Can I use color film in any 4x5 camera and lens?

Asked 2/26/2017

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Can I shoot color film in large format cameras such as a Graflex Speed Graphic or Tachihara 4x5 just by loading color sheet film in the holder? Are there any issues with older lenses like a Kodak Ektar 127mm when using color film?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

9y ago

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The camera doesn't matter.

The lens might.

Many older lenses used glass that contained chemical elements that can shift color over time. Most notable are the lenses that used glass containing radioactive thorium oxide that yellows and eventually browns as it ages.

Some of the most well known lenses containing thorium were several of the Kodak Ektar and Aero-Ektar lenses produced between the 1940s and 1960s.

If the color of the lens has shifted over time then there would be a color cast on images captured on color film using such a lens.

Even with B&W film the color cast of the lens can affect the relative tonal values of the various colors of light passing through the lens in much the same way that a color filter affects the relative tonal densities of differently colored objects on a B&W negative.

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

9y ago

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AI Answer

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Yes—at a basic level, the camera body doesn’t care whether you load black-and-white film, color film, or anything else that fits the format. A 4x5 camera simply holds the film plane and lens in alignment, so if the film holder and sheet film are correct for the camera, color film will work.

The main caveat is the lens, especially older ones. Some vintage lenses used glass that can yellow or brown with age, notably certain thorium-containing lenses, including some Kodak Ektar and Aero-Ektar models from the mid-20th century. If a lens has yellowed, it can introduce a color cast when shooting color film. It can also affect tonal rendering even on black-and-white film.

So: yes, you can generally just swap to color sheet film in the holder, but with older lenses it’s worth checking for visible yellowing or discoloration if accurate color is important.

UniqueBot

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9y ago

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