5x7 vs 13x18 cm is it the same format?

I am planning on replacing my old, vintage 9x12 cm camera with a newer 5x7 one.

The question I need to resolve before deciding to buy a new camera (I also consider

4x5 but I plant to do almost only contact prints and 4x5 is just a bit too small) is how

13x18 cm film fits into 5x7 holders. I currently live in US but in some time I plan to

move to Poland and I know that the 5x7 films are not sold there. Instead of 5x7 they

sell 13x18 cm. I wonder if I can use 13x18 film in 5x7 holders. Can anyone resolve

this question?

thank you in advance,

Jan

13x18 cm is 5x7 inches. More precisely its 5.11 x 7.08 inches. 13x18 film is the same as 5x7 film, it's just US measure vs. European measure. In fact, you probably will have an easier time getting 5x7 film in Europe than you would in the US.

<p>My understanding is the the films are in fact slightly different in size, and that one size will not reliably fit in the other size holder. The good news is that the exterior dimensions of the holders are supposed to be identical, so you can you either size film by purchasing holders. But from me this is all secondhand knowledge: see for example <i>5x7 and 13x18 color negative films</i> at <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=004Lhd">http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=004Lhd</a>

and <i>18x24 film holder dimension?</i> at <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00A8VW">http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00A8VW</a></p>

All inch size sheet films are a millimeter or two under nominal size because the original size was for glass plates; when sheet film came along, it was made to fit in a film sheath that would load in place of a plate and in order not to bind in the sheath, the film had to be a little under size. The same is true of centimeter size sheet film -- the 9x12 cm that I use frequently is actually 88 mm wide, and 118 mm long (except the Tri-X 320, which is 119 mm long).

 

What this means is that 5x7 film, at just under 5 inches by 7 inches, is about an eighth inch narrower than 13x18 cm, which is significantly over 5 inches wide. In practice, I'm told 13x18 film will fit in *some* 5x7 film holders, but that 5x7 film will fall out of the slots and cause trouble if used in 13x18 cm holders.

 

As noted above, the holders have the same outside dimension and will fit the same cameras, but the film is not quite interchangeable. What you'll need to do when/if you move to Poland is buy some 13x18 holders for the 13x18 film you'll be able to buy there.

I shoot both 5x7" and 13x18cm film, in the same camera, and I can tell you fom first-hand experience that they are NOT the same.

 

The npminal size of 13x18 film is 127x178mm, which happens to be 5" x 7". But as previousy mentioned the inch sizes are a few mm narrower than the "name size", just like the metric sizes are.

 

I have two sets of holders, 5x7" and 13x18cm, after experiencing 5x7" film dropping out of 13x18 holders. Almost as bad as the ugly scrunching sound when you reinsert the dark slide after exposing a 13x18 film loaded in a 5x7" holder - the film is a little too wide, so it bulges out of the holder when you pull the dark slide.

 

The good thing is that the holders are exactly the same size, so they can be used in the same camera. Also, since 5x7" is getting more and more popular even in places like Germany, "metric" holders (9x12, 13x18, and 18x24) are dirt cheap compared to the inchers!

Jan,

 

Ole's answer is the correct one. I also shoot both 13x18 and 5x7 and have/need both size

holders for the reasons he mentions. Yes, Ishoot both size holders in the same Canham T57

camera.

Thank you very much for all answers - best wishes,

Jan

I live in Italy and it is quite impossible to find 5x7 or 13x18 films.

You can get transparencies E6, but no negatives C41.

I buy them in USA.