Film Loaded & Thoughts About Film Packs

[oftheherd]

...

I use both the Combi-Plan and the Yankee Agitank, both of which many people say are useless, with no problems. Others use them without problems too.

Ah, well!

When I shoot 4x5 or 6x7, I use a Yankee daylight tank with the adjustable insert. I have never had a problem with it either. I wonder if people don't read the instructions for agitation? Or maybe I have just been lucky.

I have used tray development for 4x5 film packs when id school in 1967. I don't remember well, but I know they were thin. I just couldn't say how thin after all that time. The first time I developed 6x7 by "tray," (actually a bathroom sink), it was a thick base. I found tank washing would be better as the films could easily scratch each other as they moved around.

Interestingly I have some 6x9 and 9x12 partially used film packs, (and one 9x12 unused, but with the first tab pulled). I have been very tempted to develop them to see what was there. I haven't done so as I rather wish to leave them as they are so people can actually see a real one with some film left in it, and see the tabs. Foolish perhaps.

 

[kuzano]

Glad to see Quick/Ready Load envelopes in this thread.

Glad to see Quick/Ready Load envelopes in this thread.

I never used a film pack so I can't comment on that.
Quick/Ready loads do not help the OP with hand holding, but they are a real weight saver. I've recently bought some expired quick load film with the intention of trying to reuse the sleeves and load fresh film in them. Perhaps they are not even too hard to recreate.

Better than that would be if the http://new55project.blogspot.com project would make the blank, or even pre-filled sleeves available. Quick loads are very similar to the polaroid 55 sleeves, so if they can make one they can make the other. I believe it has been suggested to them by another member.

I am a real fan of Quick/Ready load envelopes. I have no interest in multi sheet packs, grafmatics, or any other process.

I purchased a 158 lot of various Quick and Ready Load envelope with film intact... various emulsions, and varied expiry dates (frozen). Shot a few of the oldest and had good experiences. I have both a Kodak Pro Ready Load holder and a near new Fujifilm Quick loader. The Kodak pro solved the light leak problems of earlier Kodak, and has the slots for Graflok slides.

I purchased the lot, to get hands on the envelopes. I have dismantled a few of the envelopes after shooting the film. I am close to a solution for a custom thin aluminum insert to load any emulsion 4X5 sheet into the envelopes and still have the dark slide work properly in the envelope.

I am now working on a means to affix a sheet of film to the aluminum insert, using a dark changing bag or dark film changing enclosure.

If I can get this working, it allows me to avert the issue of disappearing Quick load envelopes and particularly disappearing emulsion in those that are left in the market. I can get Quick and Ready load envelopes on eBay often, but they are not less expensive necessariy than those available from B&H, or other sources.

Frankly, I can't understand why someone has not come up with an easily reloadable single or double sided envelope for the holders that are out there.

Or perhaps complete envelopes for the system, already preloaded with film.

One can easily carry a Quick/Ready holder and a number of envelopes in the bags. No cumbersome grafmatics, film packs, etc.

Probably not enough of a demand for a Kickstarter or other funding programs, but it's a thought..................??

 

[graywolf]

Well, playing with the camera, I find that it is real easy to screw up with film packs. Easy to pull two tabs at once. Easy to forget to put the slide in when you remove the adapter, since you do not need to do that between shots it is easy to forget before removing the adapter. It will be interesting to find out if I fogged the whole pack or only the sheet of film in front. It will be interesting to find out what is on the two shots that were taken by a previous user of the pack.

It is also incredibly easy to shot with it. Cock the shutter, shoot, pull the tab and tear it off. I was using the Sunpak 611 with dry cells, and by the time I had re-aimed the camera it had recycled and was ready for the next shot That puts it in the 3 shots a minute range. Remember, that was the first time I had used a film pack since the 1960's.

I have three shots left and then I can see about developing the stuff.

 

[Nokton48]

You push the slide back in, when using a Graphmatic. So it isn't hanging out there in the way.

The curl along the edge with filmpack is something I definitely remember. If you stop down enough, maybe DOF covers it. As I remember it was about 1/4" along one of the edges. I remember pushing it in with a pencil, just can't remember exactly where it occurred. It was over twenty years ago.

Since this film has such a thin film base, this may or may not be an issue for you. I marked my ground glass at the time, so I was aware of anything in the image that might be out of focus. It was a real issue at the time for me. I was shooting architectural subjects and maximum sharpness was required in the images.

 

[rogue_designer]

This just reminds me of how much I miss quickload/readyloads.

 

[Nokton48]

Shooting architctural 4x5 chromes I always used Fuji quickloads. What a godsend.

 

[graywolf]

Well, it seems that there is not enough interest in Press Camera Film Packs to make producing them worthwhile.

 

[Particular]

I purchased the lot, to get hands on the envelopes. I have dismantled a few of the envelopes after shooting the film. I am close to a solution for a custom thin aluminum insert to load any emulsion 4X5 sheet into the envelopes and still have the dark slide work properly in the envelope. I am now working on a means to affix a sheet of film to the aluminum insert, using a dark changing bag or dark film changing enclosure. If I can get this working, it allows me to avert the issue of disappearing Quick load envelopes and particularly disappearing emulsion in those that are left in the market. I can get Quick and Ready load envelopes on eBay often, but they are not less expensive necessariy than those available from B&H, or other sources. Frankly, I can't understand why someone has not come up with an easily reloadable single or double sided envelope for the holders that are out there. Or perhaps complete envelopes for the system, already preloaded with film. One can easily carry a Quick/Ready holder and a number of envelopes in the bags. No cumbersome grafmatics, film packs, etc. Probably not enough of a demand for a Kickstarter or other funding programs, but it's a thought..................??

Your experiments sound promising. Please update us if you get something working. I'm going to be trying something similar one of these days.

I've been reading more of the new55 blog I posted above, which is a project funded by kickstarted. There is a post where someone asks them to consider making refillable sleeves. Their answer was that they are considering a number of options once they have their sleeve machine up and working. So this could in fact become a reality over the next year or so. I suppose it wouldn't hurt for them to hear some expressions of interest every so often.

 

[hamradio]

I think for most (myself included), it's hard to see any real advantage of the film pack. Surely it must be more expensive per exposure than bulk sheet film. It also isn't terribly difficult or time-consuming to load...I think I spent five minutes in the darkroom a few nights ago, and that included cutting two sheets of 8x10 down to 4x5s. If I'm going to be burning so much 4x5 film in one outing that the six shots a Grafmatic holds is inadequate, I'm probably just shooting rollfilm.