does 4x5 film sleeve light proof ? do they exist?

[gabriele turchi]

i was wondering if 4x5 film sleeve light proof exist ?

when unload the holders in order to keep shooting i usually store the negatives "all together" in the film negative light proof boxes (kodak etc..)and than i process ""all"" at once .
but whet if i have to process 1 neg at the time using custom timings ? how can i remove those negs from the holder while keeping track of "what is what" ,

so i guess that a simple 4x5 film single sleeve light proof would solve the issue (you could label each individually on the outside )

do they exist though?

googled it but can't find any

any other solution perhaps ?
how do you deal with this?

thanks!

g

[A_Tabor]

Interesting question. I'm still in the process of getting gear and planning out a workflow methodology for travel work, but personally I was planning to use light safe boxes as the light protection, and assume the sleeve was not light safe.

The unprocessed negatives would be transferred from the holder to sleeves/envelopes (which would probably be labeled with tabs in brail so I don't even have to see them), which then reference the shot's notebook entry. (Individually numbered sleeves would protect against accidentally placing in the wrong batch box, and allow grabbing a specific frame if there is something that I want to rush the processing on rather than waiting for it to come out as I process the whole lot.)

When I get home I would sort through all the notes to make a list of batch frames and unique frames, and then sort everything based on the sleeve reference number. Once sorted into groups I could then take one group at a time, or one individual frame for completely unique processing, and unload the sleeves while everything else is securely tucked away where it can't get mixed up.


But I guess an important question more in line with the original poster's question is that if light proof sleeves are available, then do people actually trust them enough to handle them outside of a full dark space?

[Lachlan 717]

Have 3 boxes - one each for Normal, one for expansion and one for contraction.

[Kirk Gittings]

Have 3 boxes - one each for Normal, one for expansion and one for contraction.

ditto

[gabriele turchi]

Have 3 boxes - one each for Normal, one for expansion and one for contraction.

Nice and simple ...
But I guess should be a box for +1 + 2 + 3 and -1 -2 -3...?

[macolive]

Have a look at this. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/15808-REG/Delta_13510_Light_Tight_Safe_T_Bags_with.html

[Kirk Gittings]

Nice and simple ...
But I guess should be a box for +1 + 2 + 3 and -1 -2 -3...?

Few if any modern films are capable of a +3 and none that I use so scrub that one. And for anything beyond a -1 I use divided Pyrocat. So I only need 4 boxes.

[Drew Wiley]

An option to multiple boxes is to simply cut off a corner in the film changing tent with a pair of blunt kiddie scissors. The cut is outside the image area. For example, no corners cut for "N", corner adjacent to code notched for N+1, opposite corner for N-1 etc. Then sort out the sheets in the darkroom after a trip.
Funny, but every single sheet of film I exposed this last trip falls into "N" anyway.

[Jac@stafford.net]

An option to multiple boxes is to simply cut off a corner in the film changing tent with a pair of blunt kiddie scissors. The cut is outside the image area. For example, no corners cut for "N", corner adjacent to code notched for N+1, opposite corner for N-1 etc. Then sort out the sheets in the darkroom after a trip.

You nailed it, Drew. Simple and effective.

A tip from the old mechanical data processing days: in the darkroom place the films in a stack, hold up on end, tilt and tap on one corner. All the sheets with a cut on that corner will be moved down to that corner. Pick off those that aren't dropped which leaves the clipped together. Repeat for each corner of the remainder.

A more sophisticated method uses a film registration punch for select corners. In the darkroom push a stiff wire gently into the slot, raising the wire will drop those that do not match. Push in gently on the remainder as you go through the stack. Repeat. Done.

[Kirk Gittings]

If its possible for me to scratch a negative I will certainly do it. So I always need to minimize handling. The box is a better solution for the manually challenged :)

[Richard Wasserman]

If its possible for me to scratch a negative I will certainly do it. So I always need to minimize handling. The box is a better solution for the manually challenged :)

I'm a member of your club! Plus, with boxes you don't need to deal with all the loose clipped film corners floating around.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I'm a member of your club! Plus, with boxes you don't need to deal with all the loose clipped film corners floating around.

I presumed that the film is clipped in the field in a changing bag. However it we may just as well use separate boxes.

I'm thinking getting into the box business. :)

[Drew Wiley]

Boxes have their own problems if space is critical, like in an airline carry-on or backpack. Use only high-quality triple-clamshells like from Kodak. Some film boxes actually leak light at the corners once the film is removed from the inner packing. Then I polish the box edges and lacquer the boxes to prevent any wear or lint during use. This helps mainly with unexposed film in the changing tent, but prolongs change-out boxes too. I allow the lacquer to cure (outgas) several months before use. But with respect to the alternate method, there is no issue with little bits of clipped corners etc if you use my particular method, which is to always linethe film tent with a thin black poly wastebasket of appropriate size. You just shake this off; and extras weigh very little. Then I carry a few alcohol-only disposable finger wipes and nitrile finger cots, and have a portable cleanroom. Or will, once again. I'm using up the last of my Quickloads this summer.

[Richard Wasserman]

I'm thinking getting into the box business. :)

Great idea Jac! I have a number of boxes I can sell you cheap.

[Lenny Eiger]

I have a box for N, another for N-1, N-2, N-3, N+1 and N+2. It is a very simple system. The weigh almost nothing. I have enough holders to go for a full day or two before I have to reload. The amount of extra wight these empty boxes represent when traveling is less than a single holder's worth. The benefit is that if you actually use a zone system, you can do it properly, and tune your development to something very exacting.