Re 6x7 back on 5x4 field camera

[gary_ritson1]

<p>Dear All, <br>

Does anyone have any experience using a 6x7 roll film back on a 5x4 camera?<br>

The 6x7 back is only for the cost factor until I become more confident with metering and focusing. Then i may feel I know what Im doing when I move to 5x4 film.<br>

I am new to LF photos and I have a couple of questions.<br>

Here is what I do to focus and shoot. <br>

1. Frame my picture using a 6x7 cm cut out black thin plastic home made mask that slips on to the ground glass screen of the 5x4 camera. <br>

2.Whilst the mask is on the ground glass screen apply filters and focus the image.<br>

3.Fit the film back and take the photo.<br>

My question is this. Is there any benefit after framing the image with the mask, to take the mask off and focus the camera on the full 5x4 screen? Would this be a better more sure way of correct focusing or doesn't it make any difference whether I focus with the mask on the ground glass screen or not?</p>

<p>Thanks<br>

Gary</p>

 

[dave_s]

<p>I used to do this in the 1980s, when I was broke, lived in a little apartment and didn't have a darkroom. I had an old Linhof Color view camera and a Singer Graflex 6 x 7 rollholder. Worked OK, but it was clumsy and slow going, taking off the back and putting on the rollfilm holder for every shot.</p>

<p>The presence of the mask doesn't alter the plane of focus. So you can focus with it on, or leave it off and use the full 4 x 5 ground glass-- whatever works for you. </p>

[dan_fromm2]

<p>Um, if you're mounting the mask properly -- behind the GG, i.e., on the photographer side, not the lens side -- it should have no effect on focusing. Using the mask will, as you've already found out, help you compose the shot.</p>

<p>Consider marking the 6x7 frame on the ground glass. This will save you the trouble of attaching the mask and will make it easier to see what's outside the frame and could be brought into it by using movements or reorienting the camera. I shoot 2x3 and 6x12 with a 4x5 Cambo whose ground glass is marked for these (and other) formats.</p>

[Jochen_S]

<p>There are 2 kinds of roll holder. Those which replace the ground glass - is that what you are calling your roll film back?and those which you slide in like a film holder. - I shot my Technika with a roll film back like a Polaroid i.e. relying on rangemeter & masked viewfinder. The groundglass is marked for 6x7 and I could use a slide in holder on a tripod. I consider it pretty hard to focus and compose on a tiny MF ground glass maybe its easier with a hood and included magnifying glass in place there.<br>

One of the projects on my to do list is to make a ground glass protector from an old breakfast "plate" that came roughly in the right size. - I.e. something solid to attach the ground glass to and pocket the entire combo while it isn't placed on the camera</p>

[AJG]

<p>Do you already have a 4x5 camera? If you don't, look for one where the ground glass comes with roll film markings already there. Both of my Toyo 4x5 have 6x7 and 6x9 markings standard, and they have been quite accurate. I have used Calumet 6x7 roll film backs a lot, and they are very convenient in that you don't have to remove the ground glass to use them--they go in like a (thick) 4x5 sheet film holder. </p>

[jose_angel]

I personally have the format marks drawn with a permanent marker directly over the GG. It takes a couple minutes, if you do it wrong just rub it with alcohol and do it again. Easy and cheap, and you just need the marks for the format of your own adapter. I just check the framing depending on the format/adapter, so I don't need anything else.

 

BTW, do you already have a 6x7 adapter? If not, I'd suggest you to have a 6X9 instead, I find it more interesting than the

shorter one, and you can always crop a bit if you want a more squared format.

[colin carron]

<p>If your 4x5 screen does not have 6x7 or 6x9 frames marked it is quite easy to lightly pencil them in.</p>

[steve_levine]

<p>I used a Calumet 6x7 back for years. Works the same as inserting a film holder with dark slide. Be aware of the differing coverages between formats with the same lens. Normal lens on a 4x5 camera is the 150 mm which is a short telefoto lens on a 6x7cm camera. What this means is that for any subject that you need a wide angle lens for. You will need a 4x5 lens shorter than 90 mm which is a normal lens on a 6x7. Once you have the framing masked off it would be silly to mess with it. Also be aware that the lens' depth of field is different with the smaller format.</p>

[frankz]

<p>... what Steve Levine said. I've got two of the Calumet/Cambo 120/220 backs and love 'em.</p>

[drew bedo]

<p>Way back—in the last decades of the previous century—I used a roll film back on my 4x5. I was so marginal back then, that my camera was a pieced-together Burk & James 5x7 with a DIY reducing back. The roll film back was a 6x7 format Singer-Graflex unit that took cassets of unperforated 70mm film. I reloaded the cassets with re-spooled 220 film that was bought expired at the old Houston camera show in its hay-days. </p>

<p>The advantage to me in learning LF (and general photography for that matter) was that with Ektachrome loaded up, I could crank through shot after shot of the same composition while changing the lighting or exposure. All the images were on one roll and in the order that they were taken. It was easy to see what worked and what didn't right away.</p>