Darkslides On Location

[david ashley kerr]

ok,
hello my fellow Large Format Luminaries

I am posting this in both 'Location and Travel' and 'Camera and Accessories' - as it somewhat transcends into a circumstantial problem based on LF equipment.

I am preparing to begin a new series using my Linhof Technika, in various Natural locations in Germany, with Subjects, over the period of a week.

Time and efficiency are thus priorities in this instance, and my concerns lie in my LIMITED amount of Darkslides that i currently possess.

I have 5 Darkslides, loaded with film, ready for my first shoot;

If I am to use all of these during the shoot, and wish to give them into a lab for processing, am i to always do so with the exposed negatives remaining in the Darkslides?
I have always done this, and found it frustrating when I wish to continue shooting..

so, the big and possibly Naive question is:

Am I able to unload the exposed Negs, in the dark of course, into, lets say, A light-tight 4x5 film box, and give this into the lab instead? Ensuring i have empty darkslides to once again reload and get back to the Action?

I hope others benefit from the advice, as it is a hypothetical that I think many may face when planning Photo-shoots on-location with a limited amount of Darkslides..

kind regards

David Ashley Kerr

[MIke Sherck]

Yes. Most hotel bathrooms can be made light-tight fairly easily, or you can get a changing bag. Either way, unload your film into an old film box and reload your, umm, darkslides, with new film. That's common and your lab shouldn't have a problem with it. If you shoot more than one kind of film, or if you use the Zone System, you can use seperate boxes of film.

Mike

[John Powers]

David,

If you are camping rather than staying in a hotel or if you can’t make the bathroom dark enough in a motel, a company called Camera Essentials makes a miniature tent that is useful for loading or unloading what you are calling dark slides and we call film holders. The dark slides are the thin flat piece you pull out to expose the film or slide in to protect the film. http://www.cameraessentials.com/tents.asp .
The picture is without scale. The sleeves where you put your hands and arms look a bit like someone’s legs sticking out of a larger tent. You put your film holders, a box of film and an empty film box in the tent. You zip up the door, stick you hands through the sleeves, unload the film, put the exposed film in the empty box, take unexposed film from the full box and load the film holders for your next shoot.

You can order directly from Camera Essentials. B&H Photo in New York also carries them. Someone else will have to say if they are available in a store in Europe.

A compromise is to use the same amount of money to buy extra film holders and wait until you find a place that is dark enough. If you buy used film holders, be sure to test them for light leaks before you go on an expensive trip. There is nothing so discouraging as to find all your work, expense and plans are ruined by a bit of light or fog on your film.

Enjoy,

John

[John Kasaian]

FWIW I'd make use of the opaque bags which the film originally came in as well as the box. A changing bag (or tent if you prefer) will allow you to keep shooting.

My favorite changing bag---if you can find one---is a Panavision made for movie cameras. The fabric is stiff enough that it stands up wiithout a frame and it is large enough to easily change 8x10, and probably 11x14 formats within it's innards.
Have fun!