is 5x7 much better than 5x4 for pinhole ?

I have a DeVere 504 and just now I am able to get a very cheap DeVere 507 enlarger.

I don't shoot 5x7 and don't think it is likely I will in the future .... but who knows what can happen in photography. I am looking for a good reason to rescue the 507 ( no-one else seems to want it ) and I can just manage to squeeze it into a corner of the darkroom if I strip it down a bit.

I would like to know if 5x7 has a significant advantage over 5x4 when doing pinhole photography. I imagine it is better simply because it is bigger ..... has anyone tried both sizes and can tell me if it is worth it please ? Is the extra trouble and expense justified ?

The attraction of pinhole is that I can use a very simple, cheap camera or even make one myself to get into using the 5x7 size.

My instinct tells me to grab this enlarger, but I need to have a reason ...... and if 5x7 offers significantly more than 5x4 for pinhole, that would be a good enough ........

Many Thanks ........ freecitizen

One consideration might be that there are fewer (secondhand!!) darkslides around for 5x7 than there are for 4x5 or 8x10, so the exposures may actually be harder to make. On the other hand, it will enable panoramics and m/f triptychs for you. When working in a lab, a couple of decades ago, I used a 504 for 35mm up to 4x5 so that is certainly very do-able. If I recall correctly the 507 we also had was a physically much bigger machine, though that might depend on what chassis option you have.

There is a thread over on LFPF which might help you with arranging a simple-yet-effective light source for the 507, after you mentioning something about LEDs on another thread... I would say that the De Vere enlargers are very solid and easy to use professional machines and that you won't regret having it around if that is practical at all.

If you contact print the difference should be obvious.

It's interesting to enlarge pinhole photographs. I use a 6x6 Zero Image 2000 for my pinhole work, and I've been able to make 13" square prints from them (my preferred size), and they manage to retain their dreamy quality without losing too much detail.
Compared to 35mm pinhole pictures I almost like the 35mm results better at a similar size, because the grain of the film masks some of the unsharp results with 120 film. The grain added enough texture to make unsharp objects appear sharper, if that makes sense. I imagine 4x5 and 5x7 from pinhole cameras would exhibit next to no grain, so you wouldn't 'add' anything to the picture from either format to make it look sharper than it already is.

That's all I can contribute since I have not made either 4x5 or 5x7 pinhole images. You may find you prefer to contact print them. But you never know until you try it out. If you can get a 5x7 enlarger, at least you'll have the ability to make prints if you want to try it out. I once had an Omega 5x7 enlarger, and I regret selling it because I'd like to be able to enlarge my 5x7 negatives.

If sharpness in pinhole images is important, it is better to contact print large negatives than to enlarge small negatives. In theory, 5x7 contact prints can be slightly sharper than 4x5 negatives enlarged to 5x7. However, as Thomas suggests above, sometimes a lack of sharpness is no handicap in pinhole prints. Also, a slight theoretical difference in sharpness can be masked by poorly sized or fabricated pinholes. Making smaller pinhole negatives is more economical and convenient than using large sheet film. Contact printing is simple, and for someone lacking an enlarger, economical. The balance between convenience, economy, and image quality is something each photographer has to determine for himself.

5X7=35 sq in.
4X5=20 sq in.

Now I've forgotten where I was going with this..............DRAT!

If you've got the space and money, please do. 5x7 is a beautiful size for pinhole and contact printing. Since the negative is much bigger, you don't need much enlarging to get a decent print size as well.

That's why I rescued a DeVere 8x10 inch enlarger when I already had the 4x5 inch DeVere.

Bert from Holland
http://thetoadmen.blogspot.nl