What Are All the 6x17 Camera Options Out There?

braxus · Jun 11, 2023

I see on occassion some very expensive 6x17 cameras being sold, like the Fuji's and one view type camera that uses large format lenses, has adjustments, and you use a 6x17 120 back. Both are way beyond my budget. Nico mentioned on his latest news about a plastic fantastic (3D printed?) camera that you can mount large format lenses on it, and use your 120 roll inside. I forget the brand.

What are all the 6x17 cameras out there, old and new, expensive and cheap? Does someone have a list? I have 4x5 lenses, but they are currently mounted on a Graflex board. Would I need any lens larger than what 4x5 covers?

AnselMortensen · Jun 11, 2023

You would need a lens that covers 5x7", minimum.
A list off the top of my head:

Art Panorama/Shen Hao/Da Yi
Fuji 617 versions
Linhof Technorama

And, if you're clever, handy, and a cheapskate like me :

blee1996 · Jun 11, 2023

The cheap 3D printed one is called Kraken 617, and you can find them from Etsy made by Shawn. You need to bring your own lens.

I'm using a Schneider Super Angulon 90/8 on it, and it is definitely not a toy. You can achieve quite high quality with a low budget ($300 for body and $300 for lens). It is still rather large, but quite lightweight.

OAPOli · Jun 11, 2023

Other 3D printed 617s are made by Chroma and Noble Design. Site sponsor @Light Capture maybe making some as well.

Andrew O'Neill · Jun 11, 2023

I would probably go with the Kraken, even though I hate the hockey team of the same name!

Axelwik · Jun 12, 2023

I don't shoot a lot of 6x17, but shoot 5x7 large format and here's what I do for zero additional cost:

With a 5x7 camera using 5x7 sheet film I can shoot 6x17. It takes a modified dark slide that can be inserted to block half of the frame, then for the next shot the dark slide is inserted the other way around to block the other half. The trick is keeping track of which side of the film has already been exposed - easily done; I put two small labels on each side of the film holder to record what's done. A dark slide from an old film holder can be cut for the purpose with a straight edge and hobby knife. Weighs a few ounces and costs nothing, and gives me four 6x17 exposures per film holder, the same as one roll of 120.

Disadvantages: fewer film stocks available in 5x7 and only applies to those who already shoot 5x7.

Advantages: zero additional cost, only a few ounces of additional weight in the bag, not stuck with only a panoramic format, and the big one - full range of camera movements!

Arthurwg · Jun 12, 2023

Youtube photographer Nick Carver uses a Shen-Ho view camera with great success.

braxus · Jun 12, 2023

Any thoughts on the H617 on Etsy? It allows focussing. Only thing is I dont know how one uses this camera when using both the ground glass, and also having a roll being used on it? Does the film back come off to use the ground glass portion?

blee1996 · Jun 13, 2023

braxus said:
Any thoughts on the H617 on Etsy? It allows focussing. Only thing is I dont know how one uses this camera when using both the ground glass, and also having a roll being used on it? Does the film back come off to use the ground glass portion?

Do you have a link to the H617? I cannot find it on Etsy.

Kraken 617 is zone focus. Since I have a wide angle lens (90mm) and printed out a DoF table, it is not that difficult to get sharp images.

braxus · Jun 13, 2023

Threedeecameragear H617 - Etsy Canada

This Cameras & Imaging item by threedeecamerashop has 27 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Hungary. Listed on 17 Mar, 2023

www.etsy.com

H617

MattKing · Jun 13, 2023

I assume you have seen this Craigslist listing:
https://vancouver.craigslist.org/rch/pho/d/richmond-malefic-6x17-medium-format/7618593943.html

braxus · Jun 13, 2023

Thanks Matt. Im sure its a good camera, but its a bit rich for my blood at this time. Maybe down the road.

Reinhold · Jun 13, 2023

Back in 2017 I posted a peek at a 1993 homemade 6x17 contraption using a leftover 5x7 back to make two 6x17 negatives. It was my first foray into wide format...

It's a bit on the goofy side but it added a lot of great negatives to my archives.

Here's the story... two-617-negs-on-a-5x7-camera-built-june-’93.155715

Reinhold

OrientPoint · Jun 13, 2023

I have a Tomiyama Art 6x17 that works great and is not insanely expensive. If you look for a bit you can find the bodies in the $600-$900 range. They are built like tanks and heavy, but not probhibitively so. There are lens cones to be found for various focal lengths, and I don't think it'd be hard to 3d print new ones. I use mine with a 90mm Super Angulon and am very happy with the results.

