Death of color 5x7?

[aluncrockford]

I was just about to get hold of a 5x7 deardorff but have hit upon a not inconsiderable snag, It seems that it is going to be impossible to get hold of 5x7 colour film, So the question is shall I just accept the fact that the format is dead, if I have to cut film down I might as well stick with 8X10 and learn to live with 4x5 as the lighter portable alternative

 

[Keith Tapscott.]

It is going to be impossible to get hold of 5x7 colour film,

Shall I just accept the fact that the format is dead?

I might as well stick with 8X10 and learn to live with 4x5 as the lighter portable alternative.

You've answered your own question, stick with 4x5 and 8x10.

 

[ChuckP]

Probably is much harder to use in color. B&W film is easily available. If you could find some color for sale the option would be to buy a very large supply. But then you have aging problems and the very high upfront costs. If you are doing large prints you will see a difference compared to a cropped 4x5. But your cropped 8x10 will be better. And adding yet another camera choice can complicate things.

 

[michaelbsc]

I was just about to get hold of a 5x7 deardorff but have hit upon a not inconsiderable snag, It seems that it is going to be impossible to get hold of 5x7 colour film, So the question is shall I just accept the fact that the format is dead, if I have to cut film down I might as well stick with 8X10 and learn to live with 4x5 as the lighter portable alternative

Yeah.

Sniff

 

[SkipA]

If its a current emulsion, film manufacturers will cut it if you can meet their minimum order size. No one individual is going to be able to do that, but I'd buy 100 sheets or more of Velvia 50 or 100 or Kodak E100G on a group buy if someone put together an order.

 

[brucemuir]

What b/w emulsions are currently available in 5x7?

 

[michaelbsc]

Keith Canham has been unable to put together a group purchase for TMY2 for the past several months. That's about as standard an emulsion as you can get.

Some of Ilford emulsions are still manufactured AFAIK. And Efke has a film available.

I agree that color emulsions would be good, but I think the hurdle to get them is high.

MB

 

[frotog]

Cutting down from 8x10 produces very little scrap. You can get either a Yale stack cutter or a chinese knock-off and cut a 10 sheet box of 8x10 with the top and bottom card stock packaging protecting the surface of the top and bottom sheet of film. Three cuts and you're done. Alternatively, you can cut one sheet at a time with a rotatrim (emulsion side down) but then you're more prone to problems. I know 5x7 photographers who notch their cut film with a hole punch but I personally never found this necessary. Just make sure to tell your lab which way the emulsion lies in your download box as it makes a difference with c-41 processing.

 

[Reinhold]

Cutting down film is easy if you are reasonably careful as frotog says.

I cut 16x20 down to 8x20 on my C&H mat cutter.
Never a problem.

A simple jig made from matboard and a dime-store paper punch makes film notching easy.
Never a problem.

Turning down a Deardorff ???
Now thaaaat's a problem...

Reinhold

www.classicBWphoto.com

 

[Eric Biggerstaff]

There are many BW films available including several by Foma, Efke and Ilford. I recently purchased Delta 100, 100 sheet boxes for $125 per box from Badger Graphic Sales. They are taking orders but the price has gone up to $145 for 100 sheets I believe. Ilford also has FP4+ as a standard offering in 5X7. Until recently, Kodak kept is as a standard but is now a special order. I use 5X7 as my standard format and find no problem in locating film, however I only shoot BW. Freestyle keeps a good supply on hand.

 

[mark]

Color 5x7 has not been readily available for years. When got my 5x7 9 years ago there were maybe two color emulsions available in slide film and maybe that number in negative. Think about how many 4x5 emulsions have come and gone since then. It was never a standard format for color shooters. I believe the publishing industry dictated the 8x10 and 4x5 standard. you don't go into 5x7 to easily shoot color. Even then you had to work at it because the cost was insane.

Back when we were a two income family and there was a bit of extra cash I worked with one of the die cut manufacturers to create a die to cut 2 5x7 sheets from 8x10. It would cut and notch five sheets of 8x10 with interleaf paper. Total cost was going to be 50 dollars US. We went to one income and all extra money went away so the project disappeared. Since I am a teacher I just called the company that made the dies we had in our workroom and they were the ones I worked with.

I did all that about 7 years ago. Buying and cutting 8x10 would have cut the cost of the film in half and the die would have paid for itself after the first box of film.

Where there is a will there is a way. In this day and age when emulsions are disappearing right and left you either accept it and do what you must to shoot the film you want to shoot or you pick up a digital camera and shoot that because it is easy. I am plenty happy with the selection of 5x7 black and white on the market.

5x7 is not dead it is what has been for a very very long time, a niche market within a niche market. If that Deardorff is cheap and you don't want it point the seller my way. Seriously.

 

[removed account4]

Cutting down film is easy if you are reasonably careful as frotog says.

I cut 16x20 down to 8x20 on my C&H mat cutter.
Never a problem.

A simple jig made from matboard and a dime-store paper punch makes film notching easy.
Never a problem.

Turning down a Deardorff ???
Now thaaaat's a problem...

Reinhold

www.classicBWphoto.com

+1

you might also call freestyle to see if they have expired film
i got a boatload of expired 5x7 color film from them ...
MY only problem is there is no one left to process it
the only pro-lab that still had a sheet film line stopped ...

 

[ic-racer]

Far from dead. It is a good alternative to 8x10 for many people. 5x7 enlargers are on e-bay all the time.

 

[jslabovitz]

5x7 B&W emulsions

What b/w emulsions are currently available in 5x7?

I'm keeping a little spreadsheet of available films, and although I haven't checked out availability lately, this is what I had listed to be available in 5x7:

Adox CHS 25 Art
Adox ORT 25 Orthochromatic
Arista EDU Ultra B&W 100
Arista EDU Ultra B&W 400
Efke PL 100 M
Efke PL 25 M
Efke PL 25 ORT Orthochromatic
Efke PL 50 M
Foma Fomapan 100
Foma Fomapan 200
Foma Fomapan 400
Ilford FP4+
Ilford HP5+
Kodak Tri-X Pan

(This may be a bit misleading, as I've heard the Arista line is rebranded Fomapan and/or Ilford.)

--John

 

[Justin Cormack]

Colour 5x7 is not actually dead, just hiding...

portra 160 is available (at a price)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/260237-USA/Kodak_1355825_Portra_160NC_5x7_50_Sheets.html

Provia 100F
http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=46

Velvia 100
http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=45

 

[JBrunner]

I edited the thread title to more accurately reflect the discussion. I wouldn't want anyone to think that 5x7 was no longer available.

 

[k_jupiter]

Add to it (called piling on here in the states)... 5x7 isn't dead. Nowhere close. And if the world turned upside down and they stopped making 5x7 film, there is always the metric equivalent (13x18). Film holders are fairly easy to get and film in Europe is still plentiful.

It is a matter of preference. If you only shoot color, then don't buy the camera. A 4x5 back on it still puts a too large camera in your kit.

But passing on a Deardorff? Hard to imagine.

tim in san jose

 

[aluncrockford]

Thanks for the link to Japan Exposures, though not exactly giving it away, solves that problem . and as I have just been offered a 5X7 Gandolfi the only decision now is should I go with the Deardorff of the Gandolfi

 

[michaelbsc]

Colour 5x7 is not actually dead, just hiding...

portra 160 is available (at a price)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/260237-USA/Kodak_1355825_Portra_160NC_5x7_50_Sheets.html

Problem with the Porta is that B&H lists it as discontinued by the manufacturer.

 

[pgomena]

Try buying color film for a whole-plate camera!

If I used a lot of color film I would have thought twice about owning the old beast, but, thanks to Ilford, I have a choice of two b&w emulsions. I leave color for the smaller formats and that little electronic thing I own.

Peter Gomena

 

[Sal Santamaura]

Problem with the Porta is that B&H lists it as discontinued by the manufacturer.

5x7 Portra 160NC was discontinued, as was all Portra 160NC and VC. It's being replaced by the new Portra, even in 5x7:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/761617-USA/Kodak_1355825_5x7_Professional_Portra_Color.html

Just not in stock yet.

 

[Sal Santamaura]

...http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/761617-USA/Kodak_1355825_5x7_Professional_Portra_Color.html

Just not in stock yet.

Still not in stock, but expected in 1 - 2 weeks. I just received an email message from B&H pointing out that one can now place an order at that link, to be filled as soon as the product reaches them from Kodak.

 

[aluncrockford]

Just got my order in, thanks for the advice

 

[Ole]

Thanks for the link to Japan Exposures, though not exactly giving it away, solves that problem . and as I have just been offered a 5X7 Gandolfi the only decision now is should I go with the Deardorff of the Gandolfi

If the Gandolfi is a Variant or a Traditional, there is no contest: Get the Gandolfi. If it's a Universal, the two are about equal so get the cheaper one.

And also get a couple of 13x18cm holders: colour film is readily available in Europe, in 13x18cm size which won't quite fit in a 5x7" holder.

 

[2F/2F]

For a while, 160NC was the only available color negative film. Then Kodak started requiring a minimum order of 30 boxes of 50 sheets each (about an $8,000 minimum order for 1,500 sheets). Then all 160NC was discontinued entirely. Then the new Portra 160 came out, and the price for a box or 5x7 went up about 25 percent ($65). So, it's yours at almost $6.50 per sheet to purchase (plus $5 per sheet to have processed) as soon as Kodak finally releases it.

Plus Fuji still makes their transparency films in 5x7 TMK. But they are limiting in many ways compared to negative film. They must be scanned or used to make expensive Ilfochromes, plus their ability to record wide ranges of brightness is nowhere near as strong.