Have any of you downsized from 8x10 to 4x5? Why?

[Drew Wiley]

Death to the "D word"! It might as well mean, "Default". What's the point? Might as well downgrade to a cell phone. Anyone ever heard of a 4X5 enlarger? I admit I no longer have one - now my smallest enlarger is a 5X7.

[Tin Can]

Very ocasionally I may send a file to a Pro Digi Printer

My biggest DIGI print is 3X4 FEET with a frame that makes it 4X5 FEET

Shot with an old NIKON P&S

Matte paper Pro mounted on some fancy board and no I will not submit it to any minaturation

Printed in USA, shipped flat

also useful as backdrop for portraits

The frame is perfectly flawed for this image

Bought the frame at GoodWill for $5

[Mal Paso]

Death to the "D word"! It might as well mean, "Default". What's the point? Might as well downgrade to a cell phone. Anyone ever heard of a 4X5 enlarger? I admit I no longer have one - now my smallest enlarger is a 5X7.

The way att has let the quality of landlines to slide combined with the exceptional quality of Starlink my iPhone is my favorite home phone now. Cellular quality is a crapshoot but on my end WiFi over satellite is better than copper.

After tourists burned most of my photo equipment in 2016 I bought a serious digital camera and printing equipment. I have a 46MP Nikon now that is approaching the resolution of 4x5 and beats film for color and tonal range.

That said, I can't imagine shooting 8x10 film and not printing it with traditional processes. It might not be rational but from the posts I've seen, that's not a requirement here.

[Jim Becia]

EDIT: This title and post should read "downsize" not "downgrade." I couldn't think of the appropriate word at the time.

I decided to make this a "sister" thread to this one. I'm curious if any of you "downgraded" from 8x10 to 4x5 for reasons beyond just health or fitness and why you did so.

I thought about it hard this weekend.

I decided I won't go from 4x5 to 8x10 despite the temptation because:

1) The price.
2) I often want to print a size larger or smaller than 8x10.
3) The subject matter I like the most usually requires some speed.
4) I've walked miles with my Crown Graphic in my backpack. I could still get a 4x5 with even more movements, less weight, and a smaller footprint.

While I have both 8x10 and 4x5 formats, it is the 8x10 that gets used 90% of the time. I'm 71 years young and still backpack with my 8x10. I figure it is a way to stay young, and to be honest, an 8x10 setup (I do have the Chamonix Alpinist) with a couple of lenses doesn't weigh all that much more that some of the digital DSLRs and lenses that are out there. As to the cost, (I use Provia 8x10) yes, it is extremely expensive but being retired with no debt and with only one bad habit (Provia 8x10 film) I put my money into using the format I really enjoy. When I pull out the 4x5 it almost feels "toy-like" which I know is absolutely silly. For me it's the journey and the experience of using this format. An 8x10 ground glass is "bewitching" which is both good and bad. An 8x10 transparency can be a thing a beauty. I'm holding on to my 4x5 for the day when either color 8x10 film disappears, or when my body tells me to give 8x10 up. Until then, I'll use the 8x10 whenever possible.

[GuillaumeZuili]

Making an 8 x 10 horizontal enlarger is real easy using your 8 x 10 camera (did it with my Kodak 2D). Found a old cold light head from an old Durst enlarger (that was the hard part), cut out the inner septum in an old wooden 8 x 10 film holder to be my negative holder, made a folding base out of plywood and hang it off the counter in the darkroom, and project the image on the wall.

Attachment 239382

Very nice Dan. There was a picture of Ansel Adams in his darkroom with the same kind of setup.

[Andrew O'Neill]

For me it's cost. I had to let TMY go years ago. HP5 at $11 Cdn per sheet just became too much for me. Started shooting a lot more 4x5 and 120. Much better selection, anyways. Then I discovered CatLABS 80, and can still shoot 8x10. Of course I shoot a lot of x-ray film!

[paulbarden]

CatLabs X80 is Fomapan, you know. So if you find it usable, then you can get the same stuff under Foma's own branding as well.

[neil poulsen]

Of course, downgrading from 8x10 to 4x5 can be a matter of degrees . . .

At various times, I've had a Sinar P 8x10 (a lightweight version), a Toyo 8x10 G, a very nice Deardorff, and an Arca Swiss 8x10 older version. (Not necessarily at the same time.) All were excellent cameras. And, I had a set of 8x10 lenses, including a 250mm f6.7 Fujinon for moderate wide-angle (ic of 398mm), a 355mm G-Claron, a Nikon 450mm M, a Nikon 450 Q, a 600mm Fuji C, and a Repro Claron 610mm. And, I should probably mention an 8x20 that I owned.

But, I didn't really use them. Any of them.

Alas, they've all been sold. I still have an 8x10 representation. I have a Bender kit 8x10 that I've customized. (It's actually quite a nice camera.) And, I recently purchased a 355mm Red Dot Artar in a Copal 2 shutter mounted by S. K. Grimes. Not to be caught short-handed, I also own an 8x10 enlarger. I'm keeping these items for one purpose, to photograph an old violin that I own.

The fact is, straight out and simple, I'm a 4x5 person. That's what I like, and that's what I've used the most. I took a workshop from John Sexton, and he articulated much the same sentiment. He said that he owned an 8x10, but he wasn't sure of where to find it.

I guess I'm in good company.

As an update, before long, it will all be gone! That includes my Bender 8x10, the Zone VI 8x10 head and adapter, my 8x10 enlarging lens, and all my film holders. It took me a long time to time to come to this decision. But, I'm in the process of simplifying my life by trimming down equipment to only that which I use. And if I can't sell it, I'll throw it out!!!

I do love my current 4x5 kit, and my Zone VI Type II enlarger with its adapted Beseler 45s color head. 4x5 will be my LARGE format camera. And for color, I have a 6x9 Arca with an older digital back, that will of course also accept medium format roll film holders for black and white.

That will definitely do it for me.

[John Kasaian]

Out of an overabundance of caution, I keep a Graphic View II, and 4x5 reducing backs for both my 8x10 'dorff and 5x7 Agfa Ansco incase 8x10 become unaffordable or I cannot physically schlepp the 8x10 kit around, but the 8x10 is still my "go-to"
I simply prefer contact printing the big 8x10 negatives.

[dvanmet]

I had an 8x10 Tachihara with a 12" Goerz Gold Rim Dagor and a Zone VI tripod, and that was all I used for a number of years then it just got too bloody heavy so I sold it. Now, 8x10 is far too expensive for me in addition to the weight issues so I now own a Zone VI 4x5. I am still contact printing though as I enjoy pulling the viewer in to the printed image, forcing them to get closer. I must have a sadistic streak.