9X12 to 4X5 cut film adapter?

[Ken Brown]

I recently bought an old 9X12cm Recomar camera and can't get film for it (don't have holders anyway). I have heard that one can devise an adapter to fit 4X5 film holder on the 9X12 back. Does anyone know about this conversion? Are there any commercial versions out there? 4X5 is just a tinch larger than 9X12cm, I think. Thanks for any info or ideas. Ken Brown kbrown@proaxis.com.

[adam friedberg]

if you haven't already done so, try to put in a regular 4x5 film holder. usually the outside dimensions are the same - at least on modern cameras this is the case.

[David F. Stein]

http://members.aol.com/dfstein/PL/9x12.html THANKS

[David F. Stein]

There are 4 systems I know about for these cameras: (1) Single-sided glass plate holders that can also take sheet film with the proper insert-not every holder fits every camera, but Voigtlander, Zeiss Ikon and Kodak are generally interchangeable; (2) after-market hooded, spring-back, ground glass backs (like traditional view camera or Graphic backs) that take doubled-sided 3-1/3 x 4-1/4 film holders (HARD TO FIND but excellent since you need not keep taking the ground glass hood on and off); film pack adapters (film packs no longer available as far as I know); and 120 rill film adapters (one name is RADA).

Some German distributors plan to make it easier for us in the States to order products-9cm x 12 cm is a commonly available film in Europe-even Ilfor

[William Leviit]

I might be mistaken, but aren't the outter dimensions of a 4X5 film holder and that of a 9X12 the same? I think the only difference is found on the inside, the track spacing.

[Jan erala]

Yes, the outside dimensions are the same for doublesided plastic holders. The 9x12 cm film size is 3 1/2 x 4 3/4 inches. So go for 4x5 if you can, also it's easier to operate with the uncropped groundglass view.

[David F. Stein]

The OD of a 9x12 plate holder are ~ 4" x 6"; the OD of a doubled-sided 4x5 film holder are 4-3/4" x 6-3/4". (A 4x5 film holder is about 4 times thicker.) This is one of the things that make folding plate cameras so attractive-the camera is hardly bigger than the film format. One caveat: like old wooden film holders, you don't have as much space from the end of the film to the end of the holder-more potential for light leaks. If anyone has a true 4x5 back that fits these cameras, I would love to buy it. I'm glad that more people are bringing these cameras out into the light to take pictures-like a Crown Graphic, you can also use it in viewfinder mode with the distance scale. That is my FINAL answer!

[Bill Jefferson]

there is a company building new wooden holders, there on the net and the name escapes me.