4x5 with 4x10 camera?

[januarys_v]

Hi, everyone and thanks for a great forum, a lot of info and very nice photography!

I dont shoot LF yet (only digital MF and small format), but was kind of dreaming of LF for some time. In a few month we are mooving to a larger place and after that I plan to finally jump in.

In the meantime, I'm researching my options. Since I enjoy shooting panoramas from time to time and want my first setup to be very simple, one camera and one "normal" lens, I thought of a panoramic camera like 4x10. But may be someone will tell me if shooting a 4x5 film is possible/(in)convenient with a 4x10 camera. I know that some 4x5 cameras have an option of an additional 4x10 back/bellows, but this means more money and more troubles changing those. So may be one could just have a 4x10 camera and a few 4x10 holders, and just occasionally load 4x5 into those. I dont see why this is not possible, but would really appreciate an opinion from an actual LF camera user.
I would shoot mostly landscapes. I am familiar with movements to some degree as I used tilt shift lenses a lot, not exactly the same though.

Thanks!

[Vaughn]

To make, or have made, a 4x10 to 4x5 reducing back should be no problem. Otherwise, putting film stops in the 4x10 holders to hold a piece of 4x5 film in the center can work, too.

I would prefer the former -- 4x5 holders are not expensive and plenty of trashed 4x5 cameras that one could rescue a 4x5 back from to attach to one's 4x10.

[Luis-F-S]

You don't use a larger 4x10 camera to shoot 4x5 when 4x5 cameras are much smaller, cheaper and readily available. Sort of like driving a bus to get from point A to B when you could drive a car. Shoot 4x5 and enlarge to 4x10 if that is your wish.

[januarys_v]

thanks for your reply, what i ment was using a 4x10 camera and a 4x10 holder, so no additional accessories involved to simplify the setup

[januarys_v]

You don't use a larger 4x10 camera to shoot 4x5 when 4x5 cameras are much smaller, cheaper and readily available. Sort of like driving a bus to get from point A to B when you could drive a car. Shoot 4x5 and enlarge to 4x10 if that is your wish.

thanks, I do understand that. with a 4x10 camera i would be shooting 4x10 mostly, but would like to know if shooting an occasional 4x5 would be still possible and convenient

[Luis-F-S]

Possible yes, convenient, no! A lot of things are possible that sensible people (those with experience) would not do. You could also use an 11x14 camera to shoot 4x5 but no sensible person would do that. If you need the bellows length, you use a Sinar or similar monorail with multiple bellows.

[Vaughn]

Putting some sort of stop in the 4x10 holder that keeps the 4x5 film in the center of the 4x10 holder. Then perhaps low-tack double sided tape under the 4x5 sheet to keep it from moving.

I use an 8x10 camera with a modified 8x10 darkslide to put two 4x10s on a sheet of 8x10...works nicely and all I need to carry extra is the modified darkslide to have two formats with me! I can't think of an easy fix like that for your situation unless you mounted something inside the camera that could block off half of the image on the 4x10 -- you could get two 4x5s on a sheet of 4x10 that way. Some older cameras were designed for such things.

My modified darkslide: A diagram and a photo of the one I made for two 5x14s on 11x14. This did not work as well as it did with the 8x10.

[Luis-F-S]

I use an 8x10 camera with a modified 8x10 darkslide to put two 4x10s on a sheet of 8x10...works nicely and all I need to carry extra is the modified darkslide to have two formats with me!

My modified darkslide: A diagram and a photo of the one I made for two 5x14s on 11x14. This did not work as well as it did with the 8x10.

That's very doable, but for 410, I'd rather shoot 4x5 film and enlarge. 4x5 enlargers are reasonable.

[consummate_fritterer]

I would just shoot 4x10 and crop the ends off. If shooting 4x5 is relatively uncommon, this seems to be the simplest and most logical approach.

[Vaughn]

One consideration is that there is a greater availability of different films in 4x5 compared to 4x10.