# Is there a way to shoot square format on 35mm film?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-shoot-square-format-on-35mm-film/603530
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 20, 2011, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-shoot-square-format-on-35mm-film/603530 "2011-11-20T06:41:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-shoot-square-format-on-35mm-film/603530/1 "2011-11-20T06:41:14Z")

</div>

There is a 35mm film back for a Bronica 6x6 camera; when I first found out about it, I envisioned a back that would let you shoot a whole roll of little square frames on 35mm film, and was sorely disappointed when I realized that it just shoots regular 35mm format. I like composing photos in a square frame. The suggestion to “just crop it” doesn’t cut any ice with me; I want the photo to be a square from the moment I frame it with my eye to the moment it’s developed on the film.

Are there cameras or camera backs that allow you to shoot a square frame, with a square viewfinder, on 35mm film?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-shoot-square-format-on-35mm-film/603530/2 "2011-11-20T06:44:22Z")

</div>

How about a matte box with a square matte in it?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-shoot-square-format-on-35mm-film/603530/3 "2011-11-20T06:51:53Z")

</div>

You might check out the Lomo/Holga/Diana class of plastic cameras. Here’s one that does what you want:

[Diana](http://www.lomography.com/magazine/news/2009/08/19/lomography-introduces-the-diana-mini-half-frame-and-square-format-on-35mm-its-a-first)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-shoot-square-format-on-35mm-film/603530/4 "2011-11-20T08:23:05Z")

</div>

If you don’t mind having sprocket holes in your pictures, there’s always the [Blackbird, Fly](http://blackbirdflycamera.com/) 35mm TLR camera.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-shoot-square-format-on-35mm-film/603530/5 "2011-11-20T19:58:18Z")

</div>

> [@waterj2](#):
>
> If you don’t mind having sprocket holes in your pictures, there’s always the [Blackbird, Fly](http://blackbirdflycamera.com/) 35mm TLR camera.

Oh Jesus, is it back down the toy camera rabbit hole for me? :eek: