2x3?

Schunn99 · Oct 17, 2007

hey all,
couple of questions. I have been looking at a baby speed graphic(2x3) and was having a couple of questions:

how hard is 2x3 sheet film to work with? because the camera I am looking at has the spring back on it not the graflok back in order to use the film roll holders. and my second question does anyone know where to buy 2x3 film processing hangers? There are none on ebay just 4x5, 5x7.

thanks,
Scott Hunnicutt

David A. Goldfarb · Oct 17, 2007

2x3" sheet film is not hard to work with, and there seem to be lots of filmholders out there as well as Grafmatics. You can process it in trays or the Nikor stainless steel tank or hangers. Hangers are hard to find, but they do exist, so you can process in trays or by some other method until you manage to find some hangers. When you do find hangers or wooden 2x3" filmholders, people often seem to be giving them away for the cost of shipping.

DBP · Oct 17, 2007

The only problem I have ever had using 2x3 sheet film has been grasping the dark slides to pull them. Sometimes I have to pull by the corners instead of the middle because of the smaller space. People with smaller hands or longer nails might not have the problem.

David Brown · Oct 17, 2007

Schunn99 said:
I have been looking at a baby speed graphic(2x3)

I will be very interested to hear your experience down the road with the baby graphic. I currently shoot 6x7 and am pleased with the format, but I could sometimes use a bit of front rise with some of the architectural stuff I'm involved in. In that case, I would likely still want to use roll film, but you know ...

Anyway, good luck and let us know!

jovo · Oct 17, 2007

This may sound dumb, but is 2x3 sheet film sold as such, or does one cut 120 film to size. Though I've not looked for it, I've certainly not stumbled across it either.

David A. Goldfarb · Oct 17, 2007

Yes, HP5+ is a stock item in 2x3" sheets. I've used Efke PL100 and J&C Classic (Fortepan) 200 and 400. I'm not sure what's available at the moment.

juan · Oct 17, 2007

Freestyle also sells arista.edu in 2 1/4x3 1/4.

120 film is slightly wider than 2 1/4 sheet film.
juan

Dan Fromm · Oct 17, 2007

John, the range of emulsions available in 2x3 is limited, and there's no color. For color, one has to use roll film or cut down sheets larger than 2x3.

Scott, if you look hard on eBay and bid high enough you'll be able to buy a 2x3 Adapt-A-Roll 620 roll holder. These slip in like a sheet film holder, can be used on 2x3 cameras with spring (Graphic) backs. They were made for 620 film. They will feed perfectly well from a 120 spool but must take up on a 620 spool. Conversion to 120 is possible, impossibly costly. To learn more about them, visit www.graflex.org

k_jupiter · Oct 17, 2007

It's a tough one. My 2x3s have graflok backs. The best roll film solution with them is the Mamiya rb67 6x7 or 6x45 backs. Getting a mask for your Speed's view finder is a bit problematic, but that can be dealt with by trial and error.

Finding hangers is most likely successful at a camera show or one of them British Jumble meets. I only use them for wash. I develop my film in a Patterson tank with the reels taken out, center column still installed. I place 5 cut down plastic tubes (Flourescent tube light protectors in my case) in the tank and develop like roll film. Works well except the backs sometimes still have their anti halation layers intact after processing. A touch of Sodium Carbonate in the first wash water takes care of that. After fixing, I place the negatives in the hangers and place in the tank. A tube to the bottom of the tank provides slow but constant wash water. The negs come out nice, but are a bit fiddly.

Good luck.
tim in san jose

Curt · Oct 17, 2007

I have a Busch C which is 2x3 or 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 size. I changed out the original spring back and replaced it with a Graflex 2 1/4 back. I bought four of the 6 shooters, Grafmatic 23's and three roll holders, Graphic, one is 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 and the other two are full 2x3 inch. I have a bunch of cut film holders, most new, and the camera has is about mint with all of the finders and Kalart which is adjusted for the lens. All came with a Vulcanoid case to match. The bellows is as new as the day it was made, you have to be careful and get an excellent bellows. It has a lot of extension too. I collected all the 2x3 film developing hangers I needed and the system is really nice to work with. I can put it on a tripod or hand hold, what else would one need in this format and type of camera?

