RB67 SD: 6x8 Back

Arthurwg

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I've got a 6x8 back ready to go on my new RB67 SD. I've looked at the instructions but I'm still puzzled by the selector switch on top. There's a square white box, followed by settings for LT and T/M.UP. Can someone explain what they mean and how to use them?? Thanks.
 

MattKing

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Do the instructions you have include this table?
 

Andrew O'Neill

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I'd be curious to know how much more negative you get with that holder...
 

Donald Qualls

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Andrew O'Neill said:
I'd be curious to know how much more negative you get with that holder...
Click to expand...

Me, too. Can you measure the width of the actual frame mask?

My own method of getting 6x8(ish) negatives on my RB ProS is to put a Graflex 23 (or RH8 if I had one) on the camera. Sure, I give up one frame, but it's a lot cheaper and easier to find, and it'll also give full 6x9 on my Century Graphic.
 
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Arthurwg

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It really is foolish. In landscape mode you gain nothing, other than a black line on the left. In portrait mode you gain less than 1cm.
 

Donald Qualls

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Well, at least if you pick up a Century, you can be happy your 6x8 RB film magazine will work on that, too (albeit you'll have to manually release the advance after each frame).
 

MattKing

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You can, however, fit all nine 6x8 negatives on a single standard size Printfile negative preserver sheet!
 

Neil Grant

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the additional image width recorded with the 6x8 powered back depends on the lens in use and also, very slightly, on orientation. Wide angle lenses gain the most - about 76mm instead of the usual 68mm. When used with the 37mm fisheye lens the petals of the hood cause slight vignetting, but otherwise the lens works just fine. Negs from the 50mm C are a little 'thinner' towards the edge of frame than on 6x7 but the 65mm C is just great with it. You need the '8' baffle in the rotating adapter or you won't get any additional width. Standard fit on late Pro S or all Pro SD. Pity the viewfinder can't show what's going on.
 

Donald Qualls

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Thanks, Neil. I think my ProS has the 8 baffle as well as the 6x8 capable adapter. I'm backlogged on processing and scanning, but when I get caught up I'll be able to see what I got with the Graflex 23 -- had it out with the 50 mm and 0.45x filter when I first got the filter and 23 back. That's some wide view, like a genuine 23 mm (but still 50 mm internal to the camera, of course).
 

ags2mikon

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How do you tell if the Pro S has the 8 baffle? I do have the SD but I have never tried any of my horseman 8 exp backs.
 

Donald Qualls

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According to this article, you can take off the revolving adapter (single lever on the bottom) and look at the baffle; it should have "8" or "6x8" visible on the last light baffle.
 

ags2mikon

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I read that article quite some time ago and could not remember where. Thanks for the link. The last sentence kind of sums it up real well. A lot of money to spend for 7 mm.
 

MattKing

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IIRC, back in the day, the other advantage of the 6x8 back was that it included a switchable 120/220 insert.
So if you were doing portraits in a commercial environment, the combination of factors - including the motor wind - was highly advantageous.
 

Donald Qualls

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MattKing said:
IIRC, back in the day, the other advantage of the 6x8 back was that it included a switchable 120/220 insert.
So if you were doing portraits in a commercial environment, the combination of factors - including the motor wind - was highly advantageous.
Click to expand...

Yep, made a lot more sense for a professional studio camera in the 1970s than it does for an obsessive hobbyist camera in the 2020s. Not to mention, if you bought a ProSD you probably got everything you need except the extra wide focusing glass with the camera -- to be able to use the much cheaper Graflex 23 or RH8 for the same width with one fewer frame on a roll.
 

ags2mikon

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I never had the new style 6x8 back, but I did have 3 of the original power drive 6x7 backs that were somewhat of a kludge. But it was nice in the studio and it could change from 120 to 220 by changing the pressure plate. I kept 1 of the backs with out the battery pack when I sold out.
 
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Arthurwg

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I will say that the motorized 6x8 back works perfectly and is a joy to use. Quite an amazing piece of kit.
 

M Carter

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I use to rent the 6x7 back with the separate power adapter and the cable, it was a bit kludgey. I recently got the 1-piece (came in 6x7 and 6x8, KEH had a 6x8 in "user shape" for $70 or so, looks like new other than the battery chamber has been cleaned). It's a really nice back, the camera doesn't really seem any heavier with it (though there's 4 AA's in the thing). I built a little studio set to shoot my grand daughter and I was up on a ladder looking down, so I needed everything-I-own stuck on the RB!

 

ags2mikon

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That is a beautiful shot! It looks like your grand daughter was having more fun than you.
 
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