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Make 4x6 prints with 6x7 negatives

67II

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Mar 16, 2026
Messages
4
Location
Ohio
Format
Medium Format
Hi - new to this forum and just started my darkroom - so the learning begins. I have made postcards on 4x6 Ilford paper using 35mm negatives and a 50mm lens. I'd like to make the same size postcards (or very close) from my 120 film - 6x7 negatives. My lens for the 6x7 negatives is 105mm. My enlarger is a 23cII.
I fiddled around trying to make that work today but it may not be possible with a 105mm lens?

Appreciate your guidance/recommendations. My 1'st grader niece loves my analog postcards!

Thanks
 
Last edited:
It should work, you just have to remember that a 4x6" print from 6x7 (negative is about 2.25 x 2.75") is only about 2x magnification. This means that for your 105mm lens, the negative-to-lens distance will be about 150mm, and the lens-to-paper distance will be about 300mm. This means the enlarger head may be higher, but the lens is racked further out, than you are used to from printing 4x6 from 35mm negatives.
 
Keep in mind that a 6x7 negative doesn't match a 4x6 print in the format ratio, as does a 3:2 35 mm negative. So you're going to have to crop to fill the paper or leave white borders on the paper if you wish to print the whole negative image.
 
Acquiring an 80mm lens will resolve all the issues correct?
I appreciate the responses.
Thank you.
 
Alan Edward Klein said:
Keep in mind that a 6x7 negative doesn't match a 4x6 print in the format ratio, as does a 3:2 35 mm negative. So you're going to have to crop to fill the paper or leave white borders on the paper if you wish to print the whole negative image.
Click to expand...
Thanks Alan - an 80mm lens will ease all the constraints correct?
 
67II said:
Acquiring an 80mm lens will resolve all the issues correct?
Click to expand...
It will make the distances smaller. The fundamental principle of having to rack out the bellows relatively far is inherent to making small enlargements.

67II said:
Thanks Alan - an 80mm lens will ease all the constraints correct?
Click to expand...
The aspect ratio of course remains the same.
 
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