RB67 and 6x8 Backs anyone?

[Mr Bump]

keep seeing these, how do they work?
do you just get a bit more at the edges?

 

[skysh4rk]

keep seeing these, how do they work?
do you just get a bit more at the edges?

As far as I'm aware, they only offer 6x8 coverage in portrait orientation, so there use seems quite limited to me.

 

[Mr Bump]

As far as I'm aware, they only offer 6x8 coverage in portrait orientation, so there use seems quite limited to me.

but the backs rotate dont they my 6/7 ones do

 

[steveo_mcg]

I don't think they work in the same way as the normal back.

 

[skysh4rk]

but the backs rotate dont they my 6/7 ones do

The back will rotate, yes, but you'll get vignetting when you turn it because the camera isn't capable of 6x8 in landscape orientation.

 

[Alastair]

Remove the back and look into the back of the body. There's an "8" (sometimes looks like a "B") on the back of the mirror if it's a later body designed for compatibility with the 6x8 backs.

The first RB67 Pro S I had was one with the mark, but it had to go back as it suffered from rocky reliability..

 

[Mr Bump]

ok ta chaps I will look at the weekend.
Am I right in guessing it probably only works on portrait as the mirror window is rectangular top to bottom?

 

[skysh4rk]

Am I right in guessing it probably only works on portrait as the mirror window is rectangular top to bottom?

No, not necessarily. The mirror must be rectangular even to get square photographs.

 

[Alastair]

You may find this site useful.. http://rb67.helluin.org/backs/

 

[Mr Bump]

@Alastair ha ha great minds
I just read that

 

[Mr Bump]

No, not necessarily. The mirror must be rectangular even to get square photographs.

true but I do know from looking down the finder it is limited across the camera as there are thick sides so just from my minds eye that's where the limiting factor is.

 

[Alastair]

To be honest I'd forgotten about the helluin site until my Google Fu turned up an old discussion on Flickr about 6x8 backs where I'd pointed someone else at it. The Flickr discussion did have a useful suggestion for shooting 6x8 in landscape orientation without vignetting - flip the camera 90-degrees on the tripod!

I must dust-off my RB67, it's mostly a Spring/Autumn camera for me and I didn't touch it once last year.

 

[Mr Bump]

I think my RB67 is a Pro-S so should take a 6x8 back.
I will check as it could be nice to have even if just in portrait.

 

[skysh4rk]

true but I do know from looking down the finder

Yes, but the light doesn't go through the finder when taking a picture...

The camera and associated elements (e.g., mirror) will appear rectangular because it needs to divert the light up through the finder in such a way so that you can view it properly. The RB67 is effectively a square format camera though, if you look at the back where the picture is actually taken.

Also, to my knowledge, later model RB67s are capable of 8x8cm Polaroids.

 

[steveo_mcg]

You need to change something to get 8x8 though, I think you need to take off the rotating mechanism or it mechanically vignettes.

 

[skysh4rk]

You need to change something to get 8x8 though, I think you need to take off the rotating mechanism or it mechanically vignettes.

I think that you also need to change the baffle or something for the 6x8 back as well. My point is that it's not necessarily the rectangular shape of the camera and the mirror that prevents 6x8 in landscape, as @Mr Bump suggests.

 

[Mr Bump]

You need the right rotating piece and a baffle which fixes to the camera body looking at the site

 

[Mr Bump]

You need to change something to get 8x8 though, I think you need to take off the rotating mechanism or it mechanically vignettes.

According to the site you remove the rotator completely