Bigger is better, but...

First of all, hello all from a newbie to this site, and all the LF darkroom enlarging developing I've recently been enjoying...

A little history: I started with 35mm, went to MF, and then 4x5". Then I started developing my own films, and then started printing my own negs (up to MF). This all in the last year or so, so things are moving pretty fast for me.

Wanting to print my 4x5", I was a little stuck until a studio shut down and gave me their 5x7" enlarger last week. I hope to get it up and running soon. (PS: Sean - I indentified and laughed pretty damn hard reading about your behemoth! Mine is a little smaller, but not much!)

But to get to the point, now that I have a 5x7" enlarger, wouldn't it be nice to actually use all that real estate and shoot some 5x7" film! (I'd also say that size is the starting point for some nice contact printing, but that's another forum!)

So my question is: I use a Sinar F2 monorail. Can I substitute the rear standard with a 5x7" and suitable bellows to shoot with my existing lenses and camera? I was under that impression, but if anyone can confirm and maybe point me to where. Sinar site has nothing of the sort.

I don't know for a fact that the F, X, c or P series Sinars were available with a 5x7 conversion, but I do know that the sinar Norma had a 5x7 rear standard that would work with the F2. The kit appears on ebay on occasion and should come with the bellows. Your lenses may or may not work w/ 5x7 it depends upon the image circle created by the lens.

If the lenses don't cover 5x7 there is still a good chance they will cover 6x17. You could get the sinar 5x7 conversion and use a 6x17 roll film adapter until you can upgrade your lenses or just get a 6x17 camera (probably more costly).

There are a million stories out there among us photographers. They all deal with bigger and better, and sharper and easier and more elegant, and etc., etc., etc.
What they don't tell you is the fabulous waste of financial resources it took to get to where they are now. Buy high, sell low. Get something for free and then max out your credit card making it work. Getting a bargain on a bigger whatever, only to find that all lenses, paper and darkroom gadgets have to be enlarged as well.
I have been there. I have done that. I have closets full of last year's (decade's/century's) best and most wonderful gear. "If only I had this one more thing, I would be the best in the business!" With that kind of thinking, you will die not so happy and not very rich.

Niko,
You sound like you have a nice camera and useable lenses. Get the 4x5 carrier for your negs and make great images. You don't need bigger negatives than 4x5 to make wonderful images. Look at John Sexton, who shoots 4x5 exclusively. If you absolutely MUST make contact prints, rent or borrow an 8x10. If you love it, save your euros for one, but try before you buy.

Ditto... Photography is like any other pursuit in one respect; it takes practice, practice and more practice to become proficient (I've been trying for 30 years now). That larger size is going to cost you a lot more, and you will probably shoot much less.

Hmmm... I'll say I have been told!

But really, more costly? Considering the camera and lens (one will cover, the other I doubt) are already sunk costs, and the enlarger was free. And considering that thanks to the massive shift to digital, things like enlargers and hopefully 5x7 backs and bellows aren't exactly extortionate. 25 sheets of 4x5 FP4 are 17 Euros, and 5x7 is 27 Euros; I can live with that.

Of course, the advice to become proficient with what equipment one has is always good.

NikoSperi said:

But really, more costly?

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A good possibility, depending upon what you shoot.

NikoSperi said:

So my question is: I use a Sinar F2 monorail. Can I substitute the rear standard with a 5x7" and suitable bellows to shoot with my existing lenses and camera? I was under that impression, but if anyone can confirm and maybe point me to where. Sinar site has nothing of the sort.

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Well I'm sure no expert (haven't fired a lf shot yet!), but while I was doing my research I noticed that one of the selling points of the Sinars was how easy they were to mix and match. If no one here knows, can you not just email them?

I'm not one to suggest bigger for the sake of bigger but I find 5x7 a much nicer format then 4x5. I'm also not a big fan of 8x10 so short of 11x14 5x7 is it for me. The big drawbacks are enlargers are harder to find and the cost of colour 5x7 film. Quite a few 4x5 lenses will cover 5x7. Of course all 8x10 lenses will to. Used the cameras can be cheaper then 4x5 or 8x10. They often aren't much heavier then 4x5 cameras.

5x7 is something I can live with contact printing. 4x5 or even 8x10 make me want to enlarge/crop.

Nick Zentena said:

... the cost of colour 5x7 film.

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I can understand that, even in 4x5 it is expensive. I just paid $170 for 40 sheets of Ready-Load Velvia. I can only imagine the cost for larger formats.