but I need a source for the cheapest BW film that is very easy to develop. Is there anyone that can be on ebay? (preferably in europe) For the BW rfilm, I would also like to know what is the easiest and the best developing system. I can put up with developing a single sheet at a time and I have absolutely minimal space (a tiny bathroom with a single sink, no bathtub)

The hood is on the backburner at the moment, until i see the brightness of the image without it.

Also, the changing bag is on the backburner as well. I figure I will give it a shot in a dark bathroom during the middle of the night)

Lastly, I am also interested in purchasing a Toho Panorama Adapter (https://www.badgergraphic.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=3082) off ebay as badger shipping is too expensive and the transit into sweden is going to incur a ridiculous import tax (30%).

rdenney

12-Aug-2010, 19:04

I am still looking for a cable release (cant find the Gepe in Sedish shops. They are trying to sell me a "E390 Etsumi custom shutter cable" (http://www.etsumi.co.jp/catalogue-e/catalogue.cgi?id1=3&id2=36&id3=274) claiming its the best of the best! Has anyone heard of these?Are they any good?)

Also still looking for film holders and a lensboard. I think I might have to buy the lensboard from a local shop (it costs around $55, is that a fair price?)
Which are the best filmholders? (Fidelity, Riteway, Toyo???)

...
The hood is on the backburner at the moment, until i see the brightness of the image without it.

Lastly, I am also interested in purchasing a Toho Panorama Adapter (https://www.badgergraphic.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=3082) off ebay as badger shipping is too expensive and the transit into sweden is going to incur a ridiculous import tax (30%).

The Etsumi cable release looks fine to me. I'm not that picky, though, unless I'm needing something special to fit down in a recessed board or something. Not an issue for you at all--this one should work fine.

I have used the modern plastic Fidelity, Riteway, and Lisco film holders without issue, and they seem to work fine. The Toyo is reportedly a bit fancier, but I suspect most folks use the holders from the first three brands pretty much interchangeably.

You don't need anything special for covering up while studying the ground glass, but you do need something to block ambient light. A good, thick blanket will work in a pinch. A 2-meter square piece of heavy black felt from a fabric store will work better. Save getting something fancier for later when you have a bit of experience guiding you.

The Toho panorama adapter is nothing more than a dark slide that has been cut to expose only half the film. After focusing and composing, you'll close the shutter, insert the film holder, pull its dark slide, insert the Toho half-slide, expose the film, remove the Toho half slide, reinsert the dark slide, pull the film holder, and move on to the next shot. For the next shot, you compose the picture to use the other half of the film, and follow the same procedure, except this time you'll insert the Toho slide upside down to expose the other half of the film. It still works with 4x5 film, making a 2x5 image. If you have a film holder that is ruined, but still has a good dark slide, you can make your own just by cutting a 2x5 rectangle out of one half of the slide using (preferably) a band saw.

My preference for obtaining (nominally) 2x5 images is to use a 6x12 roll-film adapter, but that is just a preference. The Toho approach is more economical, if you are careful (accidents are easy if you forget to turn the device over for the second shot on the sheet) and if you are prepared to process sheet film anyway.

Rick "leaving the remaining questions for others" Denney

John Kasaian

13-Aug-2010, 08:58

The important thing is to get out there and make photographs. Let that experience guide you---you can always move "up" in gear but the truth is that you're negatives and prints aren't going to "let on" to anybody just who made your cable release or dark cloth or film holders or...
And have fun!

Wally

13-Aug-2010, 16:02

Forget the Toho 'pano adapter' - it's just a darkslide that's been cut up. If you get a crappy holder from 3Bay (it's got crud in it, or it's felt darkslide slots leak, or whatever): Instant pair of possible 'pano adapters'.