9x12 camera and roll-film

[Ian Grant]

I have a Rodenstock 9x12 camera, and plate holders, plus an unused box of Bessachrom plates.

It would be great to use the camera with roll-film, does anyone know if the Linhof 9x12 fit roll film back of the same 20's 30's vintage is likely to fit.

The German 9x12 cameras of that era appear to be very similar in style and design, and there's even a Russian copy. So are the single darkslide, film or plate holders and roll film backs inter-changeable.

Ian

 

[Ole]

There are at least ten different and incompatible designs for a 9x12cm plate holder, and roll film backs for most of them.

Unfortunately the Linhof holders I have seen have all been "Millionenfalz", while the Rodenstock camera I have takes "Standardfalz".

Those two are easy to tell apart: Standardfalz has a narrow thin rim, while Millionenfalz are rimless.

 

[Ian Grant]

Thanks Ole, the Linhof back is on its way. I had a chance to bid for it's matching camera, it sold for about $200

9x12 sems to be great format, more portable than 5x4 and but still capable of excellent quality.

Ian

 

[Ole]

Ian, I agree. The little old 9x12cm plate cameras are great little things!

I did this one with a modern Slavich glass plate negative in a Voigtländer Bergheil 9x12cm...

 

[Luddite Frank]

Don't know if this is helpful, but I have a Zeiss "Donata" 9x12 plate camera, circa 1930.

I bought it on a trip to Germany, about 25 years ago. It came in the original box, with three plate holders (thin flange).

Just this fall, I found out that roll-film backs were made for these, and I found a RADA (Plaubel) 120 back that fit the camera just fine. It shoots 6x9, but apparently, there was a 6x6 mask also available.

I've shot about 6 rolls of film using this combo, and really like the results.

My Donata has a 13,5 cm lens, so shooting 6x9 gives a bit of a telephoto effect. I use the wire-frame finder, with a series of rubber bands stretched across the frame, to create the 6x9 framelines...

I would really like to find some 9x12 film holders or film-sheaths for my plate-holders, but it's been a blast to finally use this camera after all these years !

Be judicious when searching for roll-film backs: they were also made in now-obsolete film sizes such as 116, 616, etc.

Good luck !

Luddite Frank

 

[Michael W]

I would really like to find some 9x12 film holders or film-sheaths for my plate-holders, but it's been a blast to finally use this camera after all these years !

Same here - I have a Voigtlander Avus 6.5x9 & have successfully shot plates & roll film with a 6x9 back. I have a few film sheaths for it but haven't tried them yet.

Last year I bought a Voigtlander Bergheil 9x12 with about 6 plate holders. I have some 9x12 cut film but no sheaths to locate them in the plate holders. A few of them would be very useful. I'd also like a rollfim back, reducing to 6x9 is fine. Good to hear the Rada has worked OK for you.

 

[Luddite Frank]

I picked-up some 5x7 sheaths, so that I can load film into some plate-holders, and after looking them over, I'm tempted to try making my own sheaths or perhaps seeing if there's a local metal shop that might fab them up reasonably...

There's not much to them: basically a pieces of thin sheet-metal, with a "selvage" folded-over on three sides... then painted flat grey or black...

 

[Ian Grant]

goldie, I know this thread is oldish, I bought the 6x9 Linhof back mentioned at the start, I've since bought two more 9x12 cameras, , one with another roll-film back.

I may have a spare,, but won't know until I'm back in the UK in 3 weeks.

Ian