Over 1,000 Harman TiTANs sold already

Guys, if you search eBay for "4x5 holder," you'll get hundreds of results. There are literally millions of these things out there. As long as the holders aren't completely trashed, you'll be fine. I have some pretty ugly wooden holders from the 1940s that still do the job.

If they included a new film holder with each camera, it would increase the retail price by at least $50.
 
jsrockit said:
Does any large format camera come with holders? 😕
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Does any other one come as a kit including film and paper?

They create the impression that everything you need is included, down to an exposure calculator, and are remarkably coy about the fact that you have to source the holders on the used market. You have to go into the PDF manual to find this:

The camera is designed to fit 4x5 film holders such as Fidelity holders. Holders are not included in the kit, but it is possible to obtain them via local or on-line Photo Dealers.
Click to expand...
 
batterytypehah! said:
Sorry Roger, but that's clearly the seasoned LF shooter's view. IMO releasing this with a view towards attracting new users and then not offering holders is simply ridiculous. It's like Cosina bringing out the Bessa line and telling everybody, sorry, you have to source your own cassettes, but don't worry, there are millions of FILCAs out there.

OK so they already can't keep up with demand but once they catch up, I think they should reconsider.
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I see your argument, but new ones are damnably expensive, so providing them as part of the kit would have been prohibitive. Also, it's not really as specialized as FILCA: 4x5 holders are very widespread and very standardized, and Bessas don't come with film holders either. I will however pass on your argument to Mike and Ilford to see if they might start selling them separately from the cameras.

Cheers,

R.
 
Yes, there are many, many usable holders on the used market. Just be sure the dark slide is flat and not bent or dented. Also that there are no cracks in the rails that the dark slide moves through. There is little else to go wrong if the holder is intact and in good shape. No reason to make new holders (new waste stream).
 
Imaginative suppliers such as Ag Photographic do offer film holders alongside the camera, which seems like a practicable approach.

I didn't have any 5x4 film holders prior to purchasing my Titan but sourced plenty from ebay readily enough.
 
batterytypehah! said:
Does any other one come as a kit including film and paper?

They create the impression that everything you need is included, down to an exposure calculator, and are remarkably coy about the fact that you have to source the holders on the used market. You have to go into the PDF manual to find this:
Click to expand...

Good point and observation. I concede defeat. 😀
 
Roger Hicks said:
I see your argument, but new ones are damnably expensive, so providing them as part of the kit would have been prohibitive. Also, it's not really as specialized as FILCA: 4x5 holders are very widespread and very standardized, and Bessas don't come with film holders either. I will however pass on your argument to Mike and Ilford to see if they might start selling them separately from the cameras.

Cheers,

R.
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Yes, of course as a separate option, totally agreed. And priced so that Ilford makes a profit on them, too. I just don't see how anybody could object to that.

To use a different example, I bet there are already more kayak paddles in existence than the world will ever need, and experienced kayakers wouldn't want to be seen dead with an entry-level aluminum pole sporting plastic blades. That doesn't mean it's a smart idea not to stock them, if your target market includes beginners.
 
ampguy said:
what are some good budget 4x5 film holders?
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Ages ago, Lisco, Riteway and Fidelity merged, and later swallowed up the remaining competition. That is, just about any "International" holder made for the past 40 years (except for luxury/boutique items like Linhof and Sinar vacuum holders) is from the same maker, and all of them are good to very good. Inherently bad ones are so old and scarce that you will hardly run across any. So it is strictly a matter of condition - beware of warped holders, missing/broken/mismatched dark slides and damaged hinges.
 
sevo said:
Ages ago, Lisco, Riteway and Fidelity merged, and later swallowed up the remaining competition. That is, just about any "International" holder made for the past 40 years (except for luxury/boutique items like Linhof and Sinar vacuum holders) is from the same maker, and all of them are good to very good. Inherently bad ones are so old and scarce that you will hardly run across any. So it is strictly a matter of condition - beware of warped holders, missing/broken/mismatched dark slides and damaged hinges.
Click to expand...

And Toyo, of course.

Cheers,

R.
 
I think I'll gradually start following the 8x10 holders on the *bay. 4x5 is great if you have an 4x5 enlarger or an Epson scanner but I want 8x10 contact prints.
 
This pinhole is awesome.
I've used it with some different polaroid backs. And am currently testing a Cambo 6x7 rollfilm back.
And yes, transparencies do look great. I did a test with a readyload holder and Fuji Velvia 50 quickload.

The only thing that I haven't used yet, is the "standard" 4x5 holder. 🙂
 
It's also worth noting that it's possible to pick up a couple 4x5 holders easily and cheaply, the same is not true for 8x10 film holders. Of course it's even worse if, like me, you have an 8x10 camera that uses non-standard sized 8x10 plate holders...
 
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