Bender Panoramic Adapter for 4x5

[dave_karp]

Hi all,

 

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I heard from someone that Bender Photographic makes a Panoramic adapter for 4x5. I checked their website, and it is a dark slide, trimmed in half the long way, which you insert in your film holder after removing the dark slide. It gives you two panoramic images on one sheet of 4x5. It sure seems like an economical alternative. Has anyone tried this or made their own similar apparatus. I am interested in your experience/comments.

 

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Thanks in advance

[brett_m._thomas]

Dave, I made one some time ago and it works great. I made mine by

cutting the middle away so that I had one "2 1/4 by 4 1/2" for the

dark slide. I also made a mask that sticks to my ground glass so

that I only see the section that corresponds to the cut I made in the

dark slide. It's worked great each time I've used it. I later

bought the bender panoramic adapter but have yet to actually use it.

I have verified that you do get 2 images on the 4x5 film, they do not

overlap. The nice feature of the bender adapter is of course the two

images per sheet of film. But I'm quite happy with the one I made.

Easy to make, easy to use and sure beats a 6x12 roll film back.

[dave_schneider]

I guess I'm a little dense. What would the benefit be to exposing

only a center section of the 4x5 sheet of film? Why not just print

whatever portion of the frame is appropriate? A mask that can be

moved around on the glass to aid in composition is understandable but

why not just expose the whole sheet of film?

The only advantage I can see to the Bender approach is that you get

two exposures on a sheet of film.

[karnezis]

To Dave Schneider--cost is the only benefit. But it's enough. If

someone offered me new Velvia at $1 a sheet instead of $2, I'd

take it. I'm going to buy or make a 4x10 half sheet for 8x10. At $8

a sheet, slide film aint cheap, and it beats buying a 4x10 adapter.

Also, I believe Toho makes adapters too.

[karnezis]

To Dave Schneider--cost is the only apparent benefit. But it's

enough. If someone offered me new Velvia at $1 a sheet

instead of $2, I'd take it. I'm going to buy or make a 4x10 half

sheet for 8x10. At $8 a sheet, film aint cheap, and it beats buying

a 4x10 adapter. Also, I believe Toho makes adapters too.

[david_stein3]

It ain't rocket science. There are many old 8x10 and 5x7 backs out

there with sliding dividers, both horizontal and vertical. Instead of

fooling with the film holder, why not try blocking half the back at a

time? Good lu