Hello, I just joined the forum. I'm in Sydney, Australia.
I enjoyed the privilege of owning a Linhof Technica 4x5 III, IV and V and a couple of lenses in the late 1980s and early 1990s before the distractions of marriage, mortgages and children. All that remains in my possession is a beautiful old Gitzo tripod. I also had 35mm and several medium format cameras.
I am now enjoying 35mm film photography again, have found a community darkroom in my city, and am looking at large format once more. Definitely 4x5 and possibly 5x7. I have discovered Rittreck View cameras which are priced attractively. Their 4x5 backs are straight forward, but I cannot work out the wooden 5x7 and larger backs: they don't appear to have anywhere to fit a standard double cut film holder. An image of such a back is attached.
I would appreciate assistance working out what backs and film holders I need to get a 4x5 and 5x7 Rittreck View camera kit happening.
The back you are showing is not a Rittreck back - it's a back from an older Japanese wooden camera that takes old-style book-form film or plate holders. The Rittreck 5x7 back is a metal back with a standard ground glass assembly that accepts modern film holders, and its design is straightforward - there is no doubt about where the film holder goes. The larger Rittreck backs - 6x10, whole plate, 8x10 - are wooden, but they also use the same basic design of a ground glass assembly under which you can slide in modern block-form film holders.
If the back you have shown is being offered as a Rittreck back, it is being misrepresented.
By the way, the "native" format of the Rittreck View is 5x7. The 4x5 back is a reducing back; the 6x10, whole plate and 8x10 backs are expansion backs on extension mounts.
In addition to what Oren said, half-plate film backs and holders were also made. There is considerable variation in the backs and holders. Different backs were specific to Rittreck, Tachihara, Anba Ikeda and thin aluminum holders. Some Matsuo Seisakusho 8x10 epansion backs will fit the Rittreck. 6x10 backs and holders were almost always made for the Rittreck. There is also some variation in the 4x5 backs. Earlier backs were spring backs that only took standard 4x5 holders. After Rittreck morphed into Wista, they had Graflok sliders similar to the ones found on Wista 45D cameras. The very last ones have backs like those on Wista VX cameras, with press style Graflok levers.
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