converting 8x10 to 4x10...

toddstew

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I looked through about 20 pages of the large format archives here, and them I re-read Kerry Thalmann's article in view camera about cutting 8x10 dark slides. But, I'm still a bit confused. If I cut an 'L' in the dark slide, doea that mean that I've got to cut the film first, and can only do one 4x10 exposure per side? Is there a way to make two exposures on each side at the same outing? Any help would be greatly appreciated, because I'm interested in shooting this format.
Thanks,
Todd
 

John Kasaian

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What kind of 8x10 do you have? Some, like 'dorffs and Anscos have sliders that will let you shoot 8x10, 4x10, 5x8 or 2-1/2x 4 with one back.
 

herb

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4x10

You can buy a toyo (toho?) half slide from Badger. You set the rising front on the camera so you can move it for the second shot. The slide covers half of an 8x10, i.e. 4x10. The trick is to get the same or a different scene on the same sheet of film by shooting one photo, put a full dark slide in, remove the holder, frame the next 4x10,replace the holder, remove the full slide, put the half slide in so it will expose the second shot, and you are in bidness.

Lazy way: shoot one 4x10 per sheet of 8x10 and waste the other half.

the half slide cost twenty something dollars.
 

PaulH

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Here is a link to the Bender 8x10 -> 4x10 adaptor. As you can see it is easy to make if you have an old dark slide around. The big trick would be keeping track of which half of the negative you shot. I made one but never used it, got an 8x20 instead.

Paul
 

photomc

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Todd, it seems a bit confussing at first...but I will try to detail the steps (and trust me I am as novice where this is concerned as possible).
1. Compose the image on the GG of the 8x10 (a line for the 4x10 will help frame the subject).
2. Insert your normal 8x10 holder with the 8x10 darkslide in place.
3. DO NOT open the shutter yet, now withdraw the 8x10 darkslide
4. Insert the cut down 4x10 darkslide, with the open area matching the half of the GG you framed the image in.
5. Now expose
6. Insert the 8x10 darkslide, making either a mental note or using some other method (tape, etc) to mark the side of the film that was exposed.
7. Remove the film holder, and recompose the shot - using the OTHER half of the 8x10 GG (so if the first shot was done using the top 4x10 half, now compose on the bottom 8x10 half).
8. Insert the 8x10 holder, with the same side you exposed previously (let's say it was the top).
9. Do not open the shutter yet
10. Remove the 8x10 darkslide
11. Insert the 4x10 darkslide (the same one, but this time insert it so that the top of the film is covered).
12. Expose the bottom half of the film
13. Insert the 8x10 darkslide and remove the film holder
14. You will now have two (2) 4x10 images on one (1) 8x10 sheet of film

Process and pat yourself on the back for a job well done -

Actually the process would be the same using a slider board as well, you just get to see the half you expose. Slider on Top = expose the bottom half of the 8x10 sheet of film, slider on Bottom = expose the top half of the 8x10 sheet of film. It does require a bit more concentration to keep up with what you are doing, but the results are well worth the extra effort.

Good luck and let us know how it works out.
 

donbga

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Do you have a link at Badger for this product?
 
OP
OP

toddstew

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You laid it out perfectly for me. I'm headed into my garage/darkroom right now to cut a darkslide! My other responsibilities like baking a cake for my son's fourth birthday tomorrow can wait! Priorities!
Todd
 

photomc

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Glad that helps...was afraid it might be too basic, but know I need step by step..but I can be pretty dense sometimes. Hope to see some 4x10 prints real soon!

BTW - Happy Birthday to your son!!
 

John Kasaian

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Before you sacrafice a dark slide, pop the back off your Ansc and see if there is a groove on the inside for sliders! There should be a springy thingy inside the groove to keep the sliders in place. If there is, you can cut a piece of thin wood to fit, I have this feature on my 5x7s and I understand it was common on the 8x10s as well.
 

George Losse

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Lazy way: shoot one 4x10 per sheet of 8x10 and waste the other half.

Why do you think this is the lazy way?

I attached plastic stips down the center of some older 8x10 holders. They held one sheet of 4x10 in the middle of the 8x10 holder.

I did not want to be bothered with trying to remember which half of the film had been shot, which half of the film to expose next, or is that the "L" shaped dark slide in there or the full one.....Too many variables for me to think about. I'd rather just think about the image. Maybe I am lazy after all.
 

noseoil

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I did the "L" cut on an 8x10 darkslide recently. It worked fine, but I must have done something wrong as I had a band of overexposure on one end of the film about 1 1/2" wide (my mistake, I'm sure as it was on the "flap" end of the film holder). In any event, the way I did my shoot was to compose on one edge of the frame (4x10 at the top of the film) and do the darkslide shuffle. Then I turned the back 180 degrees so the opposite edge was in the top position and took the second shot. Worked fine with just the back turned. Still can't figure out what I did wrong on that first sheet of film, a great mstery. tim
 

juan

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I use a cut darkslide and did something that keeps me from making some (only some) mistakes. I painted handle ends of the cut darkslide - so that instead of a silver side and a black side, I have a red side and a green slide. In my notes, I can write down whether I've exposed the red side or the green side.

Also, if I'm about to pull the film holder from the camera, I look to be sure the red/green slide is not still in place.
juan
 

David A. Goldfarb

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I've done the half-darkslide trick, and it works well. The reason to shoot two images per sheet, in the field at least, is that you get twice as many shots without having to carry twice as many 8x10" filmholders.
 

JBrunner

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JLMoore3

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Yeah... wait 'til you do the 4x10 shuffle on that back- it's great!

I found it worked best for me like this:

1) Insert 4x10 format adapter in bottom of back
2) Compose image on upper opening of back
3) Shoot 1st image
4) Take back off
5) Slide adapter to top of back
6) Rotate back 180 degrees (so the filmholder is now inserted from the left)
7) Check composition
8) Shoot 2nd image

Works like a charm!
 

cdholden

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John Kasaian said:
What kind of 8x10 do you have? Some, like 'dorffs and Anscos have sliders that will let you shoot 8x10, 4x10, 5x8 or 2-1/2x 4 with one back.
Click to expand...

John,
What is this "slider"? I've got a V8 with 8x10 and 4x5 backs, not quite sure about what should be sliding though.
Chris
 

matt miller

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A "slider" fits in a groove in the camera back, just in front of the ground glass. It is usually a thin piece of wood that measures 4x10 or 5x8. You place it into the groove to block light from one half of a sheet of film. It can be slid in the groove to the opposite side for a second exposure on the same sheet of film. Some cameras have this groove, some do not. I use to own an 8x10 Korona that had this groove. I made my own 4x10 "slider" with sheet metal. Take the back off of your V8 and look for the groove.

cdholden said:
John,
What is this "slider"? I've got a V8 with 8x10 and 4x5 backs, not quite sure about what should be sliding though.
Chris
Click to expand...
 
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