Mido film holder type 2 the clam shell thin type, Experiences???

I have the opportunity to buy 10 mido thin film holders with clamshells. Has anyone used these and what do you think of the light tightness and the the film flatness of this system or any other thoughts on the system.

As far as i know these never did work very well. I would not use them.

steve simmons

The following is lifted (more or less directly) from my web page at http://www.butzi.net/reviews/filmhol...20I%20and%20II

The actual film holder is a very thin conventional two sided holder, complete with darkslides, loading flaps, etc. In order to get correct film positioning, this thin holder is inserted into a clamshell like spacer, which wraps around the holder and pads it to the dimensions of a regular 4x5 double sided film holder.

The Mido II holders are easy to load (or at least as easy as regular holders). However, in the quest to reduce the thickness of the holder, the little recess that allows you to get a fingernail under the film has been eliminated, which makes unloading difficult.

At one point, many 4x10 cameras used the thin Mido II holders exclusively, since Mido were the only manufacturer of 4x10 holders. Users of the 4x10 Mido II holders report various problems, mostly pinhole light leaks in the darkslides and in the septum that separates the two sides of the holder. Users of the 4x5 Mido holders report better success, with the most common complaint being light leaks between the clamshell spacer and the thin holder. Several users have commented that the problems with the spacer centered around inserting the holder in the camera back, and that with care the system is eminently usable.

The thin Mido II holders do represent quite a savings in space and weight over conventional holders and grafmatics. A Mido II setup to carry 12 sheets of film weighs 27.6 ounces loaded; with regular Fidelity holders the weight would be 36 ounces, and with grafmatics, 34 ounces. The Mido setup for 12 sheets would consume less than half the volume needed for regular holders and just more than half the space needed for grafmatics.

The big difficulty with the Mido II system appears to be that it is out of production and appears only rarely on the used market.

I do know that at one point, Linda Butler was using Mido version II holders. she might be able to give you more concrete help than this.

Paul's answer has a lot of academic info but the bottom line is that the Mido holders never worked very well. Version 2 was a little better but I stand by my advice. I would not use them.

If you like the 4x5 format I would recommend considering the Grafmatic holders.

steve simmons www.viewcamera.com

I have used the Mido II 4x10 holders with success but on a few occasions I did have a little fogging which I believe was between the holder and clamshell. I had my Wisner 4x10 converted to use Canhan holders, more weight but no leaks.

Edward:

I used the 8x10 versions for about 6 years and a 6x10 size for about 2 years and had no particular problems, beyond getting hold of the tab for the darkslide. When I first received my 8x10 holders, there was a problem with lightleaks along the long edges, but Mr. Mido replaced or retaped them and also provided different slides. After that, things went fine. The 6x10 never exhibited any problems. I nearly always cover or shade the slot after pulling the slide regardless of what type of holder I use, so I never had a particular problem there either. The only caveat to the Mido II holders is they are somewhat more fragile than other holders and should not be "bumped" on their edges. Long story short, I had no problems, but was mindful these holders are not as rugged as other holdlers. Good luck.

Mike

PS: I miss using them.

I have used the 5X7 version and my experience is similar to what others have said about the difficulty of grasping the darkslide.

For 4X5, I use Grafmatics and would recommend them over the Mido II for convenience and general availability.

Paul's answer has a lot of academic info but the bottom line is that the Mido holders never worked very well.

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Nonsense. Mine worked/work fine, they take a little getting used to in loading but I've only had occasional problems with actual use.