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Thread: 11x14" vs. 7x17"

  1. #1

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    11x14" vs. 7x17"

    Hi,

    Does anyone have experience with both of these formats? I'm looking at the next step beyond 8x10" and having trouble choosing between these 2 - camera cost, film cost/availability and weight are all roughly the same. Are there any "gotchas" or positives that might sway a newcomer one way or the other? I mean beyond the difference in aspect ratio of course.

  2. #2

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    Re: 11x14" vs. 7x17"

    Lots to consider here. One big difference might be the portability of your next camera. Many backpacks won’t fit a 11x14 camera but the narrower dimensions of a 7x17 might. Just a thought.

  3. #3

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    Re: 11x14" vs. 7x17"

    Quote Originally Posted by Phil Hudson View Post
    Lots to consider here. One big difference might be the portability of your next camera. Many backpacks won’t fit a 11x14 camera but the narrower dimensions of a 7x17 might. Just a thought.
    Yes that's indeed a big consideration, e.g. the Chamonix 7x17 is exactly the same width as my 8x10 Mark II. But then I think about the added complexity of developing 7x17 and that seems to balance the backpack considerations out a little bit.

  4. #4
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: 11x14" vs. 7x17"

    11X14 film is easier to buy and cheaper

    https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...3122%3A11x14in

    X-Ray 11X14 film fits more holders than 7X17
    Tin Can

  5. #5
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    Re: 11x14" vs. 7x17"

    Quote Originally Posted by unityofsaints View Post
    Does anyone have experience with both of these formats?
    Yes.

    Quote Originally Posted by unityofsaints View Post
    ...and weight are all roughly the same.
    Not necessarily true. Without having the exact number handy, I'd guess that my 7x17 Korona is substantially lighter than any 11x14 I'm aware of. Regardless, if that's a major consideration you really have to compare the particular models you're considering, not assume that as a generalization. Also check the film holder weights.

    Quote Originally Posted by unityofsaints View Post
    But then I think about the added complexity of developing 7x17....
    I use the Jobo 3062 and 3063 drums for ULF. The 3063 can serve for both 11x14 and 7x17. No difference in complexity of developing the film. There could be a difference in printing, depending on your printing habits. For example, I like to contact print on larger paper so that the prints have a border for safe handling and for corner mounting. I can certainly use 16x20 paper for both, but I can fit 11x14 on 12x16 paper, which is readily available from Ilford, and that allows for smaller trays, smaller volumes of chemicals, etc. Just because of the particular dimensions of my wet-side workbench and sinks, 16x20 trays, though usable, are distinctly more hassle for me than 12x16's. If you don't mind printing on same-size paper, the difference between 11x14 trays and 16x20 trays is even larger. Of course, coming full circle, if you intend to develop the film in open trays rather than a drum, similar size/space considerations would apply there too.

    7x17 needs lenses with slightly larger coverage than 11x14 does, though in practice there aren't that many lenses that fall between the two.

    From my own very limited experience lugging these formats in the field, I'd say that the aspect ratio of 7x17 tends to make it slightly easier to fit the camera plus holders to a backpack, but I've done 11x14 using the same pack I use for 7x17, though I might carry only two holders rather than three. Again, really depends on the specific backpack that you find. Look at packs sold for hikers by "outdoors" outfitters, not just packs marketed to photographers.

  6. #6
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: 11x14" vs. 7x17"

    Yes, as I have a Korona 7X17" and two 11X14"

    But almost never use the 7X17, preferring 6x17cm tiny format to enlarge however I want and it fits on my scanner...
    Tin Can

  7. #7
    New Orleans, LA
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    Re: 11x14" vs. 7x17"

    I had an 11x14 for a bit but decided to sell it to afford the 7x17. The primary reason was that the boxy 11x14 ratio was so close to what I already had in 8x10 and I felt that the 7x17 pano format would complement what I was doing in 8x10. Also, the pano format is ideal for the flat land- and city-scape I live in. I will say that the 11x14 contact prints had a more powerful visual impact than the 8x10 but I couldn't justify running and maintaining 3 large format cameras. It did take me awhile to get used to working in the pano format but I think I am starting to get what I want out of it. Good luck!

  8. #8
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Re: 11x14" vs. 7x17"

    Difficulty of making vertical 7x17s with most cameras -- (Ritter's -- no problem except a little time).

    I use a modified darkslide to make 5.5 x 14 negatives (two per 11x14) in my 11x14 -- verticals are easy. I carry two cameras by adding the weight of a half-darkslide. This gives me versitility.

    Zion: 5.5x14
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Zion5x14.jpg  
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  9. #9

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    Re: 11x14" vs. 7x17"

    I love 7x17. It seems that it comes closer to what I see than any other format. I was very sad when age forced me to move to 5x12 and give up my 7x17. Although very similar ratio, it just isn't the same.

  10. #10
    Lachlan 717
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    Re: 11x14" vs. 7x17"

    7x17 is easier to scan on the ubiquitous Epsom scanners - two scans and stitch.
    Lachlan.

    You miss 100% of the shots you never take. -- Wayne Gretzky

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