Modification of 13x18 film holder for 5x7 film

[blacksquare]

Hello,

does anyone have a tip for modify 13x18 holder so that 5x7 film can be safely used?

I'm from Central Europe and this is the second time I've bought 5x7 holders, which are actually 13x18 I already have a good supply of them for my commonly used Fomapan 100 and 200.
But I'd like to occasionally use Fomapan 400, and it's only produced in 5x7 format.

Does anyone have a proven way to reversibly or irreversibly modify a 13x18 holder? Insert/glue some mask, or 3D print?

Thanks a lot.
Jan

 

[blee1996]

I have some metal film sheath that was meant to use 5x7 sheet film inside 5x7 plate holders. I tried them inside 13x18 wooden plate holders, and they seem to fit with small room to spare.

 

[finishthat]

Hi , I have not done this myself but I do have a similar problem with rogue 13x18 holders in my 5x7 collection oh and GB half plate which is a worse problem.
So what I suggest is plastic H beam commonly sold to model makers Tamiya make a 3mm H , cut one I off with a sharp craft knife and tape the I- to the film guide to stop the 5x7 sheet falling out .
With careful technique any thin extrusion that resolves the gap could work, just need to avoid any sticky residue in the film holder.

 

[Ian Grant]

13x18 film is fractionally larger and won't fit 5x7 holders, but 5x7 should fit loosely in a 13x18 holder. I know some people have no problem shooting 5x7 in metric holders, with no modifications.

Maybe someone can let you have a scrap sheet of 5x7 film to test the fit.

Ian

 

[Rick A]

I have three 13x18 film holders and as Ian has said, 5x7 film is only slightly loose, nothing to be concerned with. The bonus to using them is 5x7 paper fits without trimming for paper negatives. Bottom line, no need to modify them for use.

 

[finishthat]

Useful note ref using paper, which has encouraged me to buy some more 13x18 holders.
I had resorted to buying 5x7 from the USA as finding that my fidelity 5x7 were actually half plate with the painted size worn off was a pain , luckily I had some excellent condition wooden Kodaks that saved the trip.
Lesson learned test everything..

 

[abruzzi]

Useful note ref using paper, which has encouraged me to buy some more 13x18 holders.
I had resorted to buying 5x7 from the USA as finding that my fidelity 5x7 were actually half plate with the painted size worn off was a pain , luckily I had some excellent condition wooden Kodaks that saved the trip.
Lesson learned test everything..

I really like the Kodak/Graphic wooden 5x7 film holders (though I don’t know if you’re talking about the Kodak plate holders which are different.) For some reason they are easier to load. I have 4 Kodak stained wood versions and about 8 Graphic pained black wood version, but they are built the same. There is one odd thing about them though—they are shorter than the standard holders. Something like an inch shorter. Everything important is where it needs to be so they work fine. With a few cameras it is a little harder to grab the end to pull the holder out of the camera after taking a shot, but that’s minor, and with the smaller size, they sometimes fit somewhere that the standard size doesn’t fit quite as well.

 

[srardnec]

a proven way to reversibly or irreversibly modify a 13x18 holder? Insert/glue some mask, or 3D print?

I had 13x18 holders before I had 5x7, because 13x18 were more available on 2nd hand market, as the former default format in Europe. 5x7 sheet is not secured, as is, in a 13x18. Once in a while it can become loose from one the long retaining rail, and if not getting on the way after dark slide is pulled, it can anyway hang out of focus plane from the loose edge.

the dumb easy fix I had was to lock the short edge with a length of thick black paper, in the 180g/m2, applied under the lock of the holder, with tape. It is clearer in picture.

A 13x18 Sinar holder and a 5x7 sheet of Fomapan:

when the sheet is fully inserted inside one of the rail, the other edge is loose:

a cut of 180g/m2 black Canson, as per the shape of the underside of the lock, hold with thing clear tape:

just be sure when loading the sheet that it goes all the way inside, then lock. Randomly each long edge is more or less partially inside the rails.
The added paper is not thick enough to avoid locking, but thick enough to pinch the edge of the sheet. It does not move, stays put.

 

[finishthat]

“I really like the Kodak/Graphic wooden 5x7 film holders (though I don’t know if you’re talking about the Kodak plate holders which are different.)”

Yes mine are the Folmer Graflex for Eastman Kodak black stained wooden shorter holders , they just work and a bonus is they are lighter than the plastic holders. I have lots of half plate London Kodak dds holders same wooden pattern , luckily Fomapan do sell half plate film to fit, also a pile of fidelity deluxe with the moulded 5x7 that are all half plate..

 

[blacksquare]

I had 13x18 holders before I had 5x7, because 13x18 were more available on 2nd hand market, as the former default format in Europe. 5x7 sheet is not secured, as is, in a 13x18. Once in a while it can become loose from one the long retaining rail, and if not getting on the way after dark slide is pulled, it can anyway hang out of focus plane from the loose edge.

the dumb easy fix I had was to lock the short edge with a length of thick black paper, in the 180g/m2, applied under the lock of the holder, with tape. It is clearer in picture.

A 13x18 Sinar holder and a 5x7 sheet of Fomapan:

when the sheet is fully inserted inside one of the rail, the other edge is loose:

a cut of 180g/m2 black Canson, as per the shape of the underside of the lock, hold with thing clear tape:

just be sure when loading the sheet that it goes all the way inside, then lock. Randomly each long edge is more or less partially inside the rails.
The added paper is not thick enough to avoid locking, but thick enough to pinch the edge of the sheet. It does not move, stays put.

Yes, that's the problem, the 5x7 film just slips out...

Thank you very much for the pictures, I'll try to fix the film in a similar way in the lower part.