2 1/4 x 3 1/4 Sheet Film - How Do You Deal With It?

focus_on_infinity · Oct 6, 2021

So, owners of those little 2x3 Crown and Speed Graphics, how do you deal with 2x3 film? It looks like only Arista and Adox are making it. Do you just cut strips of 120 film instead?

Donald Qualls · Oct 6, 2021

As I recall, there are three different widths for 6.5x9 cm sheet film, 2x3 (aka 2 1/4 x 3 1/4) sheet film, and 120 roll film. You're kind of in the same boat if you have a 2x3, 6.5x9, or 9x12 camera: buy whatever emulsion you can find, or buy X-ray film and cut it down under safelight, or make the setup and investment to recut panchro or color film in total darkness.

Same goes for postcard (3 1/2 x 5 1/4, IIRC) and 3x4 and quarter plate, half plate, and full plate, of course. You can probably get any Ilford emulsion available in sheet form from the annual "ULF bulk buy" event, however -- which isn't just ULF, it's custom cut for a lot of obsolete sheet film formats, plus uncut strips of 120 width, unperfed 35mm, etc. Buy-in is significant, but if well stored, the film will last a lot longer than the 2 year expiration usually given.

Raghu Kuvempunagar · Oct 6, 2021

Consider using photographic paper instead of film. It should be easy to cut paper to the required size and load it under red safe light.

aoresteen · Oct 6, 2021

I have a bunch of Arista 2x3 sheet film as well as some HP-5 in my freezer. I use SFH when I use cut film. Otherwise I use Horseman 120 & 220 roll film backs.

To use sheet film with my Cambo 23SF view I had to have SK Grimes adapt a SF back (from a parts 2x3 Speed Graphic) to my Cambo. From the factory the Cambo 23SF only uses roll film.

btaylor · Oct 6, 2021

Luckily we can still get Arista (Foma) and Adox! Off the shelf, no muss no fuss. Otherwise you’re going to be cutting down bigger sheet film which seems a bit pointless. You don’t mention what camera you have, but the other obvious answer would be a roll film back- that opens up every 120 sized film out there. Good luck and have fun!

focus_on_infinity · Oct 6, 2021

I don't have a 2x3 camera. I'm just wondering how comparatively obsolete they are short of using a roll film back.

Cholentpot · Oct 6, 2021

Film holder or I cut down x-ray film.

Paul Howell · Oct 6, 2021

I use sheet film, current is Foma 200, expensive, reason is that I can carry a 2 1/4 by 3 3/14 Crown, 6 double sided film holders and few slip on filters and shoot zone with expansion and contraction development. When I shoot 6X9 roll film I use my Mamiya Universal or Press. The Crown is much lighter.

BradS · Oct 6, 2021

Ilford used to include 2x3 sheet film in their once-a-year special order. IDK whether or not they still do.

Donald Qualls · Oct 6, 2021

I've got a near plethora of roll film backs that fit the Graflok on my little Century -- came with a 6x7 RH-10, but it'll accept anything that mounts on that 2x3 Graflok, so all my RB67 backs, my Graflex 22, and my Graflex 23 fit. Problem is, the roll backs stick out far enough to make it hard to us the viewfinder -- but I have the ground glass panel, too, so I can, if I must, compose with that (otherwise, if I use the lens that came on it, I'll use the Kalart RF that's calibrated to the lens and improvise with the wire frame finder).

focus_on_infinity · Oct 6, 2021

Donald Qualls said:
(otherwise, if I use the lens that came on it, I'll use the Kalart RF that's calibrated to the lens and improvise with the wire frame finder).

Yeah, I put a lot of effort into calibrating the rangefinder on my 4x5 CG, and it's like getting a whole another camera or two out of it. It's well calibrated for my 135mm and 162mm lenses now.

Donald Qualls · Oct 6, 2021

focus_on_infinity said:
Yeah, I put a lot of effort into calibrating the rangefinder on my 4x5 CG, and it's like getting a whole another camera or two out of it. It's well calibrated for my 135mm and 162mm lenses now.

If you have the instructions handy, the Kalart takes 10-30 minutes to recalibrate. No messing with cams, and any lens you can use on the camera will likely be within range to calibrate. If I used my Zeiss plate cameras more, I'd probably have tried to get a pair of Kalarts (on dead cameras, if necessary) to mount on them; so much faster and easier to use than the ground glass.

The cams are nice if you have one that matches the lens you want to use, and for in-field changes, much more convenient -- but I'd guess that 98% of those cams have been thrown away as unidentifiable junk since they quit making the top RF cameras.

abruzzi · Oct 6, 2021

I have a baby Linhof, with both 2.25x3.25 (colloquially know as 2x3) and 6.5x9 film holders. I also have a roll holder that I can load 120 film. On that camera the roll film holder is annoying since the viewfinder/rangefinder is hard to use because the roll film holder pushed your face back to the point that its hard to see through. The 2x3 holders are the easiest since I can just buy off-the-shelf Foma/Arista and shoot that, and it no different than shooting a rangefinder based LF camera. I haven't cut down other sizes to 2x3, and if I did it would take three cuts to create two sheets, and waste a small amount of the film.

No one in the US sells 6.5x9 sheets. Supposedly ADOX makes the CHS in that size, but I'd have to order from Fotoimpex and pay significant shipping. It would only be worth it if I bought a fair amount of other film to minimize the impact of shipping. OTOH, one sheet of 5x7 can be turned into 4 sheets of 6.5x9 with only two cuts and no waste (plus a hole punch to add notches.) Since I'm cutting in total darkness, the simple the cuts the better.

For developing I use a Paterson tank and a 20th Century Camera spiral which will hold 6 sheets and develop with a half liter of chemicals. FYI, they have a different spiral for 2x3 than for 6.5x9.

2 1/4 x 3 1/4 Sheet Film - How Do You Deal With It?

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