Re: Smaller films in bigger cameras

[MMagid3005@xxxxxxx]

Lots of times I've used film smaller than the camera was made for, but my 
favorite time was when I used 120 in my swing lens AlVista 5D, made about 100 
years ago for roll film 5" wide, three 16" exposures on a roll.  I used 
double-sticky carpet tape to attach a 16" piece of 120 Fujichrome (positive 
transparency) to a 5" X 16" piece of enlarging paper, and loaded it in the 
camera in the darkroom.  Then I took it about 30 miles away to a lake with 
gently rolling hills and beautiful color in the trees (this was last 
October).  There weren't too many people around in the middle of the week, 
but there was a fellow about to set out on the kind of little sailboat that 
one stands up on and adjusts the sails.  

Having taken my one picture with the AlVista, I took it home and unloaded it 
and re-rolled the 16" of film back on the spool, and took it to a 
professional processor.  The next morning I retrieved it and put it on the 
dealers light table and was blown away!  The exposure was perfect, and the 
scene was great.

I used my scanner to make five enlargements of 3" sections, and glued them 
together.  It looks pretty good, but it would look a lot better if they were 
one continuous print.  I start a Photoshop class next week, so in a few weeks 
I hope I can do the stitching and make a continuous print on my Epson printer 
which can make banners.

The out-of-pocket expense was very little, but the time commitment was 
enormous for this one picture.  If someone can figure out a practical way to 
load up a half-dozen or so 2-1/4" X 16" unexposed films for the AlVista and 
use them all without going to a darkroom in between exposures, I'd be much 
obliged.  I do have a good-size changing bag, but this is a big camera, and 
loading the 5" X 16" paper could be unwieldy, although I admit I haven't 
tried it.

Thanks -- Marty