7x11 and whole plate (6 1/2 x 8 1/2) formats

[Peter Gomena]

I use WP, and was fortunate to buy a kit that contained 6 film holders. I love the format, and I need to use it more. My camera is a modified Rochester Optical Standard, originally a plate camera. Somewhere in its history, a skilled woodworker converted it to focus on film in Eastman holders. The holders had been modified with 1/8" shims on each side to fit the camera. It's not a perfect fit, but it's light-tight and produces sharp images.

[Bill_1856]

I spent a lot of time, money, and effort getting all set up to shoot the ultimate whole-plate (Gandolfi), and discovered that I much prefer 5x7, (Kodak 2D and/or extension back on 4x5 Nagaoka).

[Michael Roberts]

Bill, what made the difference--the aspect ratio or the smaller size...or both?

[mdm]

It all comes down to preference, and the only way to know for shure seems to be to try it, so don't feel guilty.

[chris_4622]

I made 20 WP film holders for myself to move into that format from 5x7 which I still use at times. I never considered 7x11 but there is an interstate exchange near here that I've seen under beautiful light that I wish I could photograph and 7x11 would be a nice format for that.

[Tin Can]

I have seen your holders. Very impressive!

I still cherish the big yellow flash bulb. Thanks again!

I made 20 WP film holders for myself to move into that format from 5x7 which I still use at times. I never considered 7x11 but there is an interstate exchange near here that I've seen under beautiful light that I wish I could photograph and 7x11 would be a nice format for that.

[Bill_1856]

Bill, what made the difference--the aspect ratio or the smaller size...or both?

Probably both, but mostly the aspect ratio, I think. In retrospect, the Whole Plate seems ... er... "clumsy."
I believe that I could go through life with only a light 5x7 and 10" lens.
Of course if one was limited to contact prints there's no choice -- 5x7 just ain't big enough, and 6.5x8.5 is the smallest size that I find acceptable for contacts. In fact, it was seeing them in the Atget books that started me on my (unfortunately expensive) quest.

[Jim Galli]

Both, although I haven't had the 711 out in a couple of years. The Eastman 7X11 & 8X10 outfit allows both formats with one camera. I do quite a lot of 6.5X8.5 but the reasoning is a bit bizarre. Years ago I bought Aerial Recon imaging film in 9 1/2" rolls. I'm running out of the Panatomic, wo quit cutting into 8X10 which is wasteful. You have to cut the 10" then trim off an inch and a half of waste on the 8" side. Whereas with 6.5X8.5 you cut at 6.5 and trim an inch off. Making the film last longer, and the 6585 has nearly the presence of 8X10. I also bought a Rittreck that has both 6585 backs and 6X10 backs. Haven't played with the 6X10 nearly enough. So many formats, so little time.

[redrockcoulee]

My wife and I have two whole plate camera, a Butcher and Son that we have three or four plate holders for and a Seneca Improved that we have 5 film holders that we got on this forum at a terrific price I think and three or four plate holders. We have 6 film shealths to deal with the plate holders although my wife threatens to take up wet or dry plate some day. We also converted a 8X10 to 5X7 reducing back for the WP so that we can shoot both WP and 5X7 but the ground glass is no longer in one piece, or should say it is in one piece but because it is taped together. I know that I bought two of the lenses for it off this forum and I might of even bought the camera itself here as well. Not a smart move checking out the for sale section.

I had bought a few years ago a box of WP film but have not used it as the whole plate needed some work etc to get functioning for us in things like lenses and holders. We have shot X-ray film with it as a 14X17 sheet makes either 4 WP or 6 5X7 sheets. We are planning on ordering either FP4 or Delta 100 if Ilford has the special order again this year. My wife also plans on shooting 14X17 pinholes with a full sheet of the Xray film as that is possible in an Iams cat food canister and perhaps a double sheet of it in a Iams dog food one.

The lensboard was an awkward one to change and too small to make an adapter for Linhold Technica board so and several of the lenses had the same flange. My solution was to get a millwright at work to make adapters so that I can screw in Copal 0 and 1 shutters into the flange therefore the one lens I have that is not for a flange just screws in and the 0 shutter that I got that I think was brand new is now a shutter for zone plate and pinhole lenses mounted on a piece of matt board that slide into the front of the shutter. The second flange is mounted on a Technica board so that I can use the Turner Reich or the pinhole/zoneplate on my 4X5.

[Scott Davis]

I've spent some time acquiring whole plate holders - I've got I want to say 13 of them (enough to load up and shoot an entire box of film at a turn). That capability was important to me because I was using it a lot in the studio with my great big Century Master portrait camera. I haven't been using it as much since I've lost my studio space, but it is my favorite format. I have a pair of Seneca "black beauty" whole plate cameras, one of which took a tumble over a waterfall and is now in need of restoration. All my holders are vintage Eastman-Kodak type, which, while not a universal standard, are the most common size/style of whole plate holders. They fit all three whole plate size cameras I have, and all the film I have in the format (FP4+, Tmax 400) has always fit.