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Chinese 6x17 Rollfilm Backs
Has anyone ever used one of these? Seems like it would be an inexpensive way to shoot 6x17 format.
http://www.badgergraphic.com/search_product2.asp?x=4078
Another dumb question.... Is the Graflok back the type on Zone VI / Wisner cameras?
As always thanks for the info!
Jim
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"...Wayne Gretzky
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 Originally Posted by JMoore Hi Jim, I use the 6x12 version of this Shen Hao back very frequently and I like it a lot. It is a very simple and reliable back.
Dunno about the Wisner and Zone VI, but the Shen Hao back fits a standard Graflock back. As a consequence, it works equally well on my Linhof, my Ikeda 4x5, my Wista 4x5, my Shen Hao 4x5 and my 8x10 Wehman (with Singer Graflock 4x5 reducing back).
I have asked John at J&C Photographic to get me a price on the 6x17 Shen Hao rollfilm back.
Tom Hoskinson
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Everything is analog - even digital :D
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Kerry Thalmann did a review in _View Camera_ magazine, I think it was last issue. It looks like a good option, but there may be a new one coming out that also looks interesting. Check the forum at lfphoto.info, and there's a thread on this new Chinese 6x17 back with a link to the website.
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"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"...Wayne Gretzky
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I just bought one of these from a Hong Kong dealer on eBay named "oneworld3." The price from Hong Kong with shipping was about $100 less than Badger's price excluding shipping, but Badger's comes with a monocular viewer, which mine lacks. I don't particularly like monocular viewers, so it works out for me. It does have the groundglass viewer with an extending bellows shade. I didn't get charged customs.
I'll post some test shots as soon as the weather clears up, but here are my first impressions.
As Kerry Thalmann wrote in his review for _View Camera_ magazine, the finish is indeed "industrial" and the design simple (frame counting from the paper backing), but it seems like a perfectly functional back. One interesting aspect of the design is that there are two pressure plates side by side, and I'll be interested to see how this works in practice. I don't know how other 6x17 backs/cameras do this.
It does do 6x9 and 6x12, but the masking system is a little fiddly. It would be nice to have one-piece masks that just slip in or even better--adjustable masking blades with controls on the outside, so you could switch formats on the fly. Instead there are two sets of two metal masking blades that screw in on each side of the film gate, one pair for 6x12 and one pair for 6x9, so no format switching mid-roll, and you need to carry a small screwdriver (which I often do anyway) to use that feature.
I'll be using this on my Tech V 4x5", and it looks like I can use it easily with lenses from 90-210mm and maybe as long as 240 or 300mm. With the 360 Tele-Xenar, I got some mechanical vignetting at 6x17, but I could use it with 6x12 or 6x9. I couldn't focus a 65/8 Super-Angulon on the Wideangle Focusing Device with this back. I have a 75/8 Super-Angulon on a recessed board, and I was able to focus it on the inner rails by the awkward method of using the front standard pulls, but maybe I'll remount that lens on a Tech 23 lensboard and see if I can use it with the Wideangle Focusing Device since I don't have a cam for it anyway. [Okay--I tried that and it didn't work, so back to the normal recessed board, and I'll either have to focus the 75mm lens with the front standard pulls or rear movements.]
If it holds the film flat and doesn't leak light, I'd say it will be worth the $548 I paid for it.
Last edited by David A. Goldfarb; 01-22-2005 at 07:46 PM.
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If you're going to order from China you might want to ask the factory what the price is. I just received a 6x12 back this week. Price was about 60% of the US price. Plus mine came with three masks in addition to 6x12. It's actually fairly well made to my eye. Sure it's got the red window but that'll limit frame spacing issues to operator error. It also allows format changes at will. OTOH you'd need to keep track of which frame number you should be using if you're switching formats. Considering the number of frames you get with 6x12 [and I guess this is even worse with 6x17] it would be nice if it took 220 but obviously that's not possible.
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Jim,
oneworld3 just had an auction for this finish with a Buy it Now. He has two auctions going right now, one with a Buy it Now of $530 and the other has no reserve.
I am wondering what you would use to enlarge this for silver printing. Can you get a 6x17 negative holder for your 8x10 enlarger? I think it is too wide by 5mm for my 4x5 Saunders.
John Powers
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I just got one of these 6x17 backs this week, and I too bought it from "oneworld" on ebay. Great service, and it got here in less than a week.
I have posted my first shot in the standard gallery on Friday titled "Good Advice."
It will be used on my Sinar F1. It comes with adapters for 6x9 and 6x12, in addition to the 6x17 format. It is light weight, and straight forward to use. There are two pieces, the film back and the ground glass back. The glass back has abuilt in bellows hood. I still use a dark cloth with it, but it does help.
I was hoping to shoot some today, but it is 5 degrees F with 50-70 mph winds and snow, maybe I'll use the Hassy today.
Patrick
"Hey, I don't tell you how to tell me what to do, so don't tell me how to do what you tell me to do!"-Bender Bending Rodriguez
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Originally Posted by jp80874 Jim,
oneworld3 just had an auction for this finish with a Buy it Now. He has two auctions going right now, one with a Buy it Now of $530 and the other has no reserve.
I am wondering what you would use to enlarge this for silver printing. Can you get a 6x17 negative holder for your 8x10 enlarger? I think it is too wide by 5mm for my 4x5 Saunders.
John Powers It might work with the proper lens. If you consider the image circle has to include the corners of the 4x5 then 2.5mm extension on either side would still be inside the image circle once centered. You could find a 6x9 holder and have a machine shop cut the ends of the hole to make a 6x17 of it. A little tracing on a sheet of paper will tell the story for you.
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Originally Posted by glbeas It might work with the proper lens. Gary,
Thank you for the response. I don’t know how to figure what lens would be required. Here is what I have. Can you tell me if any one of these would fit your suggestion?
I have three lenses for my Saunders LPL 4550 XLG. 150mm, 90mm, and 50mm, all Rodenstock APO Rodagon-N. They are for 4x5”, 6x7cm and 35mm negatives. At worst case I found a new 6x9 carrier at about $90.00 retail. I don’t see anything on eBay today.
Thank you for your help.
John Powers
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