How to display large format slides

Existing Light · Dec 16, 2009

I've been wanting to start shoting large format for some time now, and I think I'm about to take the dive. I shot 35mm slides in my color photography class and found looking at slides in a dark room to be rather addictive. Perhaps I'm fascinated because slides are new to me (it's all been black and white prints and prints of scanned of color negatives until recently).

I would like to shoot some large format slides when I finally find enough money to buy a large format camera. I'm just not sure of the best way to display large format slides. I've seen 4x5 slide projectors on ebay, and I'm sure there are 8x10 slide projectors out there (if not please correct me ).

At a chinese resturaunt in or near Anniston, Alabama, there was a big picture framed on a wooden box that hung on the wall (the picture was likw 2feet x 3feet, if i remember correctly). Within the box was a light that illuminated the picture (perhaps frame is a better term than box). Was that a framed slide? If so, where would I get a frame like that or where can I find out how to make it myself?

polyglot · Dec 17, 2009

What you saw in the restaurant was most likely an Ilfochrome (Cibachrome). It's basically slide film (in that it is a positive process) but it's designed to be printed to instead of directly exposed in-camera. You shoot whatever slide and develop it, put it in your enlarger and put Ilfochrome under the enlarger. It can be displayed on a lightbox as you saw, or viewed reflectively like a normal print.

Existing Light · Dec 17, 2009

Thanks Polyglot. Ilfochrome came to mind the first time I saw it, but I've never seen an Ilfochrome before (At least I didnt realize I saw one), so I didnt know.

Anon Ymous · Dec 17, 2009

Kodak makes transparent Endura RA4 materials.

2F/2F · Dec 17, 2009

That was likely an RA ("type C" or "chromogenic") print made on transparent film, though it could have been an Ilfochrome ("type R" or "dye destruction") print on the same sort of material, as both types are available. The RA is much more common; available from any pro lab, while only a few labs still do Ifochrome printing. To my knowledge, both are still available in either crystal clear or diffusion-base versions.

AgX · Dec 18, 2009

Greg Davis said:
As said before, Ilfochrome is available as a transparency material, as is Kodak Duratrans for RA-4.

Also Agfa still offers RA-4 clear base material (only 10" wide though).

David A. Goldfarb · Dec 18, 2009

A restaurant would be much more likely to use something like Duratrans print film (meaning a negative film designed for precisely such displays) than Ilfochrome transparency, which is more expensive and much less common.

Occasionally I've displayed 8x10" transparencies temporarily using a thin Logan light pad, which is designed for such use.

nickandre · Dec 20, 2009

AgX said:
Also Agfa still offers RA-4 clear base material (only 10" wide though).

Where do they market it? It's not sold at B&H.

AgX · Dec 20, 2009

Agfa decided to get rid of their "consumer imaging" branch and so they did in 2004, so they won't sell anything via B&H and such but they still have their different "industrial" ranges and there you find this 10" film/sheets in their "aerial" range (Avitone CP 94).

The other materials named above are probably more easy to get, but I wanted to hint at the fact that there still is some variety on the market

Existing Light · Dec 20, 2009

Thanks for the replies guys. Reading the responses has got me interested in doing something like this. Hopefully I'll get around to it soon

David A. Goldfarb said:
Occasionally I've displayed 8x10" transparencies temporarily using a thin Logan light pad, which is designed for such use.

David, if i'm reading this right, you displayed the actual transparencies you shot in your camera? Would it be possible to permanently display a large format slide using a lightbox?

David A. Goldfarb · Dec 20, 2009

Yes, I've displayed original transparencies that way. I'd have some concern about fading with long term display of an original color transparency. Maybe a solution to that would be UV absorbent glass on both sides of the transparency.

Existing Light · Dec 20, 2009

David A. Goldfarb said:
Yes, I've displayed original transparencies that way. I'd have some concern about fading with long term display of an original color transparency. Maybe a solution to that would be UV absorbent glass on both sides of the transparency.

I didnt think about fading. If I contact printed a large format black and white negative on to a black and white and created a black and white positive, would that possibly work "better" than a color transparency? By "Better," I mean would black and white film deteriorate faster than a color transparancy, assuming they're both processed properly?

The HP5+ I've shot in 35mm has a slight bluish purple tint to it. I'm assuming it would have the same color in 8x10 as well (correct me if i'm wrong). If so, that's the only drawback I can think of with the exception of possible fading/deteriorating. Maybe if I could use that as a creative effect...

My imagination is going wild today

polyglot · Dec 22, 2009

More fixing and washing will generally get rid of the tint from your negs. But if you print to HP5, you're going to have to develop it pretty hard to get enough contrast. And the base won't be as clear as a dedicated printing material.

B&W film (and paper) should not fade from light, but oxygen and sulfides will attack the silver. If laminated or bathed in Sistan, it should last on display for decades. You can tone as well but that has colour effects you may find undesirable.

How to display large format slides

Existing Light

polyglot

Existing Light

Anon Ymous

2F/2F

AgX

David A. Goldfarb

Moderator

nickandre

AgX

Existing Light

David A. Goldfarb

Moderator

Existing Light

polyglot

How to display large format slides

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Privacy & Transparency