Curt · Oct 17, 2007

One additional item I have is a Nikkor stainless steel sheet film holder for a regular stainless steel tank, the small 120 tank. It was hard to find but well worth it for some kinds of development. It came with a stainless steel guide that aids inserting the film into the curved slots.

genecrumpler · Oct 25, 2007

I tried cutting down 4x5 film to 2x3. I was not very sucessful! Roll back is probably the way to go. The 2x3 Bush Pressman is now a collectable, gathering dust on my shelf. I decided to go with 4x5.

ricksplace · Oct 26, 2007

Just to add.. Since 2X3 sheets are a little narrower than 120 roll film, I glued a plastic reel to a width that will accept the 2X3 cut film. I just put the sheets in the reel and develop like any other roll film. They don't creep in the reel and overlap each other. Sure a lot easier than film hangers or trays.

panastasia · Oct 26, 2007

ricksplace said:
Just to add.. Since 2X3 sheets are a little narrower than 120 roll film, I glued a plastic reel to a width that will accept the 2X3 cut film. I just put the sheets in the reel and develop like any other roll film. They don't creep in the reel and overlap each other. Sure a lot easier than film hangers or trays.

Interesting! I develope my 2x3 negs in trays and often thought of using a reel but the narrower width prevented me from pursuing the idea. After reading this, I'm going to cut a stainless steel reel in half and weld it back together to fit sheet film. Thanks!

doughowk · Oct 26, 2007

Have a Century Graphic, and found a Fedco daylight tank for 2X3 sheet film. Being circular, it gives more even development than my square Yankee tank for 4X5. Currently use mostly Efke (25,50 & 100 ISO), but would standardize on FP-4 if Ilford will ever cut to that size.

ricksplace · Oct 26, 2007

panastasia said:
Interesting! I develope my 2x3 negs in trays and often thought of using a reel but the narrower width prevented me from pursuing the idea. After reading this, I'm going to cut a stainless steel reel in half and weld it back together to fit sheet film. Thanks!

Seems like a lot of work. The plastic reels are adjustable between 35mm and 120. I just positioned the reel at the right distance between 127 and 120 setting and applied a little crazy glue. I have used it quite a bit, and no problems so far. The sheets won't walk into the reel like roll film since the reel is glued. You have to work them down into the reel in order to load additional sheets.

This is what I love about this site. So many good ideas!

rshepard · Oct 26, 2007

2x3 sheet film is not at all difficult to handle. I use a Yankee tank to develop them using Pyrocat-HD (in glycol) with extreme minimal agitation (start, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 of the 30 min developing time). I've had no problems.

I also have a Grafmatic holder that works great ... as long as I am very careful to unload the bottom most septum; it doesn't want to fall out with the other five septa. It's very handy.

Both my Crown Graphic and Galvin have the Graflock back, so I use my rollfilm holders with them, too.

Sheet film I use is HP5+ and J&C 200. When I finally use up my stock of those, I'll use either the Efke 25 or 100 or the Foma films.

These are fun cameras. If it needs service (or CLA), I unreservedly recommend Fred Lustig in Reno, NV. He restored my Crown Graphic to like-new condition (except for the leather hand-hold), and confirmed that one of my old, knob-type rollfilm backs needs a part that's no longer available.

Rich

rippo · Nov 9, 2007

hey, good idea about gluing the plastic reel! i've got a spare, and will try it asap. i've been using the 'taco' method in a plastic daylight tank. works, but it's kind of a pain. i have an Fr adjustable tank as well, but i get flow marks. a reel would be better.

i shoot with a busch pressman model C, and only use film holders. i've got like 20 or 30, they were so cheap on ebay. i had been using arista.edu film from freestyle, but recently did some 4x5 trimming. it was successful, even though i had to do it in the dark. the key was using a paper trimmer and putting masking tape as stops for lining up the film. handled gently, i don't get any scratches. even did some test shots on astia and provia chrome the other day. my lab was kind enough to try the nonstandard format, and all went well.

2x3 shots here.

Curt · Nov 9, 2007

Wow, these are really great shots, I am so glad that you are exploring the camera to its fuller extent. It's a really great format and very portable and versatile.

Curt

rippo · Nov 9, 2007

thanks curt!

it's my 'portable tilt-shift' camera, for the most part. if i want medium format negs, i'll use my bronica. if i'm serious about taking time and composing an image, i'll bust out the 4x5 monorail. i think i've shot with it stopped down maybe once...it's all about the fuzzies for me on this camera. my rangefinder doesn't appear to work very well, but i've never used it. strictly ground glass and film holders.

i want to do more portraiture with it, although it'd be nicer if i had a longer lens.

David A. Goldfarb · Nov 9, 2007

Nice use of the format, Matt!

rippo · Nov 9, 2007

thanks david!

btw, i like that chelsea pier pylons shot you have on your site.

David A. Goldfarb · Nov 9, 2007

Thanks. You're the second person who has commented on that one today.

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