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"Half dark slide" allows shooting 6x12cm with a 4x5" view camera

fdonadio

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Hey, people!


I have found an interesting "toy" and had to buy it. I also ran a search here and didn't find anyone talking about it.

Intrepid makes a "half dark slide" that makes it possible to shoot two 6x12 frames in a 4x5 sheet: https://www.fotoimpex.com/brands/intrepid-4x5-half-frame-dark-slide.html

You use it like this:
  1. Mask half the ground glass (mask not included, but can be made out of paper) or draw a line in the middle of the glass.
  2. Compose (on the bottom or top part of the full 4x5 frame).
  3. Check lighting and set speed and aperture properly.
  4. Close the shutter preview.
  5. Insert the film holder.
  6. Take out the regular dark slide.
  7. Insert the half dark slide, leaving the bottom or top part (according to the one you chose on #2 above).
  8. Shoot.
  9. Replace the half dark slide with the regular one.
  10. On the next shot, repeat the process using the unexposed part of the film.
I will be trying this in a couple weeks...
 
I made one of those a while back but the convenience of cropping from the entire negative while enlarging outweighed the cost savings.
 
I made a modified dark slide to do that some years ago. I really didn't pursue using it much and it's laying in a drawer or cabinet these days.
 
I had a couple of busted 8x10 dark slides, so I made a 4x10 pano version by smipping away on the portion of the slide that had the crack. I've tested it a few times, but never used it for a real shot. When you cut away don't cut away all the way to the clip part of the slide. You want enough of the dark slide to remain top to bottom to block light from seeping aroung the handle. (it probably wouldn't sicne we take pictures with the DS fully removed, but I worried that with half the felt in there (or whatever it is) separated, by the haslf slide and the other half not separated, it might make a space for light to get in.)
 
I have done it with a 5x7 slide for my 5x7 camera. Works well for panoramas. I contact print them with 2 on one sheet.
 
Besk said:
I have done it with a 5x7 slide for my 5x7 camera. Works well for panoramas. I contact print them with 2 on one sheet.
Click to expand...

I never really thought of doing that, but you should use a wide angle lens, take the lower half, rotate the camera 180 degrees and shoot the upper half. When righted the first will be on top and rear view will be below it.
 
abruzzi said:
I never really thought of doing that, but you should use a wide angle lens, take the lower half, rotate the camera 180 degrees and shoot the upper half. When righted the first will be on top and rear view will be below it.
Click to expand...

Using a camera with a suitable bellows and movements you don't have to rotate the camera between exposures. I have marked the ground glass to know where the image will be on the film.

I use a Sinar with a 5x7 back and bag bellows with 75mm and 90mm lenses mostly.

The advantage is that you have both images on the negative "right" side up.
 
Well, I was thinking more of a reverse angle—not merging them to make a wide pano, but leaving as two stacked images one forward and one backward.
 
Got a couple on that Chinese site in packs of two at a cheaper price than Intrepid.
 
Half dark slides are useful - cheap, light, and portable, but have some issues - the rise or shift may need compensation and the exposure documentation with the holder needs to be meticulous (I draw a diagram on a Post-It I keep with the holder). It also works with any spring back.

A 6x12 roll film holder does put the film on the lens axis, but it is bigger and heavier. It does allow a wider range of emulsions, but is not quite as wide as doing 2x5 on sheet film.

Pick whatever provides the best balance for you. With a 4x5 camera there are options. While with 8x10 it is a half dark slide, or an in-camera mask.
 
I’ve been doing this for several years (decades actually) with both 8 x 10 and 11 x 14 with modified dark slides I’ve made myself.

Generally, I take two of one image on the single piece of film, mostly not to screw up and forget which side I’ve shot already. I use front rise/fall to center the lens on the image area for horizontal images and for vertical images, I’ll shift the lens right or left.

I’ve make them out of metal dark slides as I have broken the others, and I can just pound the metal modified dark slides flat again if I bend them.
 
djdister said:
Personally, I like the ease and film options of using a 6x12 roll film back.
Click to expand...

It’s one of my dream pieces of gear, but I can’t afford one at current prices. And I don’t see any chances of them getting cheaper any time soon.
 
AERO said:
Got a couple on that Chinese site in packs of two at a cheaper price than Intrepid.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I bought it on impulse, when I was getting fixer and paper… Also, there’s a seller on that site (I think you mean AliExpress) with a huge variety of film stuff. They even have 120 backing paper! I didn’t check if it’s new or reclaimed, though.
 
Great to hear from all of your experiences and tips. Now I see I’ve made a not-so-good of a deal!

Anyway, I don’t have any broken/cracked dark slides…

Living and learning, I guess.
 
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