WTB 5x7 DDS

[Charles Twist]

I am looking for one or two 5x7 double dark slides to fit a modern Sinar. It must be 5x7 not 13x18 and it must be light-tight and not about to disintegrate .
Can anyone help?
Regards,
Charles

[devinephotographic]

Hello,
I do believe mr cad in Croydon has new ones the last time I looked


Regards

Daniel

[Charles Twist]

Hello Daniel,
I called and they said they only have 13x18 at £40 each, which is a lot compared to the price on the second hand market. They said that 5x7 film would fit nicely and not fall out, but I am far from convinced - depends a lot on the manufacturer and their tolerances. Given I use Adox a lot, it could be a real problem. If the holders can take 5x7 and 13x18 equally well, I'd say £40 is almost worth it, especially for new.
Thanks,
Charles

[Peter B]

Walker Cameras list them at £45, but I'm not sure if that's for 1 only, then there's VAT and then it may only be for his camera customers. It'll not cost much to ask, though.

http://www.walkercameras.com/a_cut-film.html

cliffpr on eBay also has them at £34.99, but the photo doesn't inspire me with confidence to be honest

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIDELITY-Elit ... 4841da11fc

[devinephotographic]

I forgot about mike walker, he is a nice man to chat to and he is the cheapest for ilford film here in the uk
I'm sure he will sell you a couple I bought a few used off him last year he might still have a few used ones knocking about his workshop.

[devinephotographic]

Be carefull of cliffpr on eBay he really sells overpriced rusted junk on eBay a few of my friends bought stuff off him , they were not impressed at all I do believe he lives out west Wales funny enough they bought dark slides that was supposed to be in very good condition however the slides had cracks in all of them.

[Peter B]

Be carefull of cliffpr on eBay he really sells overpriced rusted junk on eBay a few of my friends bought stuff off him , they were not impressed at all I do believe he lives out west Wales funny enough they bought dark slides that was supposed to be in very good condition however the slides had cracks in all of them.

Many of us think the stuff he sells isn't top grade, but how on earth can he have 100% on 9136 deals if the items are substandard?

[devinephotographic]

My uncle said that to me a few months ago about how is he getting good feedback as he seen his stuff, eBay is a strange place I have known sellers to give a partial refund in order to keep up their star rating and feed back positive. I have bought stuff off eBay advertised as lovely condition when I received it it looked as it was in a house fire, or in an attic for the past 30 years and they never gave it a wipe before posting. My favourite seller was MXV in uckfield Paul Beaumont however they are gone now and I miss their 1 year guarantee. Paul still trades on eBay as penumbra.

[Clive Gray]

As you are presumably shooting BW (you mention Adox) I would just get 13x18 holders based on the following logic. 1 they are way cheaper than 5x7 on the used market and 2. ag-photographic at least stock several BW films in 13x8.

Different situation if you want to shoot anything colour. I don't know from personal practical experience but I have seen any number of forum threads pointing out that 13x18 will not fit into 5x7 holders without bowing and 5x7 in 13x18 holders is liable to fall out.

It is different with colour as the only practical source for 5x7 is to cut down 10x8 (unless you can aford Japan exposures prices http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/index.php?cPath=28. you can get two 5x7 from a 10x8 but not two 13x18.

If you decide 13x18 is worth a go Peter Walnes has EXC+ Fidelity Deluxe listed at 10 and EXC++ for 12 he also has these available in multiples I'm guessing its 4 as the listing is slightly truncated ; EXC+ 35 and EXC++ 45 also Lisco Regal EXC++ at the same prices.

http://www.peterwalnes.com/index.php?op ... mitstart=0

The last time I was in MrCad's about a month ago I am fairly shure they did still have 5x7 as well as the 13x18 and half plate also 10x8 in new.

5x7 used to go for maybe 20 secondhand but looking on ebay they seem to be going for quite a bit more now, sometimes you see buy it nows for say 3 or 4 at good prices that are worth going for as everyone wants a bargin and seems to just like bidding up the auctions

I can't find any on there at the moment but you can get good deals on 13x18 holders on ebay sometimes I got 8 for 55 Euros + 15 for the postage the other year.

Once in a blue moon I come across a auction from cliffpr that strikes me as at a reasonable price then I'll look at the description and see that for example its a lens with a missing element and therefore just about worthless

[Charles Twist]

Hello Clive,
Thank you for the long answer.

Yes I cottoned on to the fact that 13x18 was quite reasonable compared to 5x7. I have been able to get 3 at £11 each compared to the 5x7 where the best deal seems to be 4 at £30 each (short of the occasional bargain on the US Ebay).

For colour film, there's Kodak. In Germany, E100G is available as 13x18 and in the US Portra is available as 5x7. Neither are cheap at £6-8 a shot but it's cheaper than 10x8 and would allow for some seriously large prints. Now, if one of our American cousins could volunteer to buy the film from BHPhotoVideo and mail it me as a gift, that would be very welcome.

For B&W, Adox seems to be available as 5x7 rather than 13x18. Strange for a continental outfit, but then Ilford make their film in 13x18 . OK, I admit they also do some 5x7. Fomapan also 13x18. Wephota is the only half-plate film I know of, although I have been told that Ilford make some. If not, they can always make some in their annual odd-shape order. EDIT: I am told that Acros is also available as half-plate from Japan.

My main reason for going 5x7 or half-plate is that I feel it's the smallest size which is big enough for contact and direct prints. I have taken a strong interest in Harman DPP. Not the easiest to use, but it's got something I like about it. I have also got a few dark slides for half-plate glass which will fit a 5x7 camera. So that leaves the wet-plate and dry-plate doors ajar.

It's quite fascinating how one size of camera back can accept so many options.

Best regards,
Charles

[John Brewer]

I have also got a few dark slides for half-plate glass which will fit a 5x7 camera. So that leaves the wet-plate and dry-plate doors ajar.

Best regards,
Charles

Do be careful that the film plane is in the exactly the same plane as the gg. I've seen holders that fit cameras but are unusable because the two planes are different.

I'm sure I have a couple of 5x7 holders you can borrow long term but I don't want to sell them. They're worth more than £40 to me Drop me an email if you wanna borrow them.

I agree that 5x7 is a nice size to contact print as well as a nice dimension. Never really like the shape of 5x4 or 10x8 unless cropped.

[patawauke]

I don't know from personal practical experience but I have seen any number of forum threads pointing out that 13x18 will not fit into 5x7 holders without bowing and 5x7 in 13x18 holders is liable to fall out.

I can vouch for this too from personal experience using both 5x7 and 13x18. Annoying moments in the field when you can't re-insert the dark slide with a popped out film jam. Also doubles the sheer number of boxes hanging around for exposed and unexposed film types. My advice, while I don't mind which format I use, don't try to mix and match these sizes.

John

[Charles Twist]

Hello John,
I was hoping that depth of focus would give the plate-holder some tolerance - all things which need testing. Anyway, surely, a bit of softness is what it's all about...
I'll send you an email about the DDS.
Size ratios are a strange influence, worth its own thread.
Best regards,
Charles

[Justin]

I am looking for one or two 5x7 double dark slides to fit a modern Sinar. It must be 5x7 not 13x18 and it must be light-tight and not about to disintegrate .
Can anyone help?
Regards,
Charles

Robert White sell them. http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/fidelity-5x7-dds-pk-2.html

[Clive Gray]

Hello Charles

You had better luck than I finding colour, I had seen some E100G but it wouldn't be a prefered choice and I remember seeing Badger were out of Porta so had assumed it was all gone. Should I be feeling flush some when I'll be considering getting some from B&H so thank you for that link.

I invested in the 13x18 DDS a couple of years ago as at that time Provia seemed to be easilly available in the EU in that size ...right up untill I was going to order some and it was then unavailable any where, which leaves me occassionally doing horrible things to 10X8 with a rototrim.


Ag photographic

Have FP4 listed in 5x7 and 13x18

http://www.ag-photographic.co.uk/fp4-125asa-21-c.asp

And bizzarely Delta 100 in 13x18 but not 5x7

http://www.ag-photographic.co.uk/delta-100asa-22-c.asp

And the reverse in HP5

http://www.ag-photographic.co.uk/hp5-400asa-20-c.asp

Adox 100 is available in just about everything but half plate it seems.

http://www.ag-photographic.co.uk/adox-c ... t-19-c.asp

Regards

Clive

Thats a really good price for a pair of 5x7's if Robert White have them in stock I'd just be slightly suspicious that its just they haven't removed that entry.

So many websites list thousands of items but when you ask it turns out .. "oh they haven't been available for years"