The new Chroma 6x17 looks great, but at $500+ just for the body it's not exactly cheap. I guess a large part of the value calculation depends upon how you feel about new 3d printed plastic vs. older, sturdy metal construction.

eurekaiv · Jun 13, 2023

I second the Tomiyama. I shoot mine at 6x12 mostly (since I can print this size on a 4x5 enlarger) and I'd call it a plus that it easily supports both formats. It's also not 3D printed plastic, which for me, just feels janky, no matter how durable and solid it may be.

Oren Grad · Jun 14, 2023

OrientPoint said:
The new Chroma 6x17 looks great, but at $500+ just for the body it's not exactly cheap. I guess a large part of the value calculation depends upon how you feel about new 3d printed plastic vs. older, sturdy metal construction.

Check out the details in the product description. The Chroma has a removable film holder with integrated darkslide, which means you can compose and focus on a ground glass with every frame. Maybe not so important if you intend to hand-hold, but if you're going to routinely work from a tripod, this is a hugely valuable feature.

braxus · Jun 14, 2023

What about the H617 I mentioned? It has ground glass too, and I'd assume a dark slide. And it does focusing.

OrientPoint · Jun 14, 2023

I think the Chroma looks great and has an impressive feature list. The magnetic mount for the lens cone is brilliant (on paper at least – haven't actually used it of course). I am just wary of 3d printed cameras in general. The couple I've had (a Cameradactyl and a WillTravel) didn't feel like they were meant to last, and the fit and finish was Flintstones-crude. I knew what I was getting into, so I'm not complaining about either maker. They delivered exactly what they were supposed to. But now that I've used them, I think I'd prefer stick to old-style metal and glass, especially if the price point is similar.

OrientPoint · Jun 14, 2023

Oh, one other point with the Tomiyama - it has a really good viewfinder with level bolted onto it. A pleasure to use and impossible to lose. It makes it very possible to shoot handheld, esp. if you're stopped down.

L Gebhardt · Jun 14, 2023

There are extension backs for 4x5 that shoot 6x17. They come with an extension for the ground glass as well. The lens choices are more limited than on a 5x7 since the 4x5 camera gets in the way with both long and short lenses. If your graflex has a graflex back you could use one.

Another option is an x pan if all you want is the aspect ratio. And if its just aspect ratio you care about using your 4x5 with either sheets or a 6x12 roll adapter and cropping is cheap and easy.

TheFlyingCamera · Jun 14, 2023

If you don't have to have a lens, there's a guy from Poland who sells 6x18 pinhole cameras with a hemispheric film plane (to avoid the issues of extreme light falloff in the corners/edges) on Ebay. His brand name is Vermeer.

xkaes · Jun 14, 2023

braxus, I don't see anywhere that you say you have a LF camera -- just 4x5 lenses. If you have a 4x5 camera already -- or even if you don't -- you can pretty much get 6x17 with a 4x5. All you need to do is enlarge a 1.75"x5" strip of your negatives. I do it all the time. That's only about a 25% reduction in the size of the image from actual 6x17 You'll have to make extra-extra-large prints to notice the difference.

The least expensive ways to get 6x17 have lots of limitations -- as mentioned above -- while the 6x17 cameras or alternatives are pretty expensive -- as you have mentioned. But with a 4x5 camera, you get the best of both. You can make prints from 4"x4" (6x6) square up to 1"x5" (6x30) panoramas if you want.

The money you save can be spent on film.

xya · Jun 14, 2023

TheFlyingCamera said:
If you don't have to have a lens, there's a guy from Poland who sells 6x18 pinhole cameras with a hemispheric film plane (to avoid the issues of extreme light falloff in the corners/edges) on Ebay. His brand name is Vermeer.

If you can live with a pinhole, yes, it's wonderfull. I have one https://www.oddcameras.com/vermeer_6x17.htm. You should take time to level it well, that's important. Seen the price, just test it and if you really need 6x17, proceed to other solutions.

For me it turned out that 6x12 is sufficient. So I use a Sinar Vario on different cameras. My favorite is a Cambo Wide, easily hand held with a viewer, no ground glass focussing, as it's wide...

Axelwik · Jun 14, 2023

xya said:
For me it turned out that 6x12 is sufficient. So I use a Sinar Vario on different cameras. My favorite is a Cambo Wide, easily hand held with a viewer, no ground glass focussing, as it's wide...

Yep, 6x12 is a more useful format for me too. Can crop to the same aspect ratio as 6x17 (rarely needed), and a couple more exposures per roll. I built a 4x5 handheld camera around a 75mm LF lens with a helicoid and a Graflock back - use it for 4x5 and with a Horseman 6x12 roll film back.

Dazzer123 · Jun 15, 2023

Check out Nick Carver's youtube channel, he has a short series of vids about 6x17, goes through a lot of camera and lens options.

What Are All the 6x17 Camera Options Out There?

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