6x9 magazine from a 4x5 Arca Swiss

[john_luke]

I have an Arca Swiss 6x9 with a Horseman 6x9-8 exposure back that I like to use for architecture. The 120 roll film is great for when I have to travel on an airplane. I also have

the Arca 4x5 conversion back that I use for clients who specify 4x5 interiors. Here's the catch. When I shoot 4x5, I prefer Polaroid Type 55 film because I feel it does a better job

at long exposures, and I like to loupe the neg to check focus. If I am shooting 6x9, I'm stuck soley with Polaroid Type 664( Polapan Pro 100). This Polaroid is fine for strobe or

exteriors in daylight, but I find it is a miserable film for long exposures with its horrible reciprocity failure characteristics. I've used the reciprocity tables from Polaroid to help

me compensate for this, but it is a pain to do so. In a nutshell, I want to use Type 55 for all my shooting period (even though it's only available in 4x5). Is there some sort of 6x9

adapter or magazine I could use with my Arca assuming I have it set up with the 4x5 kit on it so I can shoot Type 55 even when I desire to expose on roll film? Is there some

sort of adapter plate that will allow me to slide my ground glass of the universal graflex lock and replace it with a plate that holds my Horseman 6x9 magazine? I don't mind if the

Polaroid shows way more than the film will capture.

[henry_a]

What about 665? Thats type 55 pack film. You can get a pack film back for your 4X5 pretty cheap, mine is a Model 405. Or it sounds like you have a pack film back for 6X9 that will work. It does not show the full 4X5 image (its nominally 31/4 X 41/4) but it'll give you more than complete coverage for 6X9.

[ellis_vener_photography]

Doesn't Arca make a small format polaroid back forthe 69FC

camera? I'm pretty sure they do and if they do there is the

Polaroid Type 665 which like Type 55 P?N is also an ISO 50 film

that yields a negative, but it takes a bit more clearing.<P>There

are also several roll film backs made to fit the standard 4x5

graflock back that will alow you to shoot roll film. I like the

Horseman and the Sinar. the Sinar roll film backs are more

pricey, especially the Vario models (these let you vary the image

format between 6x4.5cm to 6x12cm).

[john_luke]

Polaroid does make P/N Type 665 (pack size for 2 1/4 polaroid backs), but unfortunately, it is not the counterpart of 4x5 Type 55. Type 665 is ISO 80 and the reciprocity failure characteristics are about as poor as Type 664. The big time architecture photogs seem to be locked into Type 55 for reasons that are now becommoing obvious to me. I have seen some of those rollback adapters that slide into a 4x5 the way a film holder does. I used the Calumet one a while back, but was unimpressed with the it. Uneven frame spacing, etc, the film advance and cam mechanisms are under-engineered. Haven't seen the Sinar one. I was hoping there would be a way to affix my Horseman 6x9 back directly to my 4x5 rear standard somehow.

[ellis_vener_photography]

The Horseman roll film holders that fit a 4x5 graflock have the

plate attached to the back you have now. I suppose you could gt

someone (S.K. Grimes?) to make an adapter plate to attach your

current back to but I would worry about consistant registration in

the film plane and also about how you could get the film plane in

the same plane as the groundglass -- something that is already

taken care of in the rollfilm holders made to fit directly to the 4x5

back.<P>The Sinar and Toyo roll film holders are very high

quality instruments unlike the Calumet holders, and they are

also designed to slip under the groundglass. The Horseman

RFH is a "humpback" design and requires you to remove the

groundglass assembly.

[henry_a]

I have a 6X9 Horseman RF holder that replaces the GG on my 4X5 back. That might be the cheapest way for you to proof with Type 55 and shoot rollfilm - simply buy that back. I think they go $200-250 used. Dang! Now you're not using your 6X9 camera! I keep thinking I want a 6X9 Arca for the smaller size and all those nice films that don't come in sheets and just leaving sheet film alone, but I guess this shows me that the 4X5 standard is hard to beat for versatility. Since you use both can you tell me how you like the smaller camera? Assuming that you never needed sheet